Two days before Christmas I visited Keskinen VillageShop, that is the most popular tourist attracion in Finland – 6 million yearly visitors – and the second biggest shopping center in Finland by sales volume.
The Legend of the plains is situated in southern Ostrobothnia, in the village of Tuuri with only 500 inhabitants. ‘Tuuri’ means ‘Luck’ in English. Because the VillageShop is located in the middle of nowhere, people drive approximately 150 km to get there, in July even over 200 km. The VillageShop is 150 km from Tampere and 130 km from Jyväskylä. The VillageShop has its own caravan site with 200 spots, 15 euros per day with electrocity. The VillageShop is known also for its Million events, Million Ice Fishing, Million Rock, Miss Million etc.
The entrance to the VillageShop Food store and Hotel OnnenTähti (Hotel LuckyStar). The building seem odd in the middle of countryside.
There is shown one of toys of the VillageShope owner Vesa Keskinen in the shopping alley, Ferrari F40 from the year 1990, “bought for 240 000 euros, now worth 300 000 euros”.
The Lucky Shoe Monument (Onnenkenkä) is world famous – it was voted the world’s third ugliest building in Virtualtourist.com voting.
“It may be over-the-top, but there is something to be said for the giant, golden horseshoe that looms over Finland’s second-largest shopping center. The shoe, and, in fact, the entire town in which it is situated, is said to bring good luck to those who visit.”
I like the facade of the Department store (Tavarapuoti).
The VillageShop owner Vesa Keskinen has his house 100 m from the VillageShop on the other side of the river.
Santa Claus in the Department store of the Keskinen VillageShop.