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Häme Castle
Family activities
Group trip to Hämeenlinna
Welcome to enjoy Hämeenlinna!
Hämeenlinna offers far more than its size suggests—sights and experiences for history and culture enthusiasts as well as lovers of stunning nature and outdoor destinations. We’ve put together sample excursion days for groups, which can easily be adapted to suit your group’s needs.
1. Get to Know Hämeenlinna
Come and discover the history and present day of Finland’s oldest inland city. Visit the medieval Häme Castle, explore the key sights of the city centre on a guided sightseeing tour, and marvel at the wonders of Aulanko Park Forest and its magnificent national landscapes. Guide bookings: Hämeenlinna Guides.
Excursion day programme:
- Guided tour of the medieval Häme Castle
Step into the Middle Ages and discover the glory and decline of the best-preserved stone castle in the Nordic countries! Over 700 years old, the red-brick Häme Castle on the shore of Lake Vanajavesi has served over the centuries as a fortress, an administrative centre, a residence, and even a prison. Today, the castle is an important historical monument, best explored through guided tours. - City sightseeing tour
On a guided sightseeing tour by Hämeenlinna Guides, you’ll hear stories about the history and present day of Finland’s oldest inland city. The tour covers the key sights of the city centre. - Visit to Hämeenlinna Church
Hämeenlinna Church is one of Finland’s most significant examples of Gustavian classicism. Completed in 1798, the church was modelled on the Pantheon in Rome. - Lunch at Restaurant Piparkakkutalo
Lunch is served at Restaurant Piparkakkutalo in the city centre. The restaurant is housed in a beautifully restored Art Nouveau villa. - Visit to Hämeenlinna Art Museum and the Verkatehdas area
The art museum is located in two old grain storehouses in the Verkatehdas area. The buildings are known as Engel and Lohrmann, named after their architects. The art museum hosts changing exhibitions covering everything from the history of Finnish art to the latest trends in contemporary art. - Guided tour of Aulanko Park Forest
On this tour by Hämeenlinna Guides, discover the wonders and stories of Aulanko Park Forest and hear about its great creator, Colonel Hugo Standertskjöld. From the granite observation tower, admire the stunning views of Aulankovuori and the 152-hectare park forest area.
2. In the Footsteps of Sibelius
Finland’s national composer, Jean Sibelius, was born and grew up in Hämeenlinna. During this guided walking tour, follow in Sibelius’s footsteps and gain a unique overview of the idyllic landscapes of the composer’s childhood and the colourful events of his youth.
- Visit to the Birthplace of Jean Sibelius
Built in 1834 in the centre of Hämeenlinna, the Birthplace of Jean Sibelius was converted into a museum in the 1960s. The museum displays furniture, documents, photographs, and small artefacts that tell the story of Jean Sibelius’s childhood in Hämeenlinna. The museum’s interiors have been restored to reflect the 1860s, the era of young Sibelius’s childhood. - Sibelius city sightseeing tour or walking tour
On this guided sightseeing tour, hear about Sibelius’s life in Hämeenlinna while discovering the history of Finland’s oldest inland city and the key sights of the city centre. - Lunch at Restaurant Piparkakkutalo
Lunch is served at Restaurant Piparkakkutalo in the city centre. The restaurant is housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau villa. - Sibelius’s Forest
As a young man, Sibelius spent a great deal of time wandering the forests of Aulanko, and the national landscape visible from the observation tower is said to have inspired him to compose the Finlandia Hymn. In 2018, an approximately 100-hectare nature reserve was established east of Lake Aulanko, within the national urban park, and named Sibelius’s Forest. Along the winding nature trail through the area, information boards describe the forest in both Finnish and English.
3. Fall in Love with Iittala
Hämeenlinna’s Iittala is known as a village of craftsmanship, design, and art, attracting over 100,000 domestic and international visitors each year. Discover the success story of Finnish glass design and watch glassblowers at work in the Iittala Glass Factory.
At Iittala’s Lasimäki, discover the history of glassblowing and glass itself, and stop by the factory floor to see glass being blown. Iittala is also home to the Centre for Naive Art, whose summer and winter exhibitions are sure to bring a smile to your face and a spring to your step. You can also pick up souvenirs at the boutiques of Iittala’s Lasimäki or at the Iittala Outlet store.
- Visit to the Naivists in Iittala art exhibitionThe Naivists in Iittala summer and winter exhibitions showcase the cream of Finnish naive art, complemented by top international names.
- Visit to the Iittala Glass Factory
Founded in 1881, the Iittala Glass Factory remains an important part of the history—and future—of Finnish design. The factory’s visitor gallery offers a unique opportunity to watch skilled glassblowers shape molten glass into internationally acclaimed design classics, such as Aalto vases and Oiva Toikka’s birds. Admission to the visitor gallery is free; check opening hours here. - Free shopping time in the craft boutiques
Shop at the glass factory store and the other shops at Lasimäki, which offer high-quality design, craft, home decor, and gourmet products. - Visit to Kalvola Church
Completed in 1921, Kalvola Church is built from the renowned Kalvola granite and has a rectangular hall-church design. It was designed by the well-known church architect Ilmari Launis. A parish representative will be on hand to present the church building.
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Would you like to stay overnight in Hämeenlinna?
Accommodation options in Hämeenlinna
Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, Hämeenlinna offers accommodation options ranging from a historic manor hotel and a lakeside inn with old-world charm, to a modern city-centre hotel or Finland’s happiest lake hotel!
Restaurant services for groups
Are you looking for a place to eat with your group? We have compiled a list of restaurants that can accommodate larger groups.