Riihimäki: Museums, Glass Art and a Cultural Route

If you’d like to focus on museums and Finnish culture during your trip, Riihimäki offers a range of points of interest: glass history, 20th-century art, hunting history and local museum history. A cultural route complements museum visits with two routes between the railway station and the Finnish Glass Museum. You can tailor your stay to the subjects that interest you most.

Glass History and Finnish Art

The Finnish Glass Museum has been based in a renovated glassworks building in Riihimäki since 1981. It presents the history of glass over a period of more than 4,000 years, as well as the 300-year history of the Finnish glass industry. Its collection comprises approximately 40,000 objects, mostly Finnish household, design and art glass from the 18th to the 21st century. The long historical periods and specific focus on Finnish glass offer two distinct perspectives on a visit: the development of the material and the design of everyday and artistic objects.

The Riihimäki Art Museum offers a different focus. Its collection comprises almost 2,500 objects and artworks, providing an overview of works by Finnish artists from the first half of the 20th century. Its visitor programme includes changing exhibitions, lectures, workshops, concerts and other events for guests of all ages. If you’re travelling to attend a particular lecture or concert, check the event dates in advance.

Hunting History and Local Museum History

The Museum of Wilderness Heritage focuses on Finnish wilderness heritage culture, past and present, as well as its collection, research, preservation and presentation. The collections include more than 20,000 hunting-related artefacts and nearly 170,000 photographs. The permanent exhibition gives a general overview of the ten-thousand-year history of Finnish hunting. It also shows how hunting evolved from a means of subsistence into a leisure activity. In addition, the museum holds several exhibitions and events each year for local and national audiences. This brings together the permanent exhibition’s long-term perspective and a recurring annual programme of events.

Työväentalomuseo is located in the Peltosaari district, about 500 metres from Riihimäki railway station and the city centre. Teuron työväentalo is also part of the local museum history: it was moved to its current location in Riihimäki and opened there as a museum on 25 October 1969. These details offer different points of reference for a stay: the location of Työväentalomuseo and the history of Teuron työväentalo.

Planning the Riihimäki Cultural Route

The Riihimäki Cultural Route comprises two routes. Both start at Riihimäki railway station and end at the Finnish Glass Museum. The longer route is just over four kilometres long; both routes can be covered on foot or by bicycle. Signs mark the entire route and indicate distances. The route information may change, so check the latest information before planning your visit.

When choosing a hotel in Riihimäki, the museum themes and cultural route can help shape your trip. Consider whether you’d like to include the glass and art collections, the history of Finnish hunting or local museum themes in your stay, then look for hotels that suit your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Tammela, Forssa, Janakkala, Hämeenlinna, Peränne, Ypäjä, Humppila, Tyrväntö.

For the regional travel overview: Kanta-Häme.