Lahti Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Lahti [1] is a town in southern Finland.
Contents |
Get in
By car
Lahti is exactly 104 km from Helsinki, a one-hour drive on the expressway number 4 connecting the two.
By bus
Buses to Lahti depart from Helsinki every half hour. On the moment, journey to Lahti by bus takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Buses arrive to Lahti Bus Station(Linja-autoasema) right in the city centre. Ticket costs around 14,20€ - 17€. By the way, "pikavuoro" means express-service and "vakiovuoro" means normal service. "Tilausajo" means Charter service.
By train
On the moment, travel from Helsinki to Lahti by train takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The train service is provided by VR, the local train company. There are several train types:
- Local train H or R(Lähiliikennejuna H/R). Costs around 12,60€ adult, 6,30€ child(6-16 years). Trains aren't very comfortable.
- InterCity trains(InterCity-juna). Costs around 18,20€ adult, 9,10€ child. Very comfortable trains, usually with 6 wagons, 3 of them are double-deckers.
- Pendolino trains. Costs around 23€ adult, 11,5€ child. Very comfortable trains, they tilt while they're turning.
If you travel with children, you should choose Perhelippu(Family ticket). With each adult, one child can drive for free. For example, you travel with InterCity train. In your family there are 2 adults and 3 kids, but you pay for 2 adults and 1 child. Also, a new stretch of railroad, scheduled to open in 3rd September 2006, will cut travel time by train down to 44 minutes.
Get around
Lahti has a good system of public transport. You can drive from one part of the city to another with a single ticket of 3€, kids 1,50€. Kauppatori is the center of Lahti's public transport system, but be aware, because lot's of bus lines go to two directions from Kauppatori.
See
Lahti has a partly deserved reputation as an unattractive, economically depressed industrial town. In the recent years Lahti has improved it's reputation with lovely harbor area with outdoor cafeterias and bars. In the harbor area there is also beautiful Sibelius Hall which is used for conserts and conferences.
Parks
- Laune Family Park, Kaarikatu 26.
In Laune park, you'll have lot's of fun. There's a traffic city, where you can drive with free bicycles and scooters. There are pipes and water, and parents can rest on grass while kids are having fun.
- Free of charge
- Bus no. 31 from Kauppatori stop A
- Vesiurut, Pikku-Vesijärvi park.
Vesiurut means water oreganos. Every day at 1 pm and 6 pm, at the park there is a small 15 minute concert. The fountain starts playing in the tact with music from speakers up on the trees. There are some classical music pieces and some finnish pop music pieces. You can sit on rocks around the fountain, but be aware - you can get wet ;) During the fall, there are also lights playing.
- Free of charge
- Very close to the city central
- Yli-Marola 4H Farm Animal Yard, Neljänkaivonkatu 47
Farmyard animals in the sweet country milieu right in the city centre. Open only in summer.
- Free of charge
- Puksu city train
Puksu train drives through the city's entertaining places. It start's from Vesijärvi harbour, then goes to Laune park, then Farm Animal Yard, "Little Marketplace" and back to Vesijärvi harbour.
- 4€ Adults, 2€ kids
- Outdoor swimming pool(Maauimala)
In the summer, the bottom part of the highest ski jump is opened as a pool. There's a low kids part, and a deeper swimming part, which goes quickly from 2m to 3m of depth. Swimming ability required. You can borrow trunks and glasses from there. Also, you can tan on the grass.
- 4€ Adults, 2€ kids.
- Sports Park(Kisapuisto)
You can play almost anything in the sports park. There are tennis courts, a tennis wall, volleyball place, baseball field and of course a football field. Inside, there are tennis courts, badminton courts and squash courts.
- Outside prices unknown
- Inside tennis 12€/hour, squash and badminton 8€/hour.
There's a list of parks at http://www.lahtitravel.fi/asp/system/empty.asp?P=1796&VID=default&SID=196908986635435&S=0&C=19653
Do
Lahti has the best known symphony orchestra in Finland, Sinfonia Lahti. Annual winter sport event, Salpausselän kisat is very popular and worth to see.
Buy
Shopping centers
Lahti has several big shopping centers. One of them is Trio at Aleksanterinkatu 20. There are lot's of shops, as the center is divided into four sections - Trio Aleksanteriin, Trio Opaalin, Trio Forum and Trio Hansa. Each part has 2 or 3 floors with lot's of shops.
- http://www.trio.fi
- Opened on workdays between 8 am - 8 pm, saturdays between 8 am and 5 pm.
Sokos shopping center at Aleksanterinkatu 19-21. It's a big center with 3 floors and basement floor. Upper three floors are filled with shoes, clothes, toys, electronics, dishes, games, movies and everything what you need in your household. On the basement floor, there's a S-Market grocery store, what has a store in almost every city in Finland.
- http://www.sokos.fi
- Opened on workdays between 8 am - 9 pm, saturdays between 8 am and 6 pm.
A large Finnish shopping chain Tarjoustalo is in Trio Aleksanteri, Aleksanterinkatu 18. There's also a Tarjoustalo Super Center at Alhonkatu 3.
- http://www.tarjoustalo.fi
- Opened on workdays between 9 am - 8 pm, saturdays between 9 am and 5 pm.
- Bus no. 72 from Kauppatori stop C
Liike shopping center is near city centre. Mail order business Anttila has a big 2-floor store there, what sells nearly everything found in the catalog. There are also several smaller shops, a cafe and a grocery store K-Market Cassa in Liike.
Shopping center Syke is located just opposite of Liike. Unlike Liike, what has a small amount of shops, Syke has very much shops. One of the biggest shops is Euromarket, what sells clothes, electronics, household stuff and food.
Eat
- Onnela SK-Ravintolat has a restaurant Onnela at Aleksanterinkatu 24. You can have dinner there and there are nightly discos.
- Ahtialan Pizza-Kebab Ahtialantie 137. There is a variety of pizzas and kebabs. It's located quite far from the town centre.
- Ararat Rautatienkatu 10. Pizzas & kebabs.
- Aspendos Kebab Aleksanterinkatu 15. This place is said to have the best kebabs in Lahti.
- El Toro Mariankatu 8
- Italiano Jalkarannatie 1. Great variety of italian dishes.
- Lahden Kebab&PizzaVapaudenkatu 22
- Lorano Hämeenlinnantie 26
- Lounaskahvila TaraAukeankatu 1
- Marry Dian Ritaniemenkatu 11
- Oluthuone Rautatienkatu 11
- Ravintola Erika Lahdenkatu 46
- Santa Fe Right next to Kauppatori. An interesting restaurant specialized in Mexican food. There's also a bar downstairs.
- Tähti Pizzeria Ostoskatu 16
Drink
- Torvi Loviisankatu 8. [2] The most legendary bar in Lahti. If you dig rock music, Torvi is a must!
Other places worth to visit are restaurant Taivaanranta and Teerenpeli which have their own whisky distillery and beer brewery. In Teerenpeli there is very nice athmosphere and friendly service.
Sleep
- Cumulus Lahti Vapaudenkatu 24, [3] Pet friendly hotel in the center of Lahti. There are conference facilities for 50 people. The hotel has 171 rooms, bar and disco.
- Musta-Kissa Rautatienkatu 21
- Koti Onnela Onnelantie 10 Youth Hostel
Get out
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