Anyone who’s fascinated by the history of Europe between 1900 and 1950 will love this place. In its own subtle ways, it reflects the early history and aspirations of the Finnish nation better than anything else in Helsinki. A gracefully proportioned villa within an upscale neighborhood otherwise devoted to foreign embassies, it functioned as the elegant home of Baron Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, marshal of Finland and president of the republic from 1944 to 1946.
The museum houses his collection of European furniture, Asian art, and personal mementos, which include uniforms from both the Imperial Russian army and the then newly established Finnish Republic, swords, an astonishing array of military decorations from many of the nations of Europe, and gifts from admirers.