Lahti in a Nutshell

Population: ca. 100 000
Population density: 1700/km2 of land
Mayor: Jyrki Myllyvirta
Location: ca. 100 km from Helsinki
Generel knowledge: International winter sports centre; city of arts, design and music. Lively centre of industry and commerce
History: Finland's oldest dwelling site is at Ristola in Lahti. Ancient remains discovered there tell of habitation about 9300 years ago. The first mention of Lahti is from 1445. The railway running from Helsinki to St. Petersburg was completed in 1870. Lahti acquired the status of a market town in 1878, and received its town charter at the beginning of the 20th century in 1905.

Lahti - an event-rich city close to nature

Lahti, on the shores of Lake Vesijärvi, is a lively city rich in culture. It has nearly 100 000 inhabitants and is about one hour’s drive from Helsinki. In Lahti, you can enjoy concerts by the city’s symphony orchestra Sinfonia Lahti, which has received many awards and achieved recognition worldwide; or you can see excellent theatre performances and art exhibitions. The exhibitions at the Lahti Art Museum and the numerous galleries are always of high standard, and people come a long way to see them.

Every year, Lahti is the centre for numerous international events. Starting the year are the Lahti Ski Games and the Finlandia Ski Race.  The summer season is opened in alternate years by the Mukkula International Writers’ Reunion and the Poetry Marathon. These events attract famous authors and poets from around the world. The Organ Festival, Jazz Festival and Poster Biennial are summer events that culture-lovers will not want to miss. The Sibelius Hall, a magnificent wooden building situated by Vesijärvi Harbour, is the venue for superb concerts and conferences, each even better than the last.

50 minutes from Helsinki

The Lahti region is situated not far from the metropolitan area and airport. It attracts tourists by virtue of its central location, excellent traffic connections and varied possibilities for recreation. The direct line completed in 2006 has shortened the journey time between Helsinki and Lahti to 50 minutes. By car, the trip along the motorway takes an hour.