Verla Ground­wood and Board Mill

The Verla Groundwood and Board Mill is located in Kymenlaakso, approximately 30 kilometres from the city centre of Kouvola. Within its rural setting, the area includes a groundwood and a board mill, power plants and worker’s houses. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

The historic industrial village of Verla is an outstanding and remarkably well preserved example of the small-scale rural industrial settlement that flourished in northern Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Only a handful of such settlements survive to the present day. The Verla groundwood mill and board mill were established in 1872 and 1882, respectively. The current urban fabric was established at the turn of the 20th century. The mills remained operational until 1964, and the mill museum, opened in 1972, was the first of its kind in Finland.

The cultural heritage site of Verla includes about 50 buildings in an area of more than 10 hectares, which is a remarkably authentic and intact complex that has remained nearly untouched. Even the installations and machinery of the mills have retained their original locations. Prehistoric rock paintings can be seen in the rocks above the Verlankoski rapids, featuring eight elk, three humans and an abstract pattern. 

The Verla groundwood and board mill is owned and maintained by UPM Kymmene Oyj. The UPM Verla Mill Museum offers information and tours of the World Heritage Site. The Management Board of Verla, established in 2002, is in charge of the development and preservation of the site in accordance with the requirements set by UNESCO. The Board includes representatives of local property owners and the Finnish Heritage Agency.

Approximately 45,000 tourists visit Verla every year, and 15,000 of them visit the museum. The Verla Mill Museum is open for guided tours only in the summer season. The areas of the World Heritage Site surrounding the museum can be accessed for free.