The village of Verla is located in the municipality of Jaala in the southeast part of Finland. Verla's claims to fame are its Factory Museum and other well-preserved old buildings. The Factory Museum was included on UNESCO's world heritage list in 1996, and a virtual version with additional information can be found at the museum's homepage.

History to the Present Day

The first cardboard factory in Verla was built in 1872, although the original factory burned down in 1876. The current, protected buildings were built between 1885 and 1902. The material used for the factory was red brick in the 'Romantic' style, while the workers built their own cottages from wood.

The factory was in operation until 1964, when its bell rang for the last time. Normally the factory ran 24 hours a day, but during the last years of operation there was only one shift left. All the employees either retired or got new jobs in the company's other factories in the area. When the factory closed, all the machinery was left as it was, as it had no resale value.

In 1972 the factory opened as a museum, and the tour begins with a short film that was made during the last days of operation. After this, the guided tour takes you through the whole, surprisingly simple, process from the moment the logs enter the building to the packing department for finished cardboard. During the tour you become familiar with both the machines and the people who operated them. For this Researcher, the best part of Verla is that it forms an integrated whole that is not too large, and you can easily imagine what it was like when the factory was running. You don't have to like machines to enjoy the place - Verla proves that, sometimes, 'industrial' is not a synonym for 'ugly'.

Why Wasn't It Ruined?

The main reason why the original buildings survived so long was that the last operator - Kymi Company - realised quite early that Verla had no potential for growth. It had no railroad connection, and waterways couldn't be used to export products either. Also, the stream that the factory used to generate hydroelectricity was too small for large-scale production. Therefore the Kymi Company just let the factory run as long as it covered its own expenses and there were workers left. Investments were directed to the company's other plants at Kuusankoski, 25km away.

During World War II, the Russians didn't bother to bomb Verla, because of its small size and importance. Also, the time between stopping of production and the opening of the museum was so short that time and vandals didn't take their toll. Not that there would be that many vandals in the middle of nowhere.

Rock Paintings

Stone-age rock paintings can be found on the riverbanks less than a kilometre upstream from the factory.

How to Get There

The easiest way to get there is by car, as public transportation isn't too good. There's about one bus per day from Kouvola or Jaala. Hitchhiking is an option; you can do it all the way or get on the Kouvola-Heinola bus to the crossing of the road to Verla with highway 46. From this crossing it's just over 5km to Verla.