Heinola | Exploring Finland
Heinola is a town and the seat of the local municipality in the Päijät-Häme Region in southern Finland. It lies just a short drive north of the region’s capital Lahti. This is a unilingual part of Finland, with Finnish as the main language. Around 14.000 of the municipality’s 18.300 inhabitants live in the town. The town is located between the two lakes Ruotsalainen and Konnivesi. The two lakes and the river Jyrängönvirta make sure that the people of Heinola are never far from the water.
A Short History of Heinola
The year 1776 marks the start of Heinola’s development. This was the year when King Gustav II of Sweden chose the town as the seat of the region’s local government. The commercial interests in the town. It did, however, take until 1839 before Heinola gained its town rights by Czar Nicholas I of Russia. The town would for a long time be associated with two things. The seminaari, an institute for the education of elementary school teachers and the repetition as a spa town. Both views were established in the 1890s and the institute survived until 1972.
Things to Do and See
Heinola is a fairly small town and its center doesn’t take long to explore on foot. Exploring the surrounding countryside and lakes would take a lot longer. For visitors, the town offers that small-town feeling of tranquility, especially along the waterfront.
Heinola Waterfront
The waterfront comes to life during the summer months. Here you will find places such as the beach Kylpylän Uimaranta, the Harbor, the marina, and parks such as Heinolan Rantapuiston and Möljän Puisto. The waterfront is your gateway to several interconnected lakes in the region, but the shores itself have something to offer for the ones preferring to stay on dry land.
Heinolan Kaupunginmuseo
Heinolan Kaupunginmuseo is the local museum showcasing the town’s cultural history. The museum includes exhibitions about the town’s history all the way up to today. There are also temporary exhibitions with different themes.
Heinolan Tori
At the heart of the town is the main square, the Heinolan Tori. This is not a square with old majestic buildings. It is a square lined by restaurants, shops, and other service businesses. In many ways, it is a functional square that from time to time houses market stands and other events.
Heinolan Kirkko
The yellow wooden church with its standalone belfry dates back to 1811, with the belfry being completed in 1842. It is located on a small hill watching out over the town.
How to Get to Heinola
- Flights: The nearest airport is Lahti-Vesivehmaa Airport (QLF), but for more route options the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) might be a more convenient airport.
- Car: Heinola lies along road E75, just north of Lahti.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 138 kilometers (1 h 30 min)
- Turku – 274 kilometers (3 h)
- Vaasa – 415 kilometers (5 h)
- Oulu – 475 kilometers (5 h 20 min)
- Joensuu – 306 kilometers (3 h 30 min)
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