Finland's second biggest university town offers beautiful, lake-studded surroundings for a city break and a variety of activities.
Situated by Lake Päijänne, in the middle of a beautiful, pristine landscape, Jyväskylä provides an excellent setting for water-related activities such as canoeing and boating, and the area also offers a variety of hiking trails. A holiday in Jyväskylä can be as active as you want!
The city has plenty of events throughout the year, and music is an important part of the city's identity. Your trip to Jyväskylä also gives you the chance to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites. As well as being the regional centre of Central Finland, Jyväskylä is a large university town. The inauguration of the university was a great moment for the community, and even today one in three city residents are school pupils or students. Thanks to its student population, Jyväskylä has a lively nightlife scene and there are events to suit all tastes. The harbour area in particular has plenty of cafés, restaurants and other leisure facilities.
Jyväskylä is the perfect holiday destination for lovers of culture. A popular place to visit is the Alvar Aalto Museum, which specializes in architecture and design. Besides the museum, the Jyväskylä region has numerous fine examples of Alvar Aalto architecture, which Aalto enthusiasts will certainly want to explore. The Natural History Museum of Central Finland, as its name suggests, presents the magnificent and diverse natural surroundings of the city. Jyväskylä contains two sites belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage List: Petäjävesi Old Church, which is a fine example of Scandinavian timber architecture, and the Oravivuori triangulation tower. You can get acquainted with the visual arts of Central Finland at Jyväskylä Art Museum.
In addition to sightseeing, culture-hungry visitors will find much to experience in the city. Jyväskylä is a well-known music city, with a lot of different festivals and other events throughout the year. Take a summer trip to Central Finland's lake landscapes and visit, for example, Jyväskylä Summer Jazz Festival. Another great summer event is Jyväskylä Arts Festival, an internationally known event and the oldest continuously held festival in the Nordic countries. One of the best examples of Finnish sporting culture is offered by the annual Neste Oil Rally Finland, in which the top names in international rally driving compete for victory amid the stunning scenery of Jyväskylä.
Despite the activity and bustle of the town centre, nature is never very far from Jyväskylä. Set on the western edge of the Finnish Lake District, the city is surrounded by lush, unblemished landscapes with first rate sports facilities. There is plenty to do on an active holiday in both summer and winter. You can go hiking in the area's varied terrain, or put on your winter skis or skates and explore the environment on numerous cross-country ski trails – or even try your luck on a frozen lake. In summer, the lakes provide opportunities for boat trips of even hundreds of kilometres, whether on a cruise or on your own boat.
The central location of Jyväskylä is also ideal for short city breaks. You can book a hotel in the city centre or venture farther afield among the beauties of nature. Jyväskylä has good transport links to different parts of Finland by air, bus and train.
The car-free centre of Jyväskylä is a truly pleasant place to spend a relaxing day sightseeing and attending events. The city is beautiful even during the darkest times of the year, thanks to its award-winning city lighting.
