Lahti

Idyllically situated around a bay on Lake Vesijärvi, Lahti is a vibrant town 100km north of Helsinki. Lahti is a popular travel destination with excellent skiing facilities at Messilä Ski Resort and the famous ski jumps by the Salpausselkä Ridges.

It is also home to the Lahti Museum of Visual Arts Malva, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and hosts the Lahti Sibelius Festival. Other sites of note are the Church of the Cross and the Musical Fountain in the harbour. Lahti region also includes municipalities of Asikkala, Hartola, Heinola, Hollola, Iiti, Padasjoki and Sysmä. Lahti is a lively city of almost 100,000 inhabitants just an hour from Helsinki. It is the capital of Päijänne Tavastia region, and was first mentioned in documents in 1445, initially being a village in the parish of Hollola, on the mediaeval trade route of Ylinen Viipurintie which linked the towns of Hämeenlinna and Vyborg.

There’s plenty to see and do in Lahti. The redesigned Vesijärvi Harbour has become a popular spot for locals and tourists alike to relax in; The Church of the Cross, designed by internationally recognised architect Alvar Aalto, is one the most photographed buildings in the city; Eliel Saarinen’s Lahti Town Hall is impressive, and the Musical Fountains on the shore of Lake Pikku-Vesijärvi provides a remarkable mix of symphonic music and dancing fountains illuminated in colour.