Hämeenlinna Travel Guide

  The castle
by Gili_S
 
  • The castle
      The castle
    by Gili_S
  •   Hämeenlinna
    by Gili_S
  •   Hämeenlinna
    by Gili_S
  • Around Bear Statue
      Around Bear Statue
    by hartti
  • Hämeenlinna Castle
      Hämeenlinna Castle
    by hartti
 

Explore Hämeenlinna

Things to Do  

The Railway station

The Railway station, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  This is the nice structure of the local railway station building which you might be visiting anyway if you use the train but if not, still it is rather interesting one, the Hämeenlinna - Helsinki was the first rail line open between Finnish cities. 

Hämeenlinnan kirkko

Hämeenlinnan kirkko, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  The Hämeenlinnan kirkko or main church is located in the city central square. It is about 200 years old and the architecture structure of it is rather simple and typical classic Finnish church of that time period. 

The Castle

The Castle, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  Hämeenlinna castle is one of the largest and most famous castle in Finland build during the middle ages. Today it is part of the city museum and open for visitors all year around. 

The market square

The market square, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  Like all Finnish cities also in Hämeenlinna the town market square is in the city centre and main attraction for tourist, buy something to eat or drink and some souvenirs shopping. 

Hämeenlinna Castle

Hämeenlinna Castle, Hämeenlinna

 hartti Says:  The castle has been built in medieval time, and the town has developed around it on Vanaja lake. There are many museums: the Castle Museum, the Prison Museum, the Artillery Museum, etc. 

Aulanko

Aulanko, Hämeenlinna

 hartti Says:  Colonel Hugo Robert Standertskjöld (1844-1931) grounded the Aulanko park and built the granite tower (1907). There is also a famous hotel and a bear-family statue by Robert Stigell. 

The fortress

The fortress, Hämeenlinna

 blanter Says:  Nicely preserved medieval castle, restored in 1970s after 300 years use as a warehouse and a prison. Contains a museum with ethnographic and archaeological exhibits. 

CASTLE TO PRISON TO CASTLE

CASTLE TO PRISON TO CASTLE, Hämeenlinna

 Sininen Says:  There's no real evidence of when Hämeen linna castle was built. Most probably it was built in the at the end of the 13th century after Birger Jarl's Crusade to Häme. During the Middle Ages the castle was turned into a home of the master of the castle. In the 18th century the... 

MOAT AROUND THE CASTLE

MOAT AROUND THE CASTLE, Hämeenlinna

 Sininen Says:  Every castle needs a moat and Hämeen linna castle wasn't an exception. When we look at the pitiful ditch which separates the castle from the mainland it is hard to believe that the castle was able to protect its citizens against the enemy. A Russian story tells that in 1311... 

Hotels  

Cumulus Hameenlinna

 9 Opinions

Sokos Hotel Vaakuna

 1 Review and 11 Opinions  You do not really need hotel in Hämeenlinna unless you stay for a very late evening program as it is... 

Restaurants  

Laurell: Cafe

Laurell: Cafe, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  Cafe Laurell is an old traditional classic coffee shop in Hämeenlinna. It is just by the town square in front of the big church and on a nice sunny day you can even sit outside and enjoy the warm sun with a cup of coffee. 

Tawastia Bank: Local

Tawastia Bank: Local, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  Hämeenlinna is rather poor in restaurant options, most are the standard Finnish networks of restaurants or just local pizza or kebab places, so don't expect anything special.This Tawastia Bank is one local one that you might want to try for local food and drinks which seems... 

Nightlife  

Sirkus

Sirkus, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  Ok, so if you decided to stay in Hämeenlinna over night after all, so this is the place to finalize your nightlife. The Sirkus club is the place where everyone ended the heavy night on drinking in this city. However, during the weekend, if you plan to take a taxi back home... 

Tawastia Bank

Tawastia Bank, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  Well, same as for dining and restaurants this place is also my favourite here for drinking as well as they have stage and live gigs sometimes so you might catch some nice local band playing here. 

Transportation  

Taxi

Taxi, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  If you need to get anywhere in the city, Hämeenlinna is rather small and taxi ride will be short and quick and so wouldn't cost too much either. 

Boat line from Hämeenlinna to Tampere

Boat line from Hämeenlinna to Tampere, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  There is a boat line that can take you through the lake from Hämeenlinna to Tampere, but the catch is that it will cost you much more then the train, but it is something special :)Check the link for more details. 

Easy by car or train

Easy by car or train, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  The easiest way to get to Hämeenlinna is by car or the train which take about one hour drive or ride from Helsinki or Tampere. 

Shopping  

Souvenirs
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Gili_S 4560 reviews

Nice place to buy some souvenirs, local hand craft and such items are in the market square in the centre of town. But don't expect any to be cheap here, after all they are made for the tourist.

Written May 3, 2010

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Off The Beaten Path  

Jean Sibelius birth place

Jean Sibelius birth place, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  This is the house where the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was born in 1865. Located in the city centre it is now a small museum dedicated to the composer, his life and his music. 

Hame Visitor Centre

Hame Visitor Centre, Hämeenlinna

 Gili_S Says:  Hame Visitor Centre located south of Hameenlinna by the national parks of Liesjarvi and Torronsuo surrounding by big lakes. Its a great place to get more information about the nature in the area, where to go hiking and camping of even just to take a short break and swim in... 

Favorites  

Hämeenlinna on-line
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2 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

Gili_S 4560 reviews

Favorite thing: Hämeenlinna is a medium size Finnish city, there are only few nice things to see here, especially the castle.
The city has a nice official web site including also tourist information.
The site is available also in English.

www.hameenlinna.fi

Updated Mar 24, 2004

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Map of Hämeenlinna