Riihimäki
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Riihimäki is in Tavastia Proper, about 70 km north of Helsinki. An industrial town of about 30,000 inhabitants, Riihimäki is an important railway junction.
Understand
Riihimäki isn't an old city, even compared with other Finnish cities. The first railway in the country (at the time a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire) was opened between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna in 1862, and the small station of Riihimäki was built pretty much in the middle of nowhere. A few years later a railway from Lahti and eventually all the way from the imperial capital St. Petersburg was opened, joining the first railway in Riihimäki and as such it became an important railway junction which it still remains today, and a town started growing around it. In 1960 Riihimäki received city status.
Today Riihimäki is an industrial city, also home to some governmental functions like a garrison and Riihimäki Prison with the highest security level in Finland. The most notable attractions in the city are museums, such as the Glass Museum hosted in the former Riihimäen Lasi factory, and while Riihimäki isn't exactly a prime tourist destination, quite a number of travelers pass through every day.
Today Riihimäki is an industrial city, also home to some governmental functions like a garrison and Riihimäki Prison with the highest security level in Finland. The most notable attractions in the city are museums, such as the Glass Museum hosted in the former Riihimäen Lasi factory, and while Riihimäki isn't exactly a prime tourist destination, quite a number of travelers pass through every day.
Get in
By train
Riihimäki railway stationRiihimäki is on the Finnish main north-south train line between Helsinki (commuter trains of the R, T and D lines about every 30 minutes) and Tampere (R commuter trains) (and further all the way to Northern Finland) and most trains stop here. In addition, there are some (about hourly) trains from Lahti (commuter trains on the G line). Commuter train lines R, T and D come in from Helsinki (about every half hour during daytime), R from Tampere, and G from Lahti. Coming from Helsinki airport, take train P to Tikkurila and swich to one of the trains from Helsinki there.
By bus
The railway station doubles as bus station. You can get in by bus from nearby major cities, see the Matkahuolto home page for schedules. As downtown comparatively far off the motorway, many of the buses between Helsinki and Tampere don't stop in Riihimäki.By car
Motorway 3 between Helsinki, Hämeenlinna and Tampere passes next to Riihimäki, in the east-west direction there's highway 54 between Lahti and Forssa.Get around
By car
Traffic isn't busy and vacant parking lots are easily found.By bus
Riihimäki has 7 local bus lines and a service line. Line #1 goes once an hour, other lines even less frequently. A single bus ticket costs €3,30 for adults and €1,70 for children.By foot
As it's a small town, pretty much everything is within walking distance.See
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