Every day a dense flow of tourists from Finland and other countries passes through Vantaa, who at the same time do not see Vantaa at all. The fact is that the Helsinki-Vantaa airport is located in this satellite city of the Finnish capital. Most travelers would never think that Vantaa might be interesting on its own. But if circumstances call for you to stay in Vantaa longer than is required to change your flight, you will definitely have something to do here.
The first written mention of Vantaa dates back to 1351. Royal road which was once used by postal couriers. This is the most important today tourist route for traveling through the countries of Scandinavia. The Royal Road runs from east to west along the old path, laid by the Vikings. Postal carriages and messengers drove along it at full speed, bringing news from Stockholm to Turku and St. Petersburg. The same path was connected with the great castles of Turku and Vyborg. Part old road has survived to this day: through it you can get to Vantaa from Espoo, and from Vantaa - to Sipoo.
The Royal Route passes in Vantaa through a wooden bridge from 1876 (on the Vantaa river in Vantaankoski) and a stone bridge from the 1890s. (via Kerava in Hakkil).
One of the most interesting places in Vantaa is the Eureka Science Museum. Opened in 1989, it was the first of its kind in the country and continues to be Finland's leading popular science museum.
How to get there
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is located right in the city and accepts flights of dozens of airlines, including from Moscow and St. Petersburg. By train from the center of Helsinki to Vantaa, it takes about 20 minutes.
Search for flights to Helsinki (nearest airport to Vantaa)
Entertainment and attractions in Vantaa
One of the most interesting places in Vantaa is the Eureka Science Museum. Opened in 1989, it was the first of its kind in the country and continues to be Finland's leading popular science museum. Museum expositions are placed not only in the main building, but also under open air around it, and the total number of exhibits exceeds 100 pieces. The museum cannot be called purely childish: here you can see both simple popular science installations illustrating the amusing laws of the universe, and exhibits that, from a theoretical point of view, are still not very clear how they work. Eureka has its own planetarium, Botanical Garden and a mineralogy department with a national collection of specimens.
The legendary Formula 1 driver Mika Hakkinen was born in Vantaa.
Another interesting object Vantaa - The Royal Road, which was once the route of postal couriers. Today it is the most important tourist route through the Scandinavian countries. The Royal Road runs from east to west along the old path, laid by the Vikings. Postal carriages and messengers drove along it at full speed, bringing news from Stockholm to Turku and St. Petersburg. The same path was connected with the great castles of Turku and Vyborg. Part of the old road has survived to this day: along it you can get to Vantaa from Espoo, and from Vantaa to Sipoo.
The historic parish village of Helsinki located in Vantaa is very interesting. It is one of the best preserved churches in the region. Once a week, during the summer season, group tours take place in the village. excursion tours, but at other times you can see it with a guide by prior arrangement. In general, the Vantaa River, which gave its name to this entire area, with its valley and adjacent lands, is the largest untouched cultural landscape in the entire metropolitan region.
Modern amusement park SuperPark in Vantaa
There is also an interesting church in Vantaa, which definitely deserves attention. St. Lawrence Church is not only the oldest building in the Helsinki region, but also the most popular wedding church in Finland. In the temple known throughout the country on the street. Concerts and other events are often held in Kirrikoti.
Several galleries with changing exhibitions and theaters are responsible for the cultural life in Vantaa. For example, gallery "K", two theaters in Vantaa or Tikkuril theater.
There are also several museums in Vantaa. The Finnish Aviation Museum boasts several historical aircraft, as well as a selection of photos and documents related to the history of flights. Vantaa City Museum occupies the oldest station building in Finland, built back in 1861 by Karl Albert Edelfelt ( former station Tikkurila on st. Hertaksenti). Shift exhibitions are held here. The Agricultural Museum displays artifacts from the ancient Parish Village of Helsinki. And the Vantaa Art Museum in Miirimäki hosts temporary exhibitions of a variety of contemporary Finnish and foreign art.
A full-fledged attraction of Vantaa is Entertainment Center Flamingo. The largest in Scandinavia, it houses many restaurants and specialty shops under its roof, as well as a hotel and spa center (adults only), a cinema, a water park, a bowling alley, a golf center and a health center.
HopLop Adventure Park is open for children in Vantaa.
As for those who came to Finland primarily because of nature, there is a center for them in Vantaa. active tourism Kuusijärvi. Here, both Finns and foreign visitors are offered a huge variety of outdoor activities, including saunas and beaches, ice-hole swimming, hiking and trekking in the wilderness, group sports, and more.
Popular hotels in Vantaa
Vantaa surroundings
The village of Sotunki is located about 7 km from Vantaa. Here, in a small river valley, ancient trees, roads and farms have been preserved. On the territory of this cultural village, there are several attractions at once, united by a common theme. national history and culture. The sculptural park of the Nissbaka manor is a collection of works by Professor Laila Pullinen, exhibited in the building of the former granary of the manor, as well as in the adjacent open-air area. These are bronze and granite sculptures, as well as samples of graphics and drawings. The meeting is open for inspection in summer months on Wednesdays and Sundays. Another sculptural park in Sotunki, the Leonardo da Vilu Park, invites visitors to get acquainted with the works of steel by the contemporary artist Risto Vilunen, as well as other sculptors, and is also open in summer.
During the summer season, a small bed and breakfast hotel with only two rooms is open in Sotunki.
Also on the territory of Sotunka Museum is open Agriculture and tractors, where you can learn not only about agricultural technology, but also the methods that in the old days were used by a wide variety of Finnish artisans. Another similar museum, Orkola, talks about Everyday life on the farm and, in particular, on the creation of products from birch bark. Here you can see a church boat made in 1927.
- Where to stay: The capital status of Helsinki gives the full right to declare - to travel to the south of Finland, you can settle here for the entire vacation. The benefit of hotels and inns - for any choice. Close to the capital, but quieter - that's about Espoo. Porvoo has a peaceful and soulful semi-rural atmosphere, with local hotels to match the mood. Vantaa hotels are a good choice for those who fly through Finland with a stopover for a couple of days, but have already visited Helsinki. Lohja is “the city of a thousand apple trees”. To travel here in September, it is worth booking a hotel in advance - at the end of the month there is a big apple festival.
- What to see: Ideal - wave along the entire coast from
This is often the first place that people who arrive in this beautiful country by plane can get to know, since it is here that the largest is located.
History and culture of Vantaa Finland
An interesting moment in the history of the city is that some of the oldest records of this area have survived in Finland. Back in the middle of the 14th century, King Magnus II of Sweden issued a decree according to which one of the monasteries had the right to catch salmon on the river in order to deliver it to the royal table. At the same time, if we evaluate the antiquity of the city from the moment it received the corresponding status, then its age is less than 50 years, since Vantaa received this title only in 1972.
The ethnic component of the population is no less interesting. The fact is that people of various nationalities from all over the world live here. Which is not surprising, considering that it regularly receives flights from more than, whose planes fly to all corners of the planet. The presence has also spurred the development of an extensive infrastructure designed to meet the needs of travelers with a wide range of purposes, from business visits and cultural tourism to transit flights. Already today, a huge building has been built here, and, in fact, the development in recent years has only been gaining momentum.
Attractions Vantaa Finland
First of all, of course, it is worth saying a few words about the main attraction of the city -. Today this airport is considered one of the best in the world. In 1997, he even received recognition from many special editions and got into a kind of top, which he never left. Undoubtedly, its main advantage is the wide choice of directions in which flights depart from here. In total, you can get to more than 120 destinations from here without changing trains.
Naturally, the city, which owes much to airplanes, could not do without its own. You can find it if you leave by car along the E18 or 45 and turn off near the sign with the image of a brown square and a white monogram. Here you can learn more about the history of the development of Finnish aviation, as well as inspect about eighty aircraft belonging to different historical periods, as well as having different purposes.
If you prefer other types of entertainment instead of visiting museums, we recommend that you look into. In addition to traditional pools and other attractions, which are also offered in our water parks, here you can visit a SPA center, visit a bowling alley or even stay at a local hotel in order to have access to all sorts of pleasures. Just imagine, just going down the stairs from your room, you can go to the movies, play golf, go to a restaurant or a nightclub, and, of course, swim.
For those who like to go shopping and buy a couple of beautiful gizmos at an attractive price, they will also find interesting place- Shopping center "Jumbo", which is one of the largest in the whole country. Moreover, it is located literally a couple of steps away. "
Connoisseurs of the intellectual and cultural recreation you will like a number of museums, which are also attractions, because they are unique in many ways. So, you can look into the scientific center with interactive entertainment "Eureka". Although it is designed, for the most part, for adolescents and children, it will also be interesting for adults. It regularly hosts exhibitions of scientific achievements aimed at visitors of all ages.
But the Vantaa City Museum differs in that it is located in a very unusual place- at the former railway station. Moreover, this place, not only unusual, but also one of the oldest in the city, since the building was erected more than 150 years ago. Here you can study in detail the history of the city's development, which will help the permanent exhibition.
In the event that you get to the suburbs, we recommend visiting the village of Sotunki. There are a lot of interesting objects here. In particular, you can admire the beautiful Church of St. Lawrence, visit a couple of parks in which many sculptures are installed, and also get to know more about the peculiarities of farms v . The Museum of Agriculture and the unique nature school and the open-to-visit farm where you can mingle with pets will help you with this.
Vantaa is a city in southern Finland, located on the coast Gulf of Finland... In fact, it is an integral part of Helsinki, but administratively - independent locality, the fourth most populous city in Finland. Vantaa is far from tourist town... Nevertheless, it is worth visiting here at least once in your life.
Vantaa (Finland): airport and not only
Many travelers are familiar with this city. After all, it is here that main airport countries - "Helsinki-Vantaa". Finland receives about 7 million tourists annually. And most of them begin their acquaintance with this northern country precisely from the city of Vantaa. But few people stay in it for a long time, naively believing that there is nothing to watch here.
Vantaa is a satellite city of the Finnish capital with a population of about 200 thousand people. It was founded in the middle of the XIV century, exactly two hundred years earlier than Helsinki. The Royal Postal Road passed through the city, which connected Stockholm with St. Petersburg. Paved by the ancient Vikings.
The modern city of Vantaa in Finland serves as a kind of business center. So, it is here that the offices of many Finnish companies are located: the country's main air carrier Finnair, the largest dairy concern Valio, the well-known manufacturer of paints and varnishes Tikkurila and others. By the way, the latter company borrowed its name from the name of one of the districts of the city of Vantaa.
Finland can be proud of many talented scientists, athletes and musicians who come from this small town... Among them are the philosopher and mathematician Jaakko Hintikka, the drummer of the mega-popular rock band Lordi Sampsa Astala, the famous race car driver Mikka Hakkinen and others.
How to get to the city? If you are planning to travel to Finland by plane, this is most likely where you will land. By the way, the airport "Helsinki-Vantaa" in 2013 was recognized as the best in Northern Europe... It serves about 90% of all international flights in Finland.
How to get from Helsinki to Vantaa? It is most convenient to do this on high speed train that ships with railway station the capital approximately every 20 minutes. In addition, Helsinki is connected with the satellite city of Vantaa bus routes(# 415, 451 and 620N). Travel time is about 40 minutes. A taxi ride from the Finnish capital to the city of Vantaa will cost 50 euros.
Where to stay: Vantaa hotels
Finland is a country with a fairly developed tourism industry and hospitality... According to statistics, skiing, medical, cultural, historical and ecological tourism are very popular here. Of course, the country is ready to offer its guests a wide range of hostels and apartments.
However, tourists need to be prepared for rather high prices for accommodation in Finland, and in particular in Vantaa. So, the average cost hotel room in this country is 106 euros (as of 2012).
In the city of Vantaa, the most popular, according to reviews Russian tourists, are the following hotels: Hameenkyla Manor, Hilton Helsinki Airport, Holiday Inn Helsinki, GLO Hotel, Hotel Cumulus, Avia Apartments. Prices standard rooms in budget hotels in Vantaa (two or three stars) start from 3000 rubles, in elite (four or five stars) - from 5500 rubles and more.
What is interesting about the city of Vantaa?
Vantaa is not only the airport and the headquarters of large companies. Here the tourist will find a lot of interesting things for himself. The main attractions of Vantaa are popular science complexes, museums, parks, recreation centers and ancient temples.
Near the railway station there is a city museum of local lore with the richest expositions. He settled down in the old beautiful building red brick, designed by the architect Karl Edelfelt. In Vantaa, you should definitely visit the old church from the mid-15th century. This is one of most popular places for weddings all over Finland!
The unique village of Sotunki is located in the vicinity of the city. Going there, you can see the real rural life of Finland with your own eyes. There is a sculpture park, a tractor museum, and an animal farm for children. In addition, the village organizes regular ecological walks through forests and lakes.
Science can be simple!
One of the most important attractions in Vantaa is the Heureka Science Museum. It is located in the urban area of Tikkurila. At the time of its opening (1989) it was the only popular science center in all of Scandinavia.
The Eureka Interactive Museum has one single goal - to develop in children (and adults too) a genuine and lively interest in science. It contains over two hundred exhibits from various fields of scientific knowledge. Among them are both the simplest and very complex models. Each visitor can personally take part in one of the scientific experiments here.
The Eureka Museum houses a first-class planetarium and arboretum, as well as an elegant collection of minerals and rocks Scandinavian Peninsula.
Along with cities such as Helsinki, Espoo and Kauniainen, Vantaa is part of the Helsinki region and is the fourth largest city in Finland. Most of the country's visitors will pass through Vantaa, as the largest airport in the country, Helsinki-Vantaa, is located here.
Although the earliest traces of human presence in this area date back to 7,000 years ago, the first mention of Vantaa (then called Helsing) can be traced back to 1351, and the status of the city was granted to it in 1974. Today Vantaa is a lively center, constantly growing and developing, while not ceasing to protect the nature around it.
The city boasts wealth cultural life and the beauty of nature, so everyone will find something interesting for themselves. Art Museum Vantaa organizes temporary exhibitions of contemporary Finnish and foreign art. In the Vantaa City Museum, housed in the old station building in Tikkurila, you can learn about the region's history dating back thousands of years and continuing to this day. It is not surprising that the Finnish Aviation Museum is located in Vantaa, where about 70 aircraft, both civil and military aviation, as well as various exhibitions of relevant topics are held here. The museum also contains a collection of nearly 9,000 items, the library houses over 16,000 aviation books and magazines, and a large collection of photographs.
In Vantaa, there is the world famous Museum and Finnish Science Center Heureka, where the main exhibition features more than 200 exhibits from various fields of scientific knowledge, a first-class planetarium, science park and much more. Heureka - the most the best place for children (and for parents), where they develop a genuine interest in science due to the interactivity of the entire exhibition. It also houses two temporary exhibitions, and the permanent exhibition has traveled to about 20 countries and appeared in front of more than a million visitors. The modernity of Vantaa is also visible when visiting the Flamingo Recreation Park - the largest park of its kind in Finland. Inside, guests will find a wide variety of activities and services, a giant aquatic amusement park, spa, fitness and wellness facilities, a nightclub and more. One of the largest shopping centers Finland Jumbo.
Away from the city center, you can explore the history of the region. In the village of Sotunki you can get a glimpse of rural life in southern Finland. It houses two sculpture parks, the Trollberga Tractor and Agriculture Museum, a pet farm for children, Orkola Museum, Vantaa Nature School, and organized forest walks and adventure tours. In the parish village of Helsinge, which is located on the banks of the Vantaa River, you will see the ancient stone church of St. Lawrence, completed in the 1460s, the local history museum and a stone mill.
The Royal Route, one of the most important historical routes in the Scandinavian countries, runs through the village where the original road was. It crosses the Vantaanjoki River on Vantaankoski, a wooden bridge built in 1876, and crosses the Keravanjoki River to Hakkila over a stone bridge from the 1890s. Gardeners can explore the Viherpaja Garden Center, which features a Japanese garden and a cactus garden.
