How about a trip to Hollola, near the town of Lahti? The peaceful, beautiful town in the Päijät-Häme region has handsome churches and castle hills, and offers active and sporty holidays.
Hollola – often wrongly overlooked in favour of nearby Lahti – is well known for the Hollola mediaeval stone-built church on the shore of Lake Vesijärvi. The handsome grey stone church was originally the Catholic church of St Mary, and the current building is from the turn of the 16th century.
On the same trip, you could also check out the Kapatuosia castle hill to the north of the church. This was the first part of the Päijät-Häme region to be inhabited in the Stone Age. You can climb the castle hill on a path and up some steps, while an interesting nature trail winds around the hill. Go up the viewing tower to admire the landscape of Lake Vesijärvi.
The next stop is the adjacent Hollola local history museum. The museum features a former granary that now houses a museum of tools showing some of the things that peasants in the Hollola area once used. The museum also includes a homestead museum area.
The Pyhäniemi manor house, also on the shore of Lake Vesijärvi, offers a feel of the atmosphere from the period when Finland was part of the Russian empire. It has a verdant garden and leafy landscapes. The Joku summer café at the manor house is a superb place to take a break on your cultural tour before heading towards Hämeenkoski's churches, museums, ruins and natural attractions. Hämeenkoski became a part of Hollola at the beginning of 2016, so Hollola now has twice as much to see and experience.
In the winter, the most popular attraction in Hollola is the Messilä ski centre, which is well known throughout Finland. It is the largest and most popular downhill skiing centre in southern Finland, and it also has an excellent network of cross-country skiing tracks and a comprehensive offering of entertainment and events. You can take a break from sports for a superb lunch at the stable restaurant. If you like winter sports with a bit of variety, try a safari on a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle, or go paintballing.
If you have children with you on your holiday in Hollola, it is a good idea to take to the water in a larger vessel. In the summer, you can hop aboard the M/S Suvitähti II and travel to Enonsaari island in Lake Vesijärvi. Enonsaari is a popular destination for walking and swimming, particularly for families with small children.
A cheap trip to Hollola awaits you – and naturally you could get to know our neighbour town, Lahti, on the same holiday.
