Jump back in time a few hundred years and imagine wooden buildings with horse-drawn carriages strolling around and people exchanging news in the streets. The city is bustling and alive as people go about their business. You might even see an automobile with its horns blaring. Various goods change hands and craftspeople show off their skills. In the municipality of Juuka, on the west bank of Lake Pielinen in North Karelia, this time travel is possible. In Puu-Juuka, you can explore the old town centre of Juuka, whose original look and building traditions enrich the present-day centre of Juuka. Puu-Juuka is located in the area between the river, the main road number 6 and the Juankoskentie road.
In the 16th century, a village was already located along the Juuanjoki river, which has developed in the 19th century when trading shops and other buildings were built along the road. The houses in the area are still residential, commercial and public buildings, just as they were hundreds of years ago. The area is home to the Mill Museum, the Vikilä Art Houses, the Puuhelmi Kindergarten, the Civic College, the Workers’ House and the Art Manor with its entrepreneurs from different industries. Goods and services continue to change hands.
The area is a culturally and historically significant and rare preserved milieu, representing the architectural heritage of the town. The oldest buildings in the area date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are many houses in Puu-Juuka that are protected under the Building Protection Act. When visiting the area, it is worth paying attention to the details of these buildings, as there are interesting details such as frontons, decorative window frames and eaves brackets.
Puu-Juuka is a rich cultural site where you can feel the atmosphere of a bygone world and step back in time for a moment.
