Lahti

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Lahti [1] is a town in southern Finland.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By car

Lahti is exactly 104 km from Helsinki, a one-hour drive on the expressway number 4 connecting the two cities.

[edit] By bus

Buses to Lahti depart from Helsinki every half hour. Currently, journey to Lahti by bus takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Buses arrive at the Lahti Bus Station(Linja-autoasema)in the city centre. Ticket costs around 14,20€ - 17€. By the way, "pikavuoro" means express-service, "vakiovuoro" means normal service, and "tilausajo" means charter service.

[edit] By train

Travel from Helsinki to Lahti by train takes about 50 minutes. The train service is provided by VR, the national train company. There are several train types:

• Local train Z (Lähiliikennejuna Z). Costs around 12,60€ adult, 6,30€ child(6-16 years).
• 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 and they tilt while they're turning.

If you travel with children, you should choose Perhelippu(Family ticket). With each adult, one child can ride for free. For example, if you have three children, you will only pay for 2 adults and 1 child.

[edit] Get around

Lahti has a good system of public transport. You can ride 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 that many bus lines go in both directions from Kauppatori.

[edit] See

Lahti has a partly deserved reputation as an unattractive, economically depressed industrial town. In the recent years, however, Lahti has improved its reputation with a lovely harbor area with outdoor cafes and bars. In the harbor area there is also beautiful Sibelius Hall which is used for concerts and conferences.

[edit] Parks

• Laune Family Park, Kaarikatu 26.

In Laune park, you'll have lots 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 organs. Every day at 1 pm and 6 pm, at the park there is a small 15 minute concert. The fountain starts in unison with music from speakers up in 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 center

• Yli-Marola 4H Farm Animal Yard, Neljänkaivonkatu 47

Barnyard animals in the sweet country milieu right in the city center. Open only in Summer.

Free of charge

• Puksu city train

Puksu train goes through the city's entertaining places. It starts 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 shallow kids area as well as a deeper area, which goes quickly from 2m to 3m deep. Swimming ability required. You can borrow trunks and glasses.

4€ Adults, 2€ kids.

• Sports Park(Kisapuisto)

You can play almost anything in the sports park. There are tennis courts, a tennis wall, volleyball court, baseball field and of course a football field. Inside, there are tennis, badminton, 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

[edit] 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.

[edit] Buy

[edit] Shopping centers

Lahti has several big shopping centers. One of them is Trio at Aleksanterinkatu 20. There are many shops, as the center is divided into four sections - Trio Aleksanteri, Trio Opaali, Trio Forum and Trio Hansa. Each part has 2 or 3 floors.

http://www.trio.fi

Opened on weekdays 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 that you need in your household. In the basement, there's a S-Market grocery store, what has a store in almost every city in Finland.

http://www.sokos.fi

Opened on weekdays 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 weekdays between 9 am - 8 pm, Saturdays between 9 am and 5 pm.

Bus no. 72 from Kauppatori stop C

Liike shopping center is near the 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, which has a few shops. Skye has many shops. One of the biggest is Euromarket, which sells clothes, electronics, household products and food.

[edit] 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
• Pizzeria Kebab Antonio Pizzeria Kebab Antonio is famous for their wrapped kebabs. You can find them at Rauhankatu 19.
• 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

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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

More hotels in Lahti and hostels in Lahti

[edit] Get out