Uusimaa
Uusimaa (Swedish:Nyland) is a region along the coast in Southern Finland, with hundreds of islands, some big lakes and inland countryside. The Finnish capital Helsinki is in central Uusimaa.
Regions
East Uusimaa
- Sipoo (Sibbo) east of Helsinki has skiing and sailing possibilities with a nice archipelago
Middle Uusimaa
Metropolitan area
- Helsinki (Helsingfors) the capital city has its frills. Check the dedicated article.
- Espoo (Esbo) a big city west of Helsinki consists of many smaller centers that interweave. Espoo hosts the Nuuksio National Park and even a combined ski center and tropical spa that expands into a water park in the summer time. Both attractions are served by bus.
- Vantaa to the north of Helsinki have ample services and shopping opportunities by the newly opened Airport ring track with trains I and P circling in opposite directions.
- Kauniainen (Grankulla) is a tiny wealthy city completely enclosed in Espoo. U and E trains stop here.
North from Helsinki metropolitan area
- Järvenpää (Träskända) and Hyvinkää (Hyvinge) are serviced by the R-train on the main track north towards Hämeenlinna
- Kerava (Kervo) and Sipoo (Sibbo) by the E75 motor way towards north-east
West Uusimaa
- Kirkkonummi (Kyrkslätt) is west from Espoo also has rail service connecting to Helsinki. Y-train as well as many Intercity stop here and Kirkkonummi is the terminus of the U-train.
- Inkoo (Ingå) and Siuntio (Sjundeå) are on the King's Road and both have rail connection in form of Y-train to Helsinki
- Lohja (Lojo) by Lake Lohjanjärvi is a trading hub of the western Uusimaa since the middle ages. Widespread apple growing has lead to the apple being associated with Lohja. Frequent and inexpensive bus services run from Helsinki through-out the day and late into night. There are various nature attractions in Lohja.
- Raasepori (Raseborg) consists of Karis travel nexus (1 hr by train from Helsinki), the Ekenäs sub-center, both of which are administrative centers. Ekenes has an old town as well as modern buildings designed by Alvar Aalto and a beautiful waterfront marina only a 12 minute train ride towards Hanko from Karis. Village of Fiskars is also an interesting year around destination 20 minute busride north from Karjaa. Not to forget Pohja with its historic Billnäs ironworks. Also in Pohja is the Finland's southernmost ski center.
- Hanko (Hangö) is an old port and marina town at the tip of the Hanko peninsula and is a year-to-year favorite with domestic holiday makers due to its good weather, excellent beaches, lots of lodging capacity and services operate in the summertime.
Other destinations
Understand
Talk
The coastal areas are traditionally Swedish speaking. The capital region has drawn much people from elsewhere, so the Swedish speaking are nowadays mostly a minority (3–9 % in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, about half in most other coastal municipalities). The inland is Finnish speaking.
Get in
If you are arriving in Finland by air or sea you will likely arrive in Helsinki, where the largest airport and several major harbors are located. All passenger airports in Finland except Lappeenranta have a flight to Helsinki (for many of them it is the only destination) and most longer train lines end in Helsinki. Direct buses connect Helsinki with all larger cities in Finland, and to get there from the smaller ones you would usually have to transfer just once. For other destinations in Uusimaa trains and buses usually stop on their way to Helsinki in cities along the route; it is for instance possible to get off in Porvoo if you're coming from east or in Järvenpää if you're coming from north – otherwise you would most likely need to transfer in Helsinki.
Get around
Again, Helsinki is the hub of the region and there are generally no form of public transportation bypassing the city.
Trains of VR can be used for some routes. Regional trains extend to most of the region, serving Kerava, Järvenpää, Mäntsälä and Hyvinkää in the north and Kirkkonummi, Siuntio and Raseborg in the west.
There is a dense bus network covering most of the province. There are at least a couple of buses a day from Helsinki to every town and municipal centre. Timetables and tickets from Matkahuolto and HSL (or the individual companies).
Google Maps includes timetables of trains, long distance buses and local transport of many cities and towns. Other useful route planners are Matka.fi for trains and local buses and Matkahuolto Reittiopas for regional buses.
Boating and kayaking in the coastal archipelago is popular. See Boating in Finland. There are a few coastal cruise lines, such as from Helsinki to Porvoo, from Hanko to the lighthouse island Bengtskär and to islands in the archipelago off Helsinki. Also cruises in the Ekenäs archipelago national park are available.
By taxi
- Lähitaksi, ☏ +358 100 7300 (extra charge: €1.92+€2.5/min+pvm). Traditionally the main taxi dispatch service in the capital region outside of Helsinki. Smartphone app: Taksini Daytime M–Sa €3.90+€1/1.45/km+0.90/min, nights and holidays €7.90+1.05/1.55/km+0.99/min; prebooking €7/14; the lower km and prebooking fees for 1–4 persons.
- Menevä Uusimaa, toll-free: 0800 02120. Order per phone, web or app. Price calculator. €5/7+€0.90/1.60km+0.90/min; the lower fee for 1–4 persons; min fee for 5–8 persons €20; prebooking free.
- Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi, Menevä, Taksini, Taxi Booker (iTaksi)
See
East Uusimaa
- Porvoo old town
Middle Uusimaa
- Suomenlinna fortress few kilometers south of Helsinki has dungeons, restaurants, short-cuts, cafés, museums, Finland's only ever submarine, Fitted to Suomenlinna church roof is a lighthouse and there is a swimming beach and a brewery. Ferry service from Market Square (Kauppatori)is operated by Helsinki Region Traffic and a normal mass transit ticket is good to go.
- Finnish Aviation Museum in Vantaa
- Finnish railway museum in Hyvinkää
West Uusimaa
Itineraries
- King's Road, a historic route passing through the region from west to east
Do
Outdooring
- Rent kayaks in Eastern Helsinki Siuntio or Ekenäs
- Take a brief tour out in the Finnish nature at Nuuksio National Park in Espoo or at the Uutela trail in Eastern Helsinki
- Go down into the natural limestone cave of Torhola in Lohja at the Karkali nature park or take a swim in the Lake Lohjanjärvi at one of its various public swim beaches
- Take a tour in the archipelago, e.g. with s/s Runeberg from Helsinki to Porvoo or with some other boat to a recreational area in an island
- Go skiing at Vihti ski center, Serena in Espoo, Talma Ski in Sipoo or Påminne in Raseborg, the southernmost ski center in Finland.
- Go on a guided fishing trip
- Charter a sailing boat (or rent kayaks) and cruise the archipelago
- Watch birds at Tulludden in Hanko, the southernmost tip of mainland Finland.
Funfairs and similar attractions
- Have fun at Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki.
- Have watery fun at Serena water park in Espoo. Bus connects from Helsinki.
- Heureka science center is a good family destination in Tikkurila, Vantaa by the main railroad track
Recreation areas
Uusimaa coast is relatively densely populated and large areas along the shore are privately owned, so sometimes visitors can struggle to find a place for recreational use.
In Uusimaa region the Association of recreation areas (sv: Föreningen Nylands friluftsområden, fi:Uudenmaan virkistysalueyhdistys) buys and leases scenic areas that are suitable for outdoor and recreational use. These areas are often located at the coast (as well as islands) and are free to use for camping, BBQing, canoeing, mushroom and berry picking, swimming and other activities under everyman's right (fi:jokamiehenoikeus).
The list of the areas can be found at the Association's web page (in Finnish and Swedish only).
Events calendar
April
- April Jazz in Espoo's architecturally acclaimed Tapiola sub center in start of April.
May
- World Village Festival: 26–27 May 2018. Finland's biggest free-of-charge festival with excellent food from all over the world, organizations, discussions and of course world music on many stages. Events are in Kaisaniemi Park and Railway Square. (date needs updating)
July
August
- 1 IIXX Faces Festival, Fiskars Village, Raseborg (20 minute busride from Karjaa bus station or with festival bus (5€) that departs from the Karjaa train station), ☏ +358 46 849 0653, office@faces.fi. First weekend of August 5 - 7. 8. 2016 the Faces Festival goes Fiskars and returns to its much demanded 3-day format to serve a weekend with its usual unusual mix of all kinds of music from home and abroad, Small Faces and combined Family Camping with a swimming beach. Indoors and outdoors venues. 2016 theme is "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité". Sat 45€, Sun 30€, Sat+Sun 60€.
- Espoo Ciné is in August
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Go next
- To the west the Archipelago Sea and Åland to the west are known for their beauty and are accessible also with car and bicycle with small ferries connecting the archipelago island . There are also nice places further north up the coast.
- To the west the mainland Finland Proper and onwards to Sweden via port of Turku
- To the east Kymenlaakso
- To the north Tavastia Proper and Päijänne Tavastia
- To the south the Estonian coast is vastly different from the Finnish side and worth seeing. There are about 10 daily ferry departures from Helsinki to Tallinn (in the summer even more), also Hanko has a car ferry connection to Paldiski, Estonia with one or two daily sailings depending on the day.