Tuuri | Exploring Finland
Tuuri is a village in Alavus Municipality in Western Finland, a part of the Southern Ostrobothnia Region. The village is home to a population of around 780 inhabitants and the second-largest department store in Finland – the Veljekset Keskinen. As a symbol for Tuuri, meaning “luck” in Finnish, a large horse shore stands next to the large shopping center. Similar to the case in the Swedish locality of Ullared, one store plays a central role in the life of a whole village.
A Short History of Tuuri
The development of Tuuri to what it is today began in 1946. This was when Toivo Keskinen opened his store in the village. The store would later in 1969 move to where it is today. To where it has grown to become the second-largest department store in Finland. Veljekset Keskinen was established in 1976 and is currently run by the fifth generation of the Keskinen family.
Things to Do and See
The yellow palace-like facade of the huge department store is one of the first things most visitors to Tuuri see. The department store of Veljekset Keskinen plays a central role in the village and it is not possible to miss this huge building complex. There are in addition to the large store also restaurants and other stores to be found here. There is also a large indoor playground.
In addition to the large shopping complex, there are a few more things to explore. Just a short distance away is the Jari-Matti Latvala’s Rally Museum. Jari-Matti Latvala is a former Finnish rally driver and is currently the team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. It is Latvala’s collections that are on display in Tuuri.
How to Get to Tuuri
- Flights: The nearest larger airports are Vaasa Airport in the west, Jyväskylä Airport in the east, and Tampere–Pirkkala Airport in the south.
- Car: Tuuri is located along Road 18, just to the east of Alavus.
- Train: Tuuri is one of the stops along the railway line between Jyväskylä and Seinäjoki.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 328 kilometers (3 h 40 min)
- Turku – 292 kilometers (3 h 40 min)
- Vaasa – 135 kilometers (1 h 40 min)
- Oulu – 335 kilometers (4 h 20 min)
- Joensuu – 382 kilometers (4 h 40 min)
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