Kultaranta Gardens

The Finnish president's summer residence, open for one weekend each June.

The gardens at Kultaranta cover several hectares and include one of the largest rose collections in Finland, along with sculpted hedges, water features, and views across the archipelago. The granite castle at the centre was designed by Lars Sonck and completed in 1916. On the open weekend, thousands of people come over from Turku and Naantali to walk the grounds.

Access during the open weekend is by boat or on foot from Naantali. The rest of the year, the property is closed to the public — you can see the silhouette of the tower from the water, but no closer. Check the presidential palace's website each spring for the exact open weekend date.

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Kultaranta is the official summer residence of Finland's president, built in granite on Luonnonmaa Island at the start of the twentieth century. The name means "golden shore." Each June, the grounds are opened to the public for a single weekend — the only time visitors can walk among the rose gardens, the formal beds, and the castle-like main building. The Kultaranta discussions, Finland's annual foreign and security policy seminar, also take place here.

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