Court of Appeal Forest is located between the districts of Old Vaasa and Runsor, south of Hovioikeudenpuistikko, between Yrittäjänkatu and Runsorintie. The ramparts of Old Vaasa and Kuninkaankartano are also in the immediate vicinity of the forest. Yxgärde and Taidepuisto border Court of Appeal Forest along their southern edge. The area has a strong cultural history, but today it is mainly used for recreation by local residents.
Court of Appeal Forest is a valuable ancient monument area where old pines grow in the natural forest sections. Cultural influences in the area likely date back to the 14th century, and Court of Appeal Forest is therefore protected under the Antiquities Act. Between the trees of the forest you can spot small clearings that are remnants of former hay meadows and fields that were cultivated well into the 20th century. After the great fire of Vaasa in 1852, Court of Appeal Forest remained uninhabited, which is why the area’s cultural history has been preserved to the present day. In addition to field clearings, the area also bears traces of, among other things, a prisoner-of-war camp from the Continuation War. Some old fields have also been turned into plantation forests with pine, spruce or larch as the species. Besides its cultural history, Hovioikeudenmetsä also shows signs of the Ice Age and post-glacial land uplift.
Court of Appeal Forest has a branched network of paths that possibly partly follow old cart tracks and partly are formed by pedestrians. The paths in the forest are not maintained for winter conditions, but at all other times of the year Court of Appeal Forest is a place worth visiting.