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Lahti
From Wikitravel
Contents
Lahti [1] is a town in southern Finland, which lies on the shore of Vesijärvi.
Lahti is a traditional industrial city. However, the city has suffered heavily during the economic downturms, especially in the early 90's, earning a somewhat gritty reputation. Unemployment and alienation are still commonplace in suburbs of Lahti. Things are however now looking brighter again with a new direct railroad to Helsinki and city centre being revamped.
[edit] Understand
Lahti has a population of 100,000 making it the 7th largest city in Finland by population. The area of the city is 154,6 square kilometres, of which 19,54 km² is water. Current mayor of Lahti is Jyrki Myllyvirta.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By car
Lahti is exactly 104 km from Helsinki, a one-hour drive on the expressway number 4 connecting the two cities.
[edit] By bus
Buses to Lahti depart from Helsinki every half hour. Currently, journey to Lahti by bus takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Buses arrive at the Lahti Bus Station (Linja-autoasema) in the city centre. Ticket costs around 14,20€ - €17. By the way, "pikavuoro" means express-service, "vakiovuoro" means normal service, and "tilausajo" means charter service.
[edit] By train
Travel from Helsinki to Lahti by train takes about an hour. The train service is provided by VR [2], the national train company. Trains are also preferred by locals, because they're fast and comfortable. There are several train types:
- Local train Z (Lähiliikennejuna Z). Costs around €13,80 adult, €6,90 child(6-16 years). - Stops at Pasila, Tikkurila, Kerava, Haarajoki, and Mäntsälä. Goes hourly from about 6AM to roughly midnight.
- InterCity trains(InterCity-juna). Costs around €20 adult, €10 child. 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 €25,2 adult, €12,6 child. Very comfortable trains and they tilt while turning (allows faster speeds).
Stops only at Pasila and Tikkurila before Lahti. 48 minutes travel time. All of the Pendolino trains continue from 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 have three children, you will only pay for 2 adults and 1 child.
The train station is less than ten minutes walk from the city center. Cross Mannerheiminkatu and take Rautatienkatu towards north. = Leave the radio hill to your left and railway tracks behind you.
[edit] Get around
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. A trip planner is available online. [3].
Interactive map of Lahti [4]
[edit][add listing] See
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 harbor area with outdoor cafes and bars. In the harbor area there is also beautiful Sibelius Hall which is used for concerts and conferences.
[edit] Sibelius Hall
Sibelius Hall (built in 2000) is an example of a modern wood construction and the largest wooden building built in Finland for 100 years. 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.
[edit] Parks
- Laune Family Park, 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.
- Free of charge
- Bus no. 31 from Kauppatori stop A
- Vesiurut, 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 can get wet ;) During the fall, there are also lights playing.
- Free of charge
- Very close to the city center
- Yli-Marola 4H Farm Animal Yard, Neljänkaivonkatu 47
Barnyard animals in the sweet country milieu right in the city center. Open only in Summer.
- Free of charge
- Puksu city train
Puksu 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.
- 4€ Adults, €2 kids
- Outdoor swimming pool (Maauimala)
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.
- 4€ Adults, €2 kids.
- Sports Park (Kisapuisto)
You 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.
- Outside prices unknown
- Inside tennis €12/hour, squash and badminton €8/hour.
There's a list of parks at Lahtitravel [5]
[edit][add listing] Do
Lahti has the best known symphony orchestra in Finland, Sinfonia Lahti. Annual winter sport event, Salpausselän kisat is very popular and worth to see.
- Lake Vesijärvi, Ankkurikatu. A nice way to spend a summer day is to embark a paddlewheeler ship to cruise Lake Vesijärvi. Remember to have an ice-cream onshore. edit
- Medieval Greystone Church of Hollola, Rantatie 917 (Hollola kk). mon-fri 10-80, sun 11-16. Visit nearby Hollola for it's medieval greystone church. Completed around 1480 it represents the best middle aged church architechture. This church is famous for it's well preserved wooden carvings, some of which are from the 1400s. Free. edit
[edit][add listing] Buy
[edit] Shopping centers
Lahti has several big shopping centers. One of them is Trio [6] at Aleksanterinkatu 20. There are many shops, as the center is divided into four sections - Trio Aleksanteri, Trio Opaali, Trio Forum and Trio Hansa. Each part has 2 or 3 floors.
- Opened on weekdays between 10AM - 8PM, Saturdays between 9AM and 6PM.
Sokos shopping center [7] at Aleksanterinkatu 19-21. It's a big center with 3 floors and basement floor. Upper three floors are filled with shoes, clothes, toys, electronics, dishes, games, movies and everything that you need in your household. In the basement, there's a S-Market grocery store, what has a store in almost every city in Finland.
- Opened on weekdays between 8AM - 9PM, Saturdays between 8AM and 6PM.
Outside town (LAUNE) is a large commercial area filled with large hypermarkets, electronic and car stores.
- Most stores are open on weekdays between 9AM - 8PM, Saturdays between 9AM and 5PM.
- Buses no. 72, 8, 13, 16, 21, 30 from Kauppatori stop C
Liike shopping center is near the city centre. Mail order business Anttila has a big 2-floor store there, what sells nearly everything found in the catalog. There are also several smaller shops, a cafe and a sports shop InterSport.
Shopping center Syke is located just opposite of Liike. Unlike Liike, which has a few shops. Syke has many shops. One of the biggest is Euromarket, which sells clothes, electronics, household products and food.
By just walking around in the city centre you can found stores that sell almost anything (everything from buttons to cars).
[edit][add listing] Eat
- Ahtialan Pizza-Kebab Ahtialantie 137. There is a variety of pizzas and kebabs. It's located quite far from the town centre.
- Ararat Rautatienkatu 10. Pizzas & kebabs.
- Aspendos Kebab Aleksanterinkatu 15. This place is said to have the best kebabs in Lahti.
- El Toro Mariankatu 8
- Italiano Jalkarannatie 1. Great variety of italian dishes.
- Lahden Kebab&PizzaVapaudenkatu 22
- Lorano Hämeenlinnantie 26
- Lounaskahvila TaraAukeankatu 1
- Marry Dian Ritaniemenkatu 11
- Oluthuone Rautatienkatu 11
- Pizzeria Kebab Antonio Pizzeria Kebab Antonio is famous for their wrapped kebabs. You can find them at Rauhankatu 19.
- Ravintola Erika Lahdenkatu 46
- Santa Fe Right next to Kauppatori. An interesting restaurant specialized in Mexican food. There's also a bar downstairs.
- Tähti Pizzeria Ostoskatu 16
- Ravintola Taivaanranta, Rautatienkatu 13. Best place for lunch in Lahti. Good place to dine, but apart from lunch, rather expensive. edit
- Ravintola Mamma Maria, Vapaudenkatu 10. Italian food, good pasta and their own ice-cream. You can talk Italian with the owner. edit
- Classic Pizza Restaurant, Aleksanterinkatu 18 (Inside Trio shopping mall, 1st floor.). Good pizza, it is recommended to pick extra toppings if ordering from the list. edit
[edit][add listing] Drink
- Onnela, Aleksanterinkatu 24. Nightly disco.
- Torvi Loviisankatu 8. [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. In Teerenpeli there is very nice athmosphere and friendly service.
- Teerenpeli, Vapaudenkatu 20. This place has its own whisky distillery and beer brewery. You can buy single cigars aswell, they are kept in a big humidor. Friendly service. edit
[edit][add listing] Sleep
[edit] Budget
- Koti Onnela, Onnelantie 10, tel. +358-40-8250443, [9]. Youth Hostel.
- Matkakoti Patria [10]. Budget hostel near railway station.
[edit] Mid-range
- Cumulus Lahti, Vapaudenkatu 24, [11]. Pet friendly hotel in the center of Lahti. There are conference facilities for 50 people. The hotel has 171 rooms, bar and disco.
- Musta Kissa, Rautatienkatu 21, [12]. Double rooms from €80.
[edit] Get out
Among the neighboring counties are Asikkala, Heinola and Orimattila. Many of them have something worth a visit, although perhaps just a brief one.
| Routes through Lahti |
| Rovaniemi ← Jyväskylä ← | N  S
| → Helsinki → END |
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