Telkkämäki heritage site, Open-air museum in Kaavi, Finland.
Telkkämäki Heritage Site is an open-air museum in Kaavi spread across roughly one square kilometer. The land includes traditional farm buildings, cultivated fields, meadows, and forest areas that continue to function as a working landscape.
The site was designated as a heritage location in 1989 and documents farming methods that became common in eastern Finland from the 15th century onward. These techniques reveal how people made this forest land usable over generations.
The site maintains traditional crop growing methods that have been used in this region for centuries. The planted grains and field crops visible today show how people historically worked with the land here.
Two marked walking trails guide visitors through the fields and forests on the grounds. A representative from Metsähallitus is available during the summer months to provide additional information and answer questions.
The site continues to actively practice slash-and-burn farming and maintains traditional livestock breeds including Finnhorses, eastern Finncattle, and Finnsheep. This living practice makes it a functioning example of historical ways of life rather than just a display to observe.
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