The Wordrobe gets up close and professional with Petra Karjalainen, owner of the Pulsa Railway Station in Lake Saimaa, Finland. A former railway station turned boutique accommodation, a stay at Pulsa Railway Station is anything but ordinary. We caught up with Petra to find out more about the inspirations behind the project, as well as her own travel plans
Forget the traditional hotel room. The historic Pulsa Railway Station (known by locals as Pulsan Asema) is located just over 20 kilometers outside of the city of Lappeenranta in the Lake Saimaa region. Once one of Finland’s main railway stations, it’s been painstakingly-restored into an idyllic boutique Bed & Breakfast, complete with chic café and lifestyle boutique – and is now a thriving hotspot for both locals and curious travellers on a daily basis. We spoke to the woman behind the project, Petra Karjalainen, to find out more about her inspirations and career journey so far.
Tell us more about your career background. What inspired you to take on Pulsa Railway Station as a hospitality project?
I studied marketing in Switzerland and worked at a marketing agency. After that, I moved to Doncaster, where I spent a year working as a PR and marketing assistant trainee for a Swiss company. I then got engaged to a Finnish architect and moved to Finland in 1988
As I didn’t speak the language, I decided to attend a handicraft school, thinking it might be easier to learn Finnish while doing something practical! I studied weaving and machine knitting, which eventually led me to start my first company, making graphic and colourful sweaters and hats. Many years later, this experience led me to a position at an arts and crafts organisation, where I became the CEO. I then went on to establish the first tourist centre in Joensuu, an arts and crafts centre called Taitokortteli, in 2005. It was home to several boutiques, a coffee shop and spaces offering handicraft classes.
Ten years later, we bought a cottage in Pulsa, around 250 km south of Joensuu. The cottage was in such a beautiful location by the lake that I decided it should become our new home. I had also studied interior design in the years leading up to this, so transforming the cottage, which originally dates back to 1860, into a home we could live in became one of my first major projects. In 2014, we moved to Pulsa, and by the end of that year, we found ourselves the owners of a much bigger property – Pulsa Station.
The main reason we bought it was simply because we love old houses and wanted to preserve them for the next generation.
Tell us more about the site’s unique history…
Pulsa Station was built between 1867 and 1869 and was one of Finland’s main railway stations at the time, as it was located along the main railway line connecting St Petersburg in Russia to Helsinki.
The station played an important role due to its location along the route, as steam engines needed to stop to refill their water and wood supplies to keep running. This is also why Pulsa Station is such a large property, with several buildings originally used to accommodate the workers involved in the railway services.
The last passenger trains stopped at Pulsa in 1978, after which trains continued to pass through on their journeys between Helsinki and Moscow. At the time, there were around four passenger trains and 15 freight trains passing through each day.
After the station closed, the buildings stood empty for around 20 years and gradually fell into poor condition. A residential home for people struggling with alcoholism was then established in the main building and operated for approximately 20 years. When the home eventually closed, the property was left empty once again and put up for sale. That was when we came across Pulsa Station and decided to buy it at the end of 2014.
Almost 20 rooms have been renovated so far. Do you have a favourite room/accomodation at the B&B?
Today, Pulsa Station has around 20 buildings, including the main building, which houses our coffee shop, as well as a bakery, boutique, event house and five B&B houses, each with one or two guest rooms.
My personal favourite is the Pumpmaster’s House, which combines old and modern design. It is also beautifully situated by the lake and has its own private sauna, making it a particularly special place to stay.
What was your inspiration or theme for the interior design within the various accommodations?
When it comes to the interior design, I tend to go with the flow and trust my instincts. I wanted to keep some of the houses quite romantic, but not too much, while giving others a more modern feel, still incorporating antiques from the 1860s.
I also like each room to have its own individual style and character. As I use antiques quite a lot throughout the interiors, this tends to happen quite naturally, with each room developing its own unique design.
What has been your proudest achievement for Pulsa Railway Station to-date?
This year, we reached a turnover of €1 million, and in 2025, we received the award for Finland’s Best Travel Destination, which was a wonderful achievement for us.
What makes this even more special is that we have managed to build our reputation without spending money on advertising. We don’t have a marketing budget, and instead rely on people discovering us and spreading the word. This means we can put all the money we save back into restoring and maintaining the property, which is something we are constantly working on.
What does wellness mean to you?
For me, wellness is simply about feeling at ease, forgetting about any problems at work or home, and allowing yourself to relax. I don’t think wellness needs to involve anything expensive or elaborate. Sometimes, just being in a beautiful and peaceful environment is enough.
At Pulsa Station, whether you’re walking through our park or spending time in the old houses, there is a natural sense of calm that helps you slow down, switch off and simply enjoy being there.
Pulsa Railway Station has its own coffee roastery. What’s your go-to coffee order?
That would have to be a latte with extra-hot milk!
What advice would you give to other aspiring female founders?
You can do it! Just believe in yourself and trust your instincts. But remember to use both halves of your brain – the creative side and the practical side that keeps an eye on the costs. It’s important to find a balance between the two as you go along, while always trying to make everything as visual and beautiful as possible. Of course, that also means a lot of hard work!
If you could catch a train to anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
It would have to be the Pride of Africa, Rovos Rail, travelling from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam. It’s an old-fashioned luxury train, with beautiful rooms and service reminiscent of the 1930s. It would be such a wonderful experience, although I could never afford it.
Finally, what’s next on the cards?
Well, I still have plenty of ideas, but I think I might be getting a little too old to take on entirely new projects! So, for now, I think I’ll just continue making our surroundings even more beautiful and taking care of the old houses in a sensitive way, preserving their character and history.
Although, we do actually have one new project planned for next year – transforming one of our B&B houses into a small shop!
Start the adventure
Find out more about Pulsa Railway Station and make a booking via pulsanasema.fi
