A picturesque 19th-century timber parsonage estate 1.3km southwest of the city centre on the shore of Lake Saimaa, Kenkävero is now Mikkeli's most popular tourist attraction. The parsonage building houses a restaurant (buffet lunch €29; open 11am to 3pm), and a variety of outbuildings are now home to handicrafts and design shops, the best of which is undoubtedly Myymäla. It also has a summer-only lakeside cafe, an artisan bakery and a gorgeous garden planted with over 500 plant species.
Originally an island, Kenkävero's first parsonage was built in the 15th century but remained isolated until it was connected to the mainland by a bridge in the 19th century, when the current parsonage was built. Its last parson departed in 1969 and the estate fell into disrepair. Fortunately, the local municipality finally intervened in 1988, funding a meticulous restoration.
