Espoo Finland. Open left menu espoo

Espoo is cozy cottages and modern new buildings. According to the results of a survey in Finland, this city was recognized as the most favorable for living. This is not surprising, because the city is the cradle of technical research in Finland. Here is the Higher Technical School, the State Center for Technical Research, the Technological Center "In-nopoli", the geological research center.

Attractions Espoo

Given the number of museums in this city, your leisure time will be very eventful. Start by exploring the main attractions.

From antiquity...

The church was built in 1458 at the meander of the Espoo River. In those days, the stone church served as a refuge during various raids and unrest. Over the centuries, the church has undergone several restorations, the last time the temple was repaired was already in 1982, then a wooden sculpture of the Passion of Christ was restored above the altar of the church. The author of the construction is unknown, which makes the temple mysterious and even more interesting, it will not be difficult to find it: Kirkkopuisto street 5.

Espoonlahti Church

The Espoonlahti church looks original and very unusual, at first glance you would not think that this is a temple building. It was built at Kipparinkatu 8, designed by Timo and Tuomo Suomenlainen in 1980. The main hall seats 180 people.

House-estate "Glims"

Do you want to feel like a Finnish peasant? Then go to Glimsintie 1, where you can visit the Glims manor house, where an 18th century farm has been preserved. It also hosts craft demonstrations and musical performances.

...to the present

At one time, the Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela designed a studio house in Art Nouveau style, which has survived to this day in its original form. Now this house at Gallen-Kallelantie 27 hosts exhibitions of Akseli Gallen-Kallela himself, as well as contemporary art and photography.

You can look at the works of artists by paying 8 euros, under 18 years old admission is free. Monday is a day off.

EMMA Museum and more

The former city printing house houses the unique EMMA Museum of Modern Art (EMMA-Espoo Museum of Modern Art). In one part of the museum there is a collection of art works of the Saastamoinen Foundation, in the other - changing exhibitions of works of Finnish and world contemporary art. The museum itself is located in cultural center VeeGee at Ahertajantie 5.

In the same center you can visit the toy museum, the Helini Rautavaara Ethnographic Museum, an art gallery, and the clock museum. The last one deserves special attention. The museum's collection includes more than a thousand watches, various watchmakers' tools. The permanent exhibition of the museum tells about the history of time measurement from the time when mechanical watches were not yet invented and ending with modern chronometers.

Introduction to high art will cost you 10-12 euros. That's how much it's worth admission ticket to the VeeGee Center with the right to visit all museums, on Wednesdays from 18.00 to 20.00 admission is free. Admission is also free for those under 18 and over 70.

car museum

Inveterate motorists will definitely not pass by the car museum. Retro cars, micro-cars, motorcycles, bicycles - it's all in largest museum transport in Finland.

You can travel back to the automotive past from the beginning of April for only 6 euros at Bodomintie 35.

A sample of moonstone, geological rocks, precious stones - all this and much more can be seen at Betonimiehenkuja 4, in the Geological Museum of Finland. By the way, the moonstone is also interesting because it was originally a gift to the President of Finland, Urho Kekkonen, who, in turn, gave it to the museum for use.

Closer to nature

The diverse landscapes of the city: abounding swamps, green fields, marine archipelagos, will give you the opportunity to feel closer to nature, and we advise you to visit the following places.

Entertainment center Huimala

Huimala is a whole entertainment complex with attractions, trampolines, children's cafes. A great place to actively spend a day off or celebrate a birthday.

You can get a charge of positive emotions on Tuesday and Wednesday from 14.00 to 20.00, from Thursday to Sunday from 10.00 to 20.00, at Juvankartanontie 15.

Entrance for children under one year old is free, for children from one year to 2 years old you will have to pay 12 euros, for children from 3 to 17 years old - 18 euros, entrance for adults 5 euros.

Water slides, palm trees, heat, and so all year round. Think it's somewhere in Africa? No! This is in Finland, in the city of Espoo in the year-round water park Serena. Knocking waves, high-speed slides, a warm jacuzzi. And for thrill-seekers, the Black Hole slide is suitable - it is a closed tube with light and sound effects. The little ones will also have something to do. There is " Child's world» with small slides, shallow pools.

Address and opening hours: Tornimäentie 10, from 12.00 to 20.00. In summer every day, in winter - on weekends and during school holidays. A family ticket for two adults and two children will cost 94 euros, for children under 4 years old the entrance is free.

Serena Street Park

In winter, a ski resort opens next to the water park, there are slopes of varying difficulty with a height difference of 60 meters, 300-400 meters long. A snowpark is open for extreme sportsmen. Springboards, rails, tables - there is everything you need to practice tricks.

A ticket for the whole day will cost 29 euros, an evening ticket is valid from 16.00 and costs 23 euros, children under 6 years old enter the slope for free.

Konstantin Korotkov

Not only the southern direction with its year-round tropical heat and fantastic beaches attracts a lot of tourists. There are quite a few travelers who prefer ski holidays or a combination of cognitive and ecological. The latter is very well traced in such completely non-beach-resort countries as, say, Finland. Moreover, the continuous flow of those who suffer to get in touch with the natural charm is endless throughout the year, although the summer here is short and not too hot. First of all, of course, people tend to the largest Finnish cities, since one of them - Espoo - is conveniently located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland.

Espoo has a lot to be proud of. In addition to its famous Keilaniemi peninsula, nicknamed the Billionaires Coast due to the accumulation of offices of all kinds of local and foreign companies with big names, it also holds the palm as the wealthiest in its state. At the same time, Espoo has become famous all over the world for its amazing combination: here they are extremely careful about natural wealth, introducing all the most advanced in the engineering, technical and scientific fields. The splendor of nature attracts true connoisseurs, and on the numerous islands of the coast and around the lakes, recreation areas are carefully equipped - fireplaces, grill sites, etc. One of the most grandiose water parks in the northern countries of Europe is also here. Espoo is intriguing: being quite old (its history... read more

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Espoo weather monthly:

Month Temperature Cloudiness Rainy days /
Precipitation
Number of solar
hours per day
Happy At night
January -2.7°C -4.2°C 74.6% 4 days (51.4 mm.) 6h. 48m.
February -1.8°C -4.1°C 73.3% 3 days (45.7 mm.) 9 a.m. 9m.
March 0.7°C -2.8°C 61.2% 3 days (37.4 mm.) 11h. 50m.
April 6.1°C 1.7°C 56.0% 2 days (36.4 mm.) 14h. 38m.

Less than twenty kilometers from Helsinki lies Finland's second largest city, Espoo. It stands on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, surrounded by nature, but nevertheless technologically equipped by man. What interesting things can you learn about this northern town?

General Facts

As already mentioned, in fact Espoo is a suburb of the capital, adjacent to the west. Belongs to the Uusimaa region. Helsinki is about 17 kilometers away. The population of Espoo, according to the latest data, is 256.8 thousand inhabitants.

The city is the center high technology and industry of the country, therefore it hosts many congresses. The headquarters of the largest Finnish oil companies, international industrial centers. The number of organizations and firms per capita is maximum, programmers and "techies" come here in search of work and find it. True, housing is quite expensive. But local residents and workers have very high-quality social security.

Historical digression

The town originates in the 14th century. Then it was more like a fragmented settlement, in which about one and a half thousand people lived. Swedish settlers and Finnish hunters broke into farms and traded in their crafts. When a small cathedral was placed on the territory, the settlement began to be considered a city, the official date of foundation was 1458. Later, in the middle of the 16th century, a royal residence was built, which gave Espoo a higher status.

Since the Swedes were the pioneers, they gave the name to the city in honor of the aspen - in translation aspen. And the double “o” at the end meant the proximity of the Esponjoki River, which was surrounded by trembling trees. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the main population largest city Finland still consisted of Swedes, and in total there were about 9,000 people.

The intensive development of Espoo began in the middle of the 20th century, when local politicians saw all the benefits of the position: the capital is nearby, good conditions For Agriculture, oil fields. Progress did not stop at the status of a wealthy suburb, now the city has the largest budget and the wealthiest population.

Landscape

Espoo has a very unusual structure. It consists of districts of the same name administrative center: Espoon Keskus, Kiltakaljo, Kirkkojärvi, Saarniraivio, Suna, Suvela and Tuomarila. Most of the buildings of various corporations are located in them. The city also includes the adjacent regions of Leppävara, Tapiola, Otaniemi and Keilaniemi, coastal Esponlahti and Mantikylä, and so on. Lots of names, it's easy to get confused, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. All parts are scattered between forests, small rivers and lakes.

The "split" city of Espoo in Finland was built according to the best Scandinavian traditions - low-rise and with a minimum of frills. Box houses, neat offices and parks. Only a few skyscrapers that will seem small to residents of megacities. And yet, the main interest lies precisely in fragmentation, so it is quite difficult for a guest to navigate.

Untouched value

Between the centers of global technology companies, forests quietly sway and springs rustle. Such a unity with nature is typical for Finns, so the locals protect and carefully use their rich resources: cycling along the equipped paths, fishing, hiking trails, canoeing. All this is inside national park Nuuksio, whose employees ensure respect for the environment.

Any visitor is amazed at the cleanliness of the forest park areas. Here you can perfectly take care of your body - breathe fresh air, take a walk and run. Go swimming or rowing. Near the reserve there are several health centers.

Mysterious place

Espoo is famous all over the world tragic history that took place in 1960. The most famous mystery for investigators and forensic scientists is the murder on Lake Bodom, located in the city itself. During a hike with an overnight stay in a tent, four schoolchildren were slaughtered here.

The crime is still unsolved, so the story has given rise to many chilling urban legends. The cruelest event became the plot for the horror film, which is called “Lake Bodom”. But no wonder they say that fear attracts. Thousands of tourists flock to that very place hoping to find some clues or just feel the adrenaline rush. And this means that such a bloody stain did not become a reason for the notoriety of the city of Espoo, but, on the contrary, attracted attention.

Cultural and educational rest

It is worth combining the enjoyment of nature with educational activities. To do this, among the attractions of Espoo there are several museums:


Entertainment

Finally, it is worth mentioning the large selection entertainment centers in the city of Espoo. For example, Serena Water Park - big water park open-air, slides of all kinds, swimming pools and buffet cafes. Great place to stay with kids.

On the shore big lake there is the Oittaa Recreation Center Park - a vast area with a beach, many sports fields and a campsite for hikers. Here you can have a picnic, play team games or soak in the sauna. In winter, people go skiing and drink strong Finnish drinks.

In addition, the city is teeming with the pride of Finland - saunas, where there are pools and spa treatment programs. Nearby are atypical souvenir shops - these are not kiosks with useless plates and magnets, but cozy shops of real Finnish handmade: wooden figurines, fancy leather goods, dolls made of straw and colored felt.

In Finland, Espoo is considered a center of technology and great opportunities, and for guests it is beautiful place to merge with nature and immerse yourself in a unique Finnish culture. A town where it is easy to get lost, but it is definitely worth doing!

Espoo city located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, in southern Finland. The first buildings in the city were recorded almost 9 thousand years ago. Now Espoo is the second city in Finland in terms of population (its population is approximately 236,000 people).

Espoo is the richest city in the country - the income of residents and the budget of the city itself is much larger than that of other regions of Finland. Living in Espoo is quite prestigious - it is the second largest among other cities.

Espoo - video

Administratively, the city is divided into several residential and five industrial districts. Each region is different from the others with its special architectural structures. More than others, the garden city of Tapiola can be distinguished - here the architecture miraculously connected the surrounding nature with residential buildings.

Espoo is a city that combines as much as possible with wildlife. This is a kind of capital of high technology and culture. Near the city there are huge valleys striking in their originality, an incredible mosaic of canyons, national park called Nuuksio, mirror forest lakes and thick spruce thickets.

Attractions Espoo

Espoo attractions include ancient lutheran church. It is considered the oldest building in Espoo. It was consecrated in honor of the Apostle Matthew. The church is made of stone and is located at the bend of the Espoo River, the construction of the church dates back to 1458. At the end of the 18th century, a bell tower was added to the church, which still amazes with its beauty both local residents and visitors to the city.

Quite popular National park-reserve, which has the name Nuuksio. It was opened in 1994. In the reserve admires wild nature extraordinary beauty- these are boulders and swamps covered with lichens, as well as lush groves and rocks. Nuuksio has a large number of lakes. The territory of the park-reserve is very well adapted for walking (special paths were laid in the swamps, and bridges were thrown across the rivers). The reserve has preserved the rarest species of birds, plants and animals that are on the verge of extinction. Deer, lynxes, bears, waterfowl and forest birds also live here, berries and mushrooms grow. Nuuksio has its own symbol - a flying squirrel, it was listed in the Red Book of Finland. It is allowed to pick berries and mushrooms in the reserve, but picking flowers, sawing branches for a fire and littering is strictly prohibited.















Espoo has wonderful park entertainment called Huimala. The idea of ​​this park is that with the help of the game, children are taught to love physical activity and sports. Near each attraction and playground there is a sign that tells you what traits and skills are formed during a particular game. The amusement park is divided into 22 zones, which include a billiard room, a trampoline, an interactive zone, go-karts, trambolins, an adventure maze, a climbing wall and much more. Near the play areas there is a restaurant where parents of children can relax while they have fun in the park.

Not far from "Huimala" is located Serena- is one of the most major centers leisure and water parks in Northern Europe. Around it grows a wonderful Pinery, and the water park itself was built on a rock and even partially inside it. On the territory of the water park there are a large number of pools with waterfalls, high-speed slides, a jacuzzi, a pool with a black hole attraction and a wave breaker. But in the summer, new types of entertainment open up for tourists in the Serena water park - descent on a mat, a pool called the Dead Sea, two long ring rivers and hot tubs and a sauna, which is located in the rock itself. Here you can also relax and have a bite to eat in a cave restaurant.

Worth a visit too Exhibition Center Weegee. It houses five museums, of which the largest is EMMA, a museum of contemporary art. Museum "Kamu" is a city museum of the city of Espoo, a toy museum, a clock museum, a multicultural museum. In addition to museums, the center also has art Gallery, cafe, art shop and restaurant.

1. In Espoo, many hotel rooms are strictly non-smoking. However, a special smoking room can be booked.

2. When you talk to local residents, then it is better to look into their eyes when talking, so that there is no suspicion of insincerity. In no case should you interrupt the interlocutor.

3. It is best to use buses and taxis to move around the city - this is the fastest and most convenient mode of transport.

4. It is not customary to pay staff for service in the city, more precisely, tips are already included in the price hotel rooms and restaurant bills.

5. emergency service help can be called by calling 112 from any part of the city. Calling for help here is free.

6. Also in Espoo, a health insurance policy is required for the period of stay in the city.

7. You can visit the city of Espoo at any time of the year, as both winter and summer you will find a lot of entertainment and a lot of attractions.

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Espoo is the second largest city in Finland. Espoo stands on the coast of the Gulf of Finland near Helsinki. The name of the city comes from the Swedish "aspen", meaning "aspen". Espoo is a variety of landscapes, islands, fields, forests.
Expoo's nature is magnificent, so it's a great place for walking and cycling in summer and skiing in winter. And here are the attractions in Espoo.

Espoo Church

The old stone church was built in the middle of the 15th century. At first it looked like a triangle and had three naves. So it looked until the 20s of the 19th century, then it was rebuilt. However, the city authorities decided that the temple needed to be restored to its historical appearance and implemented the plan in the 1930s. Relatively recently, a sculpture made of wood "The Passion of the Christ" was placed over the altar in the temple - it was transferred from National Museum Finland. Organ concerts are sometimes held in the church.

Address: Kirkkopuisto 5

Espoo Automobile Museum

The largest and old museum vehicles in Finland. It is worth noting that the exhibits in this museum are often moved by metas and generally changed. There are 20 motorcycles and mopeds, about 100 cars (including cars from the beginning of the last century), sports cars. Many of them have long been discontinued, so they are of particular value. You will meet here the iconic Muscovite, Volga, Yalta, which were brought to Finland after the war. Well, a couple of luxury American cars. Guaranteed to please all family members.

Address: Bodomintie 35

Finnish Toy Museum Leikkilinna

Look for this museum in the Vigi Exhibition Center. Loved by both big and small. Here are toys of different generations - from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. There is also a Löylyumäki layout recreating a Finnish village from the middle of the last century.

Address: Näyttelykeskus WeeGee, Ahertajantie 5, Tapiola

Villa Elfvik

The villa stands in the Laajalahti nature reserve, on the shore of the bay, in the forest. It was built in 1904 for a baroness, but after her death, the building passed to the city authorities. Today in this building you will learn more about the flora and fauna of Espoo (exhibition "Long live Espoo") - the villa is even called the "House of Nature". Many exhibits can be touched by hands - and your kids will definitely like it. From the villa you can walk along the nature reserve along a special path, and watch the birds and the forest. True, this is a short path. There is a 3-kilometer trail that runs from the villa to Otaniemi past pastures - also very beautiful.

Address: Elfvikintie 4

Espoo City Museum

Or the Museum at Lagstad School - because it is located in the building of the oldest school in Espoo. This school was built by the beginning of the 1870s, and it was the first municipal Primary School in the city. At first, only girls studied there, since education was separate. In the middle of the last century, a new school building was opened nearby. Today, this building houses offices of various Espoo services. Well, the museum was opened by the 60s. All the exhibits were collected for a long time and painfully, but what can be seen today is quite nice and nostalgic.

Address: Vanha Lagstadintie 4

Marquetta Park (Marketanpuisto)

Luxurious beauty park. Park Museum. Interesting stone products, elegant pavilions, bridges striking with grace, as well as fountains, ponds, and water gardens are exhibited here. What can we say about beautifully trimmed bushes and trees and flowers. This park is a great example of garden design and in general, future landscape designers should definitely come here.
This park was laid out in 1997, not far from the center of Espoo (10 minutes drive). Many local companies were looking for a place to present their products and their capabilities. And so we decided on a place and built all this beauty. This place hosts annual horticultural and landscape exhibitions. Various products and know-how in this area are also exhibited here. More than a hundred companies participate in these events. You can visit this park for free, it is open daily from 7 am to 9 pm. Look for a park near the 3rd ring road, between the motorways to Pori and Turku.

Museum - Villa Rulludd

This building stands on the seashore, on a peninsula. It is unique in its architecture. Once the villa belonged to a wealthy local family of a politician and businessman. He built the villa in 1873, and about 20 years later his son added his house next to it and connected it to the old common porch. The building turned out to be a bit "motley". Six generations of this family lived in this house, and then in the 80s it was bought by the city municipality. Nowadays, there is a museum on the 2nd floor of the house, and various cultural events are held on the ground floor.

Address: Rullaniementie 15

Museum of Helina Rautavaara

Helina Rautavaara was well-versed in the field of foreign culture and religion. She traveled extensively and later made radio and television programs from material collected during her travels. And then the museum was formed. This museum has permanent exhibitions, four about different cultures, and one about Helina herself. This museum contains about 2.5 thousand exhibits from Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America. The traveler managed to bring all this stuff. Pretty interesting!

Address: Ahertajantie 5, WeeGeetalo

EMMA - Museum of Contemporary Art Espoo

The exhibits of the museum date from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day. Both Finnish and foreign - only about 2000 items: painting, engravings, sculptures, drawings, photos, installations and more. Collections are constantly replenished thanks to gifts from other museums in different countries.

Address: Ahertajantie 5

Watchmaking Museum

In the museum, you can admire over 6,000 wrist and wall clocks dating from the 17th century to the present day. And here are the watchmakers' tools. Here you will find out how things were in watchmaking workshops in Finland and other countries. The history of the museum dates back to 1944, when a collection of works by students of the Finnish watchmaking school was collected. The museum was opened almost 40 years later. And about 10 years ago, the museum was moved to the exhibition center "WeeGee" (WeeGee).

Address: Ahertajantie 5

Museum-estate "Glims"

This museum is located in the village of Karvasmäki, which is a 15-minute drive from the center of Espoo to the east. This settlement was known in the Middle Ages. Today, little remains of the medieval buildings, and the oldest structures, a barn and a dwelling house, were built in the 18th century. Glims Manor was a farm at the beginning of the last century, and before that it was a tavern and an inn. It was also the residence of the local police chief. The museum in the building has been operating since the late 50s of the last century. In this museum, open skies you will learn more about the life and way of life of the peasants in those days. Almost all buildings are in their original location.