Lahti

Lahti was just a village until it got the railway in 1870. It then grew quickly and got its city status in 1905. Now Lahti has a population of 100,000 making it the 8th largest city in Finland by population. The area of the city is 154,6 square kilometres, of which 19,54 km² is water. It is near the country's gravity centre by population.
The area was inhabited already 9,000 years ago, with one of the oldest settlements found in Finland.

By car

Lahti is 104 km from Helsinki, a one-hour drive on freeway 4 connecting the two cities. The drive will take a little less than one hour in the summer, more in the winter. Other major cities within an hour or two are Kouvola (east), Mikkeli (northeast), Jyväskylä (north), Tampere (northwest) and Hämeenlinna (west).

By bus

There are frequent buses from Helsinki and other major cities in the region, as well as cities further north along highways 4 and 5. See https://www.matkahuolto.fi/en/ for schedules.

By train

Travel from Helsinki to Lahti by train takes about an hour. Trains are preferred by locals, because they're fast and comfortable. There are several train types:

• Local train Z (Lähiliikennejuna Z). Costs around €14 adult, €7 child (6–16 years). Stops at Pasila, Tikkurila, Kerava, Haarajoki, and Mäntsälä. Goes hourly from about 6AM to about midnight.
• InterCity trains (InterCity-juna). Costs around €20/10. Very comfortable trains, usually with 6 wagons, 3 of them are double-deckers. Stops at Pasila, Tikkurila and depending on the train also at Kerava. Most of the Intercity trains continue onwards from Lahti and are only marginally faster than the Z train. Current (winter 2009) timetable indicates 54 minutes travel time.
• Pendolino trains. Costs around €25/13. Very comfortable tilting trains. Stops only at Pasila and Tikkurila before Lahti. 48 minutes travel time. All of the Pendolino trains continue from Lahti.
• Allegro trains connecting Helsinki and St. Petersburg stop in Lahti.

If you travel with children, you should choose perhelippu (family ticket). With each adult, one child can ride for free. For example, if you are two adults and three children (6–16), you will only pay for two adults and one child. Children who are under 6 usually get no ticket and thus no reserved seat – they are supposed to share a seat with their company if there are no free ones – so you may want to pretend they are 6 (even toddlers), to get the ticket, at least if you have no older children.
The city centre is less than ten minutes walk from the train station. Cross Mannerheiminkatu and travel north on Rautatienkatu. Pass the radio hill (with the tall legacy masts) on your left and the railway tracks behind you.

By plane

The nearest passenger airport is Helsinki Airport, about 90 km south of Lahti. From the airport you can travel to Lahti by bus (direct) or train (requires a transfer in Tikkurila).
There is an almost hourly ExpressBus coach connection from Helsinki-Vantaa airport to Lahti bus station, departing from platform 13 in front of Terminal 2. The service operates round the clock, although there may be a gap of 1 to 2 hours between services in the small hours of the night. The trip takes between 1 h 15 min and 1 h 30 min, depending on whether the service calls in towns on the way. In some cases, there is a change of coach at Kerava but it is well co-ordinated and easy. Tickets cost €20.50 (round trip €36.90) for adults, €10.30 for Finnish students (ISIC not accepted) and children of age 4–16.

By bus

Lahti has a good system of public transport. You can ride from one part of the city to another with a single ticket of €3.20, kids €1.60. Kauppatori is the center of Lahti's public transport system, but be aware that many bus lines go in both directions from Kauppatori. You can use the interactive route plannerto find bus routes.

By foot

Lahti has a partly deserved reputation as an unattractive, economically depressed industrial town. In the recent years, however, Lahti has improved its reputation with a lovely harbour area with outdoor cafes and bars. In the harbour area there is also beautiful Sibelius Hall which is used for concerts and conferences.

• Sibelius Hall

  address: Ankkurikatu 7
  Built in 2000, Sibeliustalo is an example of a modern wood construction and the largest wooden building built in Finland in a century. Finnish forests were the main inspiration for the architects. The building consists of four parts: The renovated ex-carpentry factory (the oldest industrial building still existing in Lahti, built by August Fellman in 1907 to serve as a kraft pulp factory with a sawmill, the building was extended many times and it served as a glass factory, wood meal factory, carpentry factory and wooden house factory), the Main Hall with wonderful acoustics, the congress centre and the Forest Hall (a beautiful lake scenery opening from Forest Hall's windows). Guided tours for groups of 1-13 persons. The ex-carpentry factory was renovated into a restaurant, offices and cabinets. Sibelius Hall host about 800 events every year: about 140 concerts from classical music to rock, pop etc.

• Lake Vesijärvi

  address: Ankkurikatu
  A nice way to spend a summer day is to embark on a paddle steamer (stern-wheeler) to cruise Lake Vesijärvi. Remember to have an ice-cream onshore.

• Radio and tv museum

  phone: +358 3 814 4512
  address: Radiomäki
  Lahti's radio and television museum is located on Radiomäki (literally Radio Hill). You can see receiving and transmission equipment from the 1920s to modern times, and outdoors you can't miss the two long wave masts that can be seen from everywhere around the city.

• Lahti Historical Museum

  address: Lahdenkatu 4

• Lahti Art Museum

  address: Vesijärvenkatu 11 A

• Lahti Sports Center

  address: Salpausselänkatu
  There you can see the ski jumping hills, ski museum and Lahti stadium. In summer there is a outdoor swimming pool. It's also possible to buy ticket which allows you to use a chairlift and an elevator to get to the top of the ski jump which provides a panoramic view of Lahti.

Lahti has the best known symphony orchestra in Finland, Sinfonia Lahti. The annual winter sport event Salpausselän kisat is very popular and worth seeing.

• Puksu city trainPuksu train goes through the city's entertaining places. It starts from Vesijärvi harbour, then goes to Laune park, then Farm Animal Yard, "Little Marketplace" and back to Vesijärvi harbour.

• Yli-Marola 4H Farm Animal Yard

  address: Neljänkaivonkatu 47
  Barnyard animals in the sweet country milieu right in the city center. Open only in Summer.

• Outdoor swimming pool

  address: At the ski jumping centre
  In the summer, the bottom part of the highest ski jump is opened as a pool. There's a shallow kids area as well as a deeper area, which goes quickly from 2m to 3m deep. Swimming ability required. You can borrow trunks and glasses.

• Sports ParkYou can play almost anything in the sports park. There are tennis courts, a tennis wall, volleyball court, baseball field and of course a football field. Inside, there are tennis, badminton, and squash courts.

• Steam locomotive trip to Heinola

  address: Salpausselänkatu 8.
  Enjoy a ride to the neighboring city of Heinola on a 1947 steam locomotive via a 37km track no longer used by regular passenger trains. The train stops at many old stations along the way. Schedules are published on the website, and tickets can be bought on board.

Parks

• Laune Family Park

  address: Kaarikatu 26
  In Laune park, you'll have lots of fun. There's a traffic city, where you can drive with free bicycles and scooters. There are pipes and water, and parents can rest on grass while kids are having fun.

• Vesiurut

  address: Pikku-Vesijärvi park
  Vesiurut means water organs. Every day at 1PM and 6PM, at the park there is a small 15 minute concert. The fountain starts in unison with music from speakers up in the trees. There are some classical music pieces and some Finnish pop music pieces. You can sit on rocks around the fountain, but be aware - you may get wet. During the fall, there are also lights playing.

• Ankkuri beach

  address: Ruoriniemenkatu 10, Lahti
  Public beach, changing rooms and toilets, a small number of public parking spots are located nearby. Close to city centre on the shore of Vesijärvi, water quality in the lake is excellent.

• Salpausselkä trails

  address: Salpausselkä, Lahti
  Tens of kilometers of forest trails for walking, cycling and skiing. No dogs allowed on ski trails in winter.

Festivals

• Classic Motor ShowAn event for fans of old cars and motorcycles; American cars from the 1950s and 60s are particularly well represented. Hobbyists, collectors and automobile clubs bring out their well-polished treasures from their garages, car-related businesses market their services, there are presentations, competitions and a motorcade. The main event takes place indoors, but there are almost as many beautiful old cars to see in the yard as well. Namely, people who arrive in a vehicle that's at least 30 years old may park it on the fairgrounds free of charge (and they will be part of the "outdoor" exhibition).

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Shopping centers

Lahti has several big shopping centers.

• Trio

  address: Aleksanterinkatu 20
  There are over 90 shops on 3 floors.

• Sokos department store

  address: Aleksanterinkatu 19-21
  It's a big center with 3 floors and a basement floor. The three upper floors are filled with shoes, clothes, toys, electronics, kitchen utilities, games, movies and everything that you need in your household. In the basement, there's a S-Market grocery store, a chain which has a store in almost every city in Finland.

• Liike

  address: Kauppakatu 16
  A big 2-floor Anttila department store which sells nearly everything. There are also several smaller shops, a cafe and an InterSport sports shop.

• Syke

  address: Kauppakatu 18
  Shopping center Syke is located just opposite of Liike. Unlike Liike, which has a few shops. Syke has several — S-Market, which sells household products and food, Clas Ohlson, which sells electronics and household products, Emotion, which sells cosmetics and womens lingerie, TOP Sport, which sells sports equipment.

• Laune districtA couple of kilometers south of the city center, a large commercial area filled with large hypermarkets, electronic goods, car stores and charity shops (flea markets).

• KarismaSituated about 5 kilometers east from the city center, next to the E75 motorway. It has nearly 80 shops.

• Kärkkäinen

  address: Pasaasi 2
  Independent shopping center in Renkomäki district.

Just by walking around in the city centre you can find stores that sell almost anything (everything from buttons to cars).

Factory outlets

Lahti has several good factory outlets. For clothing Finnkarelia Outlet in Hollola and Luhta Outlet in Lahti are good places to visit. Maria Drockila's candle factory in Orimattila's old spinning mill is also worth a visit.

• Ahtialan Pizza-Kebab

  address: Ahtialantie 137
  There is a variety of pizzas and kebabs. It's located quite far from the town centre.

• Tonin Pitsa

  phone: +358 400-156-706
  address: Rautatienkatu 15
  An Italian restaurant serving Italian-style pizzas and also has a catering service.

• Ararat

  address: Rautatienkatu 10
  Pizzas & kebabs.

• Aspendos Kebab

  address: Aleksanterinkatu 15
  This place is said to have the best kebabs in Lahti.

• El Toro

  address: Mariankatu 8
  Spanish styled food

• Italiano

  address: Jalkarannatie 1
  Great variety of Italian dishes.

• Lahden Kebab & Pizza

  address: Vapaudenkatu 22

• Lorano

  address: Hämeenlinnantie 26

• Lounaskahvila Tara

  address: Aukeankatu 1

• Marry Dian

  address: Ritaniemenkatu 11

• Oluthuone

  address: Rautatienkatu 11

• Pizzeria Kebab Antonio

  address: Rauhankatu 19
  famous for their wrapped kebabs.

• Ravintola Erika

  address: Lahdenkatu 46

• Restaurant Roux

  phone: +358 10 279 2930
  address: Rautatienkatu 7
  Finnish fine dining with local delicacies.

• Santa Fe

  address: Aleksanterinkatu 10
  Right next to Kauppatori. An interesting restaurant specialized in Mexican food. There's also a bar downstairs.

• Tähti Pizzeria

  address: Ostoskatu 16

• Ravintola Taivaanranta

  phone: +358 424 925 230
  address: Rautatienkatu 13
  Grill and distillery.

• Ravintola Mamma Maria

  phone: +358 3 751 6309
  address: Vapaudenkatu 10
  Italian food, good pasta and their own ice-cream. You can talk Italian with the owner.

• Alexin Panimo

  phone: +358 447458887
  address: Aleksanterinkatu 6
  New brewery and bar in Lahti.

• Amarillo Bar

  phone: +358 3 87 89810
  address: Aleksanterinkatu 10
  Tex Mex styled bar in Lahti.

• Lahti passenger harbour

  address: Vesijärven satama
  At summertime it is worth visiting the Lahti passenger harbour, several restaurant ships operate as popular alfresco pubs.

• Torvi

  address: Loviisankatu 8
  The most legendary bar in Lahti. If you dig rock music, Torvi is a must

Other places worth to visit are restaurant Taivaanranta and Teerenpeli which have their own whisky distillery and beer brewery.

• Teerenpeli

  address: Vapaudenkatu 20
  This place has its own whisky distillery and beer brewery. You can buy single cigars as well, they are kept in a big humidor. In Teerenpeli there is very nice atmosphere and friendly service.

Budget

• Huoneistohotelli Lahden Koti

  phone: +358 3 7522 173
  address: Karjalankatu 6

• Koti Onnela

  phone: +358 40 8250443
  address: Onnelantie 10
  Youth Hostel.

• Matkakoti Patria

  phone: +358 3 782 3783
  address: Vesijärvenkatu 3
  Budget hostel near railway station.

• Omenahotelli Lahti

  address: Rauhankatu 14
  A budget chain hotel next to the market square.

Mid-range

• Hotelli Cumulus Lahti

  phone: +358 3 813 711
  address: Vapaudenkatu 24
  Pet friendly hotel in the center of Lahti. There are conference facilities for 50 people. The hotel has 171 rooms, bar and disco.

• Scandic Lahti

  phone: +358 3 339 39 11
  address: Vesijärvenkatu 1
  Formerly known as Next Hotel Salpaus. Standard mid-range hotel of the Swedish chain.

Splurge

• Sokos Hotel Lahden Seurahuone

  phone: +358 20 1234 655
  address: Aleksanterinkatu 14

Among the neighboring towns and cities are Asikkala, Heinola and Orimattila. Many of them have something worth a visit, although perhaps just a brief one.

• Medieval Greystone Church of Hollola

  address: Rantatie 917
  Visit nearby Hollola for it's medieval greystone church. Completed around 1480 it represents the best middle aged church architecture. This church is famous for it's well preserved wooden carvings, some of which are from the 1400s.

• Messilä resortIn the winter one of the most popular ski resorts of southern Finland, in the summer a place to hike and play golf.

• Päijänne National ParkNational park in Finland's second largest lake. Explore with boat or canoe. A nature trail with nice views is reachable by road.