Retretti

Retretti Art Centre

Useful Information

Location:	Tuunaansaaritie 3, 58450 Punkaharju. At Punkaharju. 30 km from Savonlinna, 80 km from Imatra. (61.804261, 29.288549)
Open:	closed. [2024]
Fee:	closed. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	Ar=3,700 m², VR=30 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Retretti Oy Ltd, Tuunaansaaritie 3, 58450 Punkaharju, Tel: +358-15-7752200, Fax: +358-15-644314. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1980s	subterranean galleries excavated.
1983	gallery founded by Pekka Hyvärinen.
2012	museum went bankrupt and was closed.
2018	begin of renovation.

Description

Retretti is one of the largest art centres in the Nordic Region. The full name is Saimaan taideluola Retretti (Saimaa Art Cave Retretti). Located at the eastern border of Finland to Russia, close to the border to Russia, the small village of Punkaharju with just 4,000 inhabitants is a strange place for such a big gallery. As strange as the location is the size and architecture of the place, as most of the gallery is underground, chiseled into the hard crystalline rock. During the 1980s an underground gallery with an area of 3,700 m² up to 30 m below the surface was created. A long staircase leads down to the galleries and a concert hall, 25 m below ground, 12 m high, seating 800.

The name Retretti is derived from a Latin word meaning to retreat, to withdraw. Probably it was a retreat from the lurking giant in the southeast, a way to work with the continuous menace. The aggression by Russia was immediate during the 1980s, the last decade of the Cold War. But when the Cold War ended in the early 1990s for most countries, the threat went on until today for Finland.

The museum was a unique experience, with strange light, dripping walls, secluded springs and the beauty of natural rock. The gallery was only open during three months in summer, and the fee was a little expensive, but it offered a wide range of art, from classic to modern. There were five different exhibitions which changed every year. Founded by the artist Pekka Hyvärinen it was operated by the company Retretti Oy. However, due to the short season and the enormous costs, the company went corrupt in 2012 and the museum was closed.

There were nevertheless exhibition activities now and then. It took several years until finally in 2018, the attempt to reopen the site was made, and renovation work started. Luola Events started event and restaurant operations in the cave, and organized several large events and concerts. During winter 2019–2020, the above-ground buildings of the old Retretti were mostly demolished. In 2020 and 2021 the center was opened during summer, while renovation was still going on. However, the scheduled reopening in 2022 did not take place, and it was still closed in 2023. It seems financing was not sufficient and the new museum failed before it even officially opened. There might also be a connection to the pandemic. Their new website is gone, the facebook page has not been updated since 2022, Google Maps lists it as temporarily closed.