Verla’s colorful characters

UNESCO’s World Heritage Site Verla exudes stories of the great personalities in cardboard manufacturing.

In Verla, a carpenter named Matti Mustonen once worked, who made coffins for the factory workers as his side job. He crafted the coffins to specific measurements. When a worker’s steps grew shorter and their work pace slowed down, Matti began to follow behind them with a measuring tape in hand. The little ailments reportedly disappeared suddenly.

Stories about Mustonen can be heard if you visit the UPM Verla Factory Museum located in the former cardboard factory buildings. It can only be explored through a guided factory tour. Visitors receive delicious anecdotes about the everyday life and personalities of the factory.

Verla’s roots run deep; the area has been inhabited for a long time. At the top of the Verlankoski rapids, there is a collection of rock paintings made with red pigment, estimated to be 7000 years old. Eight moose and three humans can be distinguished in the images.

However, Verla is best known for its history in wood processing. The Verla Woodworking and Board Factory was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The factory village surrounding the factory buildings still remains intact, and travelers can stay in the former homes of the factory workers.

Colorful cartridges

Perhaps the most beautiful of Verla’s buildings is the Patruunan pytinki, completed in 1885 as the residence of the factory manager Gottlieb Kreidlin. Many old traditional perennials bloom in the manager’s garden, such as autumn asters, monkshoods, and daylilies. Guided tours of the garden are held under the direction of the factory museum’s gardener.

The most legendary of Verla’s managers is Bruno Breitenstein, surrounded by many stories. One of them goes like this: “The manager would visit the factory every evening at precisely the same time. Once, he had an appointment and arrived an hour earlier at the corner of the drying room. There was a group of men smoking there. The manager reminded them that smoking is not allowed in the factory. One of the men pointed out that the manager had arrived at the wrong time.” That was the end of the matter.

Verla’s history is filled with many colorful characters. One of them is Antti Kaivola, who worked in the packaging department and was known for being an incredibly strong man. Once, three men were at the Selänpää station discussing how to move an oil barrel from point A to point B. Antti listened to their conversation, grabbed the barrel and moved it aside. Then he moved it back and said that’s how he would do it.

Verla’s history comes to life on museum tours, and at the same time, you can hear more about the personalities who have influenced the area. During your museum visit, you can enjoy a meal at a restaurant and pop into the shops in the museum area.