Finnish Eco-Agrotourism Association – ECEAT Finland

In the idyllic setting of Lebell’s Merchant House, you can learn about the life of a wealthy merchant family in a maritime town over 200 years ago.

The interior of the building, preserved since 1752, is highly authentic: the baroque hall with its ceiling paintings and woven wallpapers is unique in Finland. The green tiled stove is likely to be the oldest in the country! The interiors also showcase rococo, empire, Biedermeier, and Gustavian styles. The courtyard’s salt warehouse goes back to the glory days of shipping when merchant Lebell exported tar and timber by sailboats and filled the hold with salt on the return journey.

The idyllic Café Lebell operates in the adjacent Félén House (built in 1841) in summer. It serves dishes made from our garden produce and other local ingredients. Organic items include coffee, tea, cocoa, flour, eggs, and milk.

The café hosts various traditional and cultural events, featuring local orchestras, singers, writers, and poets. Félén House is also available for private events (parties of up to 50 people/meetings of up to 30 people), with catering arranged by agreement.

SURROINDINGS AND ACTIVITIES

Painted with red ochre, the Lebell and Félén Houses with their lush courtyards invite visitors to immerse themselves in the past. The garden boasts fruit trees, berry bushes, traditional ornamental plants, and a small herb garden.

Activities at Félén House include:

• Guided tours
• 18th-century dinners and storytelling evenings (including the visit to Kristinestad by the famous Swedish musician and poet Bellman).
• Troubadour evenings, concerts, and plays.
• Themed exhibitions on topics including old photographs and city plans.
• Heritage events (such as Open Gates, Christmas homes, Flora’s Day, markets, Old-time Fair).
• Courses: 18th-century food and 18th-century clothing.
• In summer, guides are available on request; the tour also takes in the garden and its treasures.

Sites in the local area:

• Taking time to explore the atmosphere, history, and natural surroundings of Kristinestad is highly recommended. The city has been granted both Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland label (STF) and the international Cittaslow label.
• At Lebell’s House, ‘After Lebell’ advice is also provided, with tips on nearby excursion destinations. Bicycles can be borrowed, or rented from the nearby tourist information.
• Other museums and exhibitions in the area include Carlsro City Museum, Kiili Local Heritage Museum, Maritime Museum, and Gottorp Gallery .
• For more information on cultural and natural attractions, visit the town’s tourist information.

DIRECTIONS

The distance to Kristinestad from both Pori and Vaasa is approx. 100 km.

• Bus: Nearest stop at 0.5 km (K-Market Kristinestad).
• Train: Nearest railway station in Vaasa, 100 km.
• Motorists/cyclists: Kristinestad’s town centre is located 8 km to the west from Highway 8.
• Boats: Visitor marina at 100 m.

OPENING TIMES AND PRICES

• Open: all year, advance booking required for tourism services.
• Prices: Adults EUR 5, groups of over 15 people EUR 4/person, students EUR 2, children EUR 1.
• Benefit for visitors arriving by public transport and ECEAT members: visitors can be picked up from the bus stop if needed.

OUR ACTIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT:

• We replaced oil heating with geothermal heating in 2019.
• We only use electric lawnmowers and trimmers in the garden, no gasoline or diesel-powered equipment is used.
• We leave more than a half of the lawn uncut to support butterflies, pollinators, Finnish snails, and birds.
• Our energy-saving measures include replacing the insulation in windows and keeping the temperature in the museum at a minimum level in winter.
• We recycle and reuse old materials (incl. doors, windows).

CULTURAL ACTIONS:

• We regularly maintain and care for the old buildings, respecting traditional construction methods. Buildings are painted with home-made paint.
• Traditional construction methods are used, incorporating new technologies.
• We organise heritage events and serve traditional foods.
• Many traditional plant species are preserved in the garden.

FUTURE

• We will expand the herb garden in 2024 and use its produce at Café Lebell. Information signs will be put up in the garden.
• We will maintain the buildings continuously to ensure that they will stand for another 300 years.
• We hope to be granted a Sustainable Travel Finland label in 2024.
• We are planning new, more informative brochures.