Serlachius Museums

Gosta Serlachius ran the paper mills at Mantta and spent a large part of his money on art, and the foundation he left has built one of the strongest collections in Finland outside Helsinki: Finnish golden age painting, European old masters and modern work, shown in his lakeside manor house and in a pavilion added in 2014 whose structure is a lattice of laminated pine, built by a Spanish practice and widely admired. A second museum, Gustaf, occupies the old mill head office in the town and covers the paper industry and the family. The setting, a small industrial town among lakes and forest, is part of the point.

What you actually see

• The 2014 timber lattice pavilion - laminated pine structure beside the manor.
• Finnish golden age painting - the core of the Gosta collection.
• European old masters - the older part of the holdings.
• The Gustaf museum - the paper industry and the family in the old head office.

When to go

Year round. Half a day for both museums. Closed Mondays outside the summer. Book ahead for major temporary exhibitions.

Honest expectations

Mantta is a long way from anywhere and public transport is slow. The two museums are separately located and a combined visit takes most of a day. Displays rotate, so specific works may not be shown.

Nearby

Tampere is south-west; Helvetinjarvi lies west.