Lahti: Museums, Trails and Winter Sports

Lahti offers a range of reasons to stay: art and architecture, museums covering different subjects, and trails and winter sports in the city and the Salpausselkä area. If you are looking for a hotel in Lahti, you can first consider which of these themes you want to shape your trip. The destinations differ not only in what they offer, but also in whether you are interested in visiting a museum, following a trail through the city or taking part in activities at the sports centre.

Art, Architecture and Museums

Malva, a museum of art, design, posters and culture, is located in the centre of Lahti. You can also see “Ahto” there: the interactive artwork by Finnish collective Ekho responds to visitor flows and is on display in the museum’s Light Gallery. Malva is a 15-minute walk from Lahti railway station and travel centre.

Sibelius Hall, a congress and concert centre, is located on Lake Vesijärvi. The building was constructed in 2000 next to an old factory building. Its modern wooden architecture blends with the site’s industrial history. The Lahti Historical Museum, housed in the former Lahti Manor, offers a different historical perspective: the pink building was completed in 1898. The museum is within walking distance of both the city centre and Lahti harbour.

The Radio and TV Museum Mastola focuses on the technology behind broadcasting and recording. Its collection includes radio and television sets, broadcasting and studio equipment, amateur radio and DX listening equipment, devices for private sound recordings, radio tubes and telephone equipment. Mastola is on Radiomäki, at the foot of Lahti’s 150-metre-high radio masts. It offers educational activities about radio and television for children and adults.

Finland’s Motorcycle Museum has its own focus: it preserves up to 100 motorcycles and other objects from motorcycle sports. The same building houses the Ace Cafe Lahti restaurant, which serves burgers and fresh salads, among other dishes. Motorcycle sports and a restaurant visit are therefore side by side at this location, while Malva, Sibelius Hall and Mastola each offer a different cultural focus.

Trails and Winter Sports

The Salpausselkä area has around 25 kilometres of marked trails for walking, running and cycling. The Lehmusreitti is an urban nature trail: about 13 kilometres long, it loops around the centre of Lahti and passes through city parks, viewpoints and places of cultural and historical interest. If you are looking for a route in an urban setting, you can distinguish this trail from a trip to nearby Linnaistensuo. The bog is a short drive from the centre; a boardwalk there passes information boards about the bog landscape.

Cross-country skiing is also a feature of Lahti and the Salpausselkä ridges: together, they have around 180 kilometres of ski trails, 70 kilometres of which are lit. These figures refer to the area as a whole. The approximately 25 kilometres of marked trails for walkers, runners and cyclists are a separate trail offering.

The Lahti Sports Centre is home to the “Betoni” large ski jump, built in 1972 and 80 metres high. The varied landscapes of Salpausselkä also begin there, offering opportunities for walkers, mountain bikers and trail runners. The Ski Museum is next to the Salpausselkä ski jumps. A network of several dozen kilometres of ski and walking trails starts right at its entrance. In the museum’s interactive area, you can explore snow and winter sports in any weather.

To help plan your trip, first list the destinations and activities you want to visit, then compare the address of each hotel offer with your plans. This will help you decide whether to spend more time on art and museums, trails through the city and the Salpausselkä area, or winter sports.

Discover more destinations: Hämeenkoski, Sysmä, Orimattila, Padasjoki, Nyystölä, Auttoinen, Heinola, Hartola

See the regional travel guide: Päijät-Häme.