Villa Kanttura
Price: 470 €/night • Fri–Sun 1100 € • 3000 €/week
(19.12–6.1: 850 €/night, minimum stay 3 nights)
HOST service
With our Host service, you’ll receive local knowledge and practical assistance even before you arrive. We’re here to help with booking transportation, activities and equipment rentals. Tell us more about your wishes, and we’ll help you plan a truly unique holiday experience.
Prime welcome package
You can choose whether you arrive at the cottage alone in peace or have us personally welcome you at the start of your holiday. We’ll show you around the property and raise a toast together to kick off your memorable stay.
Property description
Villa Kanttura
Forty-four hectares. One kilometre of private riverbank. No neighbours. Thousands of years of stories.
The road gently descends towards the Oulujoki River and Villa Kanttura appears before you. Guests almost invariably use the same words when they arrive: “It feels like another world.” It is difficult to explain the feeling before you experience it yourself. The outside world falls quiet. What remains is the clear, flowing river, the forest and a silence so complete that you can almost hear it.
Kanttura is not a hotel. Nor is it simply a holiday villa. It is a place of its own: 44 hectares of private land, with the Oulujoki River flowing through the property for more than a kilometre. The immediate grounds alone cover several hectares. Beyond them are forest, riverbank and beautiful untouched nature where you can walk for hours without meeting another person. The air is exceptionally clean. Even the trees tell the story: beard lichen grows on their branches, a delicate species that cannot tolerate polluted air.
This old riverside estate has been brought back to life with love and passion. Its architect-designed restoration respects the original spirit of the buildings, while modern solutions bring in light, understated luxury and a high level of environmental responsibility. In the main house, substantial log walls meet expansive glass architecture. The glass living room dissolves the boundary between indoors and outdoors, allowing the river landscape to become part of the room.
The estate was created around two things: being together and having space of your own. Around the main house, the beautifully restored hideaway cabins form a small private courtyard where everyone can find their own place. Long dinners on the terrace. Conversations that continue late into the night. A morning swim in the river before anyone else has woken up. And always the possibility of retreating to your own little cabin. The traditional Finnish outdoor saunas invite you to slow down. In the Fire Hut, an open fire burns whatever the season. Guests often tell us that they sleep better at Villa Kanttura than anywhere else.
A Story That Cannot Be Staged
In 1969, archaeological excavations were carried out on the Kanttura grounds. Numerous stone artefacts were discovered. One of them – an engraved stone found beside the main building – is now built into the fireplace. Ancient symbols are carved into its surface. Let the light move across the stone and see what you can find.
A Place of Healing
According to local stories, Kanttura was once a gathering place where people came to seek healing. In Finnish history, the shaman was the healer of the community – the doctor of their time. People are believed to have travelled to this bend of the river in search of health and wellbeing for thousands of years. Even today, guests describe Villa Kanttura as an exceptionally restorative place.
A Place of Belonging
In the early 20th century, a woman lived alone at Kanttura and took in orphaned children. Eventually, there were many of them. During the summer, the children played in the extensive yard while their foster mother prepared food for them over an open fire. Wealthier people from the surrounding area brought her money and food to help her care for the children.
Today, when you sit on the terrace and hear the sounds of children playing in the yard, you are part of that same story. Villa Kanttura has always been a place where people cared for one another.
The Home of Salmon and the Salmon Lords
The word Kanttura refers to a giant salmon in old Finnish. The name is no coincidence.
For centuries, both under Swedish and Russian rule, salmon fishing on the Oulujoki was reserved for only a select few. Fishing rights belonged to certain estates, while everyone else was forbidden from fishing for salmon. But the men of Kanttura and the surrounding area still had wives and children to feed. They came to this bend in the river at night, quietly. During difficult years, the river provided what the law denied them. And it was here, at Kanttura, that some of the largest fish were caught. That is how the place got its name.
From the 1870s onwards, British gentlemen anglers began travelling to the Oulujoki. Locals called them the Salmon Lords. In July 1885, one such party camped beside Kanttura. Among them were Aldred Lumley, 10th Earl of Scarbrough; George Monckton-Arundell, 7th Viscount Galway; Viscountess Vere; and William Thomas Orde-Powlett, later Baron Bolton. The journey from Britain took weeks and cost a fortune. They came anyway.
The river at Kanttura therefore became part of the fate of two very different groups of people: for some, it meant a livelihood secretly taken from the river; for others, it was a distant dream worth travelling across Europe to experience. Today, you are standing in that same bend of the river. The current flowing in front of the terrace carries stories of both.
The enormous salmon no longer return to the Oulujoki. Hydroelectric power stations cut off their route from the sea in the 1940s. The river still offers good-sized fish – and the fishing tradition lives on.
Key Features
Main Building 170 m²
- Solid traditional log construction combined with modern glass architecture. A glass living room seamlessly connects the interior with the river landscape.
- A fireplace containing an ancient Stone Age archaeological find.
Kanttura’s Hideaway Cabins
A large terrace connects the main house with the cabins around the courtyard. Each hideaway cabin has electricity, air-source heat pump heating and a traditional Finnish heat-storing stove, and is available year-round. They are the perfect solution for groups who want to be together while also appreciating their own privacy. The cabins are particularly well suited to larger groups, corporate guests and multigenerational holidays, when everyone wants both shared spaces and somewhere of their own.
Hideaway Cabin 1, 21 m²
A charming little cabin for sleeping and relaxing. Sleeps 3 people, 100 €/night.
Hideaway Cabin 2, 19 m²
A charming little cabin for sleeping and relaxing. Sleeps 4–6 people, 100 €/night. Currently being carefully restored. The first guests will be welcomed from March 2027.
Savupirtti, 24 m²
The Finnish Heritage Agency’s archaeologists consider Savupirtti one of the oldest surviving buildings in Northern Finland. Originally built as a traditional smoke sauna, Savupirtti has been carefully restored while preserving its original character. Darkened log walls, a traditional heat-storing stove and modern comforts create a unique place where you can sleep surrounded by hundreds of years of history.
The name Savupirtti tells the story of how the building was originally heated: there was no chimney yet. The hut was heated with an open fire. Smoke filled the room, after which the building was aired out before people entered. That is why the logs have their characteristic darkened surface. And, perhaps surprisingly, this also contributes to exceptionally good indoor air quality: soot is naturally antiseptic. Sleeps 2–4 people, 100 €/night.
Saunas
Both of our traditional outdoor Finnish saunas are steeped in history. They feature a traditional masonry water-heating stove and water carried by hand, just as it was done in the past. The riverside sauna accommodates 4 people, while the courtyard sauna accommodates up to 10 people. From the riverside sauna, it is just ten steps to the river for a refreshing dip. Sauna heating on request, 150 €/sauna.
Yard Area
- A traditional Finnish courtyard where nature and history exist side by side.
- A large terrace for dining, spending time together and enjoying the river views.
- A second terrace right beside the water – perfect for those moments when you do not want to speak to anyone.
- The flowing Oulujoki remains largely ice-free in winter, offering guests the opportunity for a true ice swimming experience.
- A gently sloping riverbank that is pleasant for swimming and safe for children.
- Forest paths for walking and running across your own 44 hectares.
- An old, atmospheric outdoor theatre area for shared moments and small performances.
- A peaceful meditation spot among the pine trees for quiet reflection and listening to nature.
The Fire Hut
A cosy, traditional log building with an open fire burning whatever the season. The Fire Hut is a place for cooking, sharing stories and simply relaxing beside the flames. Evenings here tend to last longer than anyone intended. The Fire Hut accommodates approximately 18 people.
Location
Villa Kanttura lies in complete privacy on the banks of the Oulujoki River, hidden from view. There are no visible neighbours in any direction. The estate includes 44 hectares of private land and more than one kilometre of private riverbank, meaning the forest paths and riverside trails are entirely yours to explore. During summer, a boat may occasionally pass along the river. Otherwise, Villa Kanttura offers something that has become increasingly rare: complete privacy.
This exceptional riverside hideout combines refined luxury, privacy and centuries of stories. At Villa Kanttura, guests experience the beauty of the Oulujoki in a truly special way – surrounded by a historic courtyard, peaceful nature and remarkable architecture.
Comforts
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Bedrooms
1. Bedroom, Main House
160 cm futon bed
2. Bedroom, Main House
120 cm motorised bed and 90 cm motorised bed (can be combined into a 210 cm double bed), a bunk bed with two 80 cm beds.
3. Bedroom, Main House
Three separate 80 cm beds (can be combined into a 160 cm double bed plus one separate bed). A charming sleeping loft accessed by traditional stairs. Please note: the stairs may not be suitable for guests with reduced mobility or very young children.
4. Bedroom, Hideaway Cabin 1
Two separate 90 cm beds (can be combined into a 180 cm double bed) and a 120 cm bed.
5. Bedroom, Hideaway Cabin 2
Two separate 90 cm beds (can be combined into a 180 cm double bed) and a sleeping loft for 2–4 guests. Available for bookings from March 2027.
6. Bedroom, Savupirtti
Two separate 90 cm beds (can be combined into a 180 cm double bed). In addition, a 140 cm sofa bed.
Location Details
- Nearest grocery store: Vaala 10 km
- Nearest airport: Oulu 91 km, Kajaani 112 km
- Nearest cross-country ski trails: Rokua 15 km, Vaala 10 km
- Nearest river: 0 m
Additional Information
The extensive grounds at Villa Kanttura also make the property suitable for different types of private celebrations and gatherings. Once the restoration of Hideaway Cabin 2 is completed in March 2027, the sleeping loft will allow the property to accommodate up to 22 guests. If your event includes more than 22 people, please contact the host through a booking request. We will be happy to design a suitable arrangement especially for your group.
Property Restrictions
No pets allowed.
Additional Information
Check-in: 16:00
Check-out: 12:00
Check-in: Self check-in with a key box or personal welcome by the host
Rental car: Recommended
Security deposit (refundable): None
Bed linen and towels: Available for 30 €/person
Cleaning: Available for 180 €