Kesäranta, Official residence in Meilahti, Helsinki, Finland
Kesäranta is a wooden villa with a tower and veranda on the shore of Seurasaarenselkä bay in Meilahti, Helsinki. The building stands on an extensive property at Kesärannantie 2 and offers direct views over the water.
Architect Frans Ludvig Calonius designed the villa in 1873 as a summer house for a wealthy family. The Finnish State acquired the property in 1904 and used it first as the residence of the Governor-General before it was later assigned to prime ministers.
The residence serves today as a setting for informal meetings with government guests and media representatives, often held in the garden or by the water. This tradition of relaxed summer conversations has shaped the working style of Finnish prime ministers for nearly a century.
The villa sits in a quiet location directly by the water, surrounded by green spaces and trees that screen it from the public road network. Visitors can view the grounds from the street but should keep in mind that it is an active official residence with restricted access.
The property received a commemorative blue plaque marked '100' in 2017 to honor Finland's centennial of independence. This simple sign near the entrance reminds passersby of the residence's symbolic role in the nation's modern governance.
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