Court of Appeal Avenue (Hovioikeudenpuistikko) is located at the southern end of Kauppiaankatu, opposite the ramparts of Old Vaasa. The grove consists of a four-row avenue of old linden trees. It is bordered by a park to the north and a small wood to the south. The eastern end of the grove is terminated by Mustasaari Church and Gustaf’s Square and the western end by the ramparts. You can park, for example, at the Mustasaari Church parking lots, which are found on both sides of Gustaf’s Square.
The Court of Appeal Avenue of Old Vaasa was designed in 1777 by Carl Fredrik Adlercrantz. It is Finland’s oldest public grove still in use. Originally, aspens were planted in the grove’s four-row avenue in 1781. Between 1836 and 1842 the aspens were replaced by linden trees. The stately avenue of linden trees survived Vaasa’s 1852 fire. On both sides of the grove there were originally plots for the Court of Appeal councillors, and at the end of the grove stood the Vaasa Court of Appeal building, which after the Vaasa fire was converted into Mustasaari Church. The north side of the grove is today a grassy park area shaded by old deciduous trees. To the south of Court of Appeal Avenue is a lush woodland where old stone foundations can still be seen and in whose shelter lies an old pond. On the southern edge of the woodland there is a mound planted with old oaks.
Gustaf’s Square was originally an open gravel area, but was sown with grass in the 1840s and bordered on its western side by gently curving lilac plantings. The abundantly flowering, fragrant lilacs still grow in place. The tall spruces of Kustaan Square frame the main facade of Mustasaari Church.
Court of Appeal Avenue and Gustaf’s Square are an impressive destination throughout the year. In summer the park’s old large trees provide shade on hot days and offer a pleasant area for walking or a picnic. The lilac flowering at Kustaan Square can be experienced in June and the blooming of the mock orange on the park’s southern side in July. In winter the large trees remain visually striking and Mustasaari Church adds dignity to the area. The woodland next to Court of Appeal Avenue is worth exploring in spring, when vegetation is lower and the forest is easier to walk through, and the old stone foundations are more visible. In spring you can also admire the bloom of blue anemones and spring adonis in the woods. On the shore of the woodland’s pond you can admire the water lilies in bloom in July and August.
