Women in the Shadows and in the Spotlight of Art
Alongside the artists, at the heart of the stories—Experience the art of Lake Tuusula through women’s eyes
Mäkelä’s traditional Women’s Trip is back! Join us on a unique cultural journey to Lake Tuusula—to the landscapes where a significant part of Finnish art and cultural history was born. This guided day trip takes us to three iconic artists’ homes: Ainola, Ahola, and Halosenniemi, where we’ll learn not only about the artists but also about the strong women by their sides. At each destination, we’ll enjoy a guided tour that highlights the lives, daily routines, dreams, and influence on Finnish culture of the women who lived in these homes.
The artist community around Lake Tuusula was once one of Finland’s most significant cultural hubs. On this trip, you’ll get to experience that atmosphere firsthand and hear fascinating stories about the lives of artist families—especially the women who made a difference behind the scenes and often in front of them as well.
Women in the Shadows and in the Spotlight of Art 29.8.2026
- Matka Mäkelä Oy’s chartered transportation
- Lunch
- Destinations listed in the itinerary, including guided tours and admission fees
- Ainola
- Ahola
- Halosenniemi
- Services of a Matka Mäkelä tour guide
- Organizational fees and VAT
Trip price
- 155 € per person
Club offer: 10 € off per person, valid until June 30, 2026!
Departure Date
- August 29, 2026, Saturday
Schedule
Bus Schedule for Sat, Aug 29
6:30 a.m. Keuruu, Bus Station
7:00 a.m. Mänttä, Ratakatu Stop
10:30 a.m. Ainola
11:30 a.m. Ahola
12:45 p.m. Lunch
1:45 p.m. Halosenniemi
4:00 p.m. Kinnari Farm, Hollola
Shopping time at the Kinnari Farm store and an opportunity to enjoy coffee at your own expense in the farm café.
approx.
7:30 p.m. We’ll be back in Keuruu
Reservations
Reservations:
By July 27, 2026!
Free cancellation:
Until July 27, 2026. The trip requires a minimum of 30 participants to take place.
Club Mäkelä:
Learn more about our club, Club Mäkelä, here! Joining is easy—you can even do it right when you make your reservation!
Personal data provided for this trip will be transferred to partners and authorities essential for the execution and booking of the trip, both within the EU/EEA and to regions outside them. The processing of data is subject to the principles of the EU General Data Protection Regulation. More information here.
Preliminary program
Preliminary itinerary: We will set out in the morning according to the schedule above.
Our first stop is Ainola, the home of composers Jean and Aino Sibelius. Here we will take a themed tour titled “Aino’s Ainola.” Aino Sibelius was a strong, cultured, and practical woman who, with her gardens and daily routines, turned Ainola into a home where the history of Finnish music was born.
Our second destination of the day is Ahola, the home of writer Juhani Aho and Venny Soldan-Brofeldt. During the tour, we will focus particularly on the life of Venny Soldan-Brofeldt—a talented artist, a bold personality, and a modern woman of her time who forged her own career at a time when that was not a given for women.
Afterward, we will enjoy a lunch included in the tour price.
After lunch, we’ll head to Halosenniemi, located on the shores of Lake Tuusula, which served as the warm and welcoming home and studio of painter Pekka Halonen and his large family. On a guided tour, we’ll explore the painter’s life and the setting where Finnish art history was born. Halosenniemi’s log house and lake scenery offer a unique glimpse into the environment where Finnish National Romantic art emerged.
From here, we’ll head toward Hollola and the Kinnari farm. There, you’ll have the chance to enjoy coffee at your own expense and explore and admire the offerings in their farm shop. From there, we’ll continue our journey home via Mänttä, arriving back in Keuruu around 7:30 p.m.
