Day trip to Tuulos

Hanssi’s Jukka and other eye candy for aviation enthusiasts

The vibrant heart of Tuulos, Kauppakeskus Tuulonen, is a complex of around 50 shops and services, as well as many events such as the popular summer flea markets, located right at the junction of highways 10 and 12.

A special feature of Tuulonen is the delightful collection of vintage aircraft, which you will hardly find anywhere else in Finland! Hanssi’s Jukka, a Douglas DC-2 transport aircraft used by the Finnish Air Force, can be admired in a hangar built into the shopping centre. Suspended from the shopping centre ceiling is also a Focke-Wulf Stieglitz, which served as an Air Force training aircraft, and the aircraft collection is complemented by a Mig-21 jet fighter and a Draken fighter on display outside the shopping centre.

Platform dancing and live music

Hair down and floral dress on! The legendary dance pavilion and live music venue Kapakanmäki echoes not only with traditional repertoire but also rock, and in summer you can dance the day away at afternoon dances. Kapakanmäki is located right along Highway 12, a short drive from Kauppakeskus Tuulonen.

Summer theatre magic on the Ruuttanäyttämö stage

Tuulos VFD’s Ruuttanäyttämö is Finland’s only volunteer fire brigade theatre that presents summer theatre plays as its own production.

Authentic Häme flavours from Tuulosrievä

Along Highway 12 you will find Tuulosrievä’s delightful summer café and self-service shop, where you can buy authentic Häme flavours to take away at any time of day.

Tuulos the Sleigh-Maker

Tuulos was known in former times particularly as a place for manufacturing sleighs and carts, and the carriage industry in Tuulos began as early as the 1840s. The local heritage museum maintained by Tuulos-Seura ry, Museo-Eerola, displays not only peasant artefacts but also the carriage industry characteristic of Tuulos, as well as a museum complex focused on household life. The museum area is an attraction in itself: its handsome log main building dates from the 1850s and the grain barn from 1754.

Beautiful medieval church

Feel a breath of the past and stop to admire Tuulos’s small, beautiful grey stone church, which is believed to have been completed around 1520. Pause for a moment of reflection before the wooden sculpture of Saint Birgitta, dating from the 15th century. Above the altar is a crucifix that was originally a triumphal cross. On the altar wall is a painting, Christ in Gethsemane, painted in 1863 by Hjalmar Munsterhjelm, an artist from Tuulos.

Laurinkallio ancient hill fort

Laurinkallio is an old defensive and refuge fort, where residents of nearby villages fled during the Viking Age from Vikings attacking from Lake Pyhäjärvi. Laurinkallio is a nationally significant ancient monument, and numerous weapon finds—spearheads, swords, axes, and bones—have been made at its base, which have been interpreted as originating from battles fought at the site.

A guided walking trail has been constructed to the Laurinkallio hill fort, starting from Hevoshaantie. Along Kallioniementie there is a parking area, from which a path with duckboards leads up to the rock. The views from the top of Laurinkallio over the fertile landscapes towards Lake Suolijärvi, Lake Pyhäjärvi, and Tuulos Church reward the effort of the climb!

Turn off Highway 12 towards Luopioinen, and about four kilometres along, at Juttila village, a sign to the left points towards the Iron Age Laurinkallio hill fort.

Stage of tragic events

Tuulos served as the stage for many events of the Civil War. One of the largest battles of the Civil War was fought at Syrjäntaka in Tuulos, as a result of which almost the entire village street was burned to the ground. The battles are also described in Väinö Linna’s work Under the North Star.

The events of a hundred years ago are commemorated by numerous memorials in the Tuulos, Hauho, and Lammi areas. Explore the stories behind the memorials.

Getting there

Tuulos is located on both sides of the junction of highways 10 and 12, approximately 30 kilometres from Hämeenlinna, 70 kilometres from Tampere, and 50 km from Lahti. The drive from Helsinki to Tuulos takes just over an hour.

You can reach Tuulos by bus from Hämeenlinna (approx. 25 min.), Tampere (approx. 1 h), and Lahti (approx. 40 min.).