In Finland, Seinäjoki is well known for the summer events that tempt tens of thousands of people to the city. These include Provinssirock, one of Finland’s biggest rock festivals, the Tango Festival and the Vauhtiajot Race & Rock Festival, a combined rock and sporting event. Lovers of architecture will be interested in the numerous buildings of the Aalto Centre, an administrative and cultural centre originally designed by Alvar Aalto. Besides festivals and architecture, Seinäjoki offers local and specialised museums where you can explore bygone aspects of life in Ostrobothnia. Alternatively, you can concentrate on enjoying the cultural, shopping, dining and sporting facilities of the city and its surroundings.
The city of Seinäjoki grew from a village stop on the Ostrobothnian railway into the regional centre of South Ostrobothnia and one of Finland's fastest growing cities. You can easily reach Seinäjoki from anywhere in Finland. There are currently no flights to Seinäjoki itself, but the city has good train and bus connections all over the country. The nearest airport is Vaasa, about 45 miles away, and the journey from Vaasa Airport to Seinäjoki takes less than an hour.
As a growing city, Seinäjoki offers a variety of shops, boutiques and restaurants for all tastes. While shopping, you might care to visit the Mallaskoski Brewery, where brewers still respect old Ostrobothnian traditions. As well as good restaurants and opportunities for shopping, a city break in Seinäjoki offers interesting architecture and historical attractions. The south side of the city is dominated by the Aalto Centre, a group of buildings originally designed by Alvar Aalto, including the beautiful Lakeuden Risti Church, the town hall, the two-part main library and the City Theatre. The Törnävä museum area in Törnävä Park lets you explore the life of old Ostrobothnia where you can a visit a knife workshop and a pharmacy museum.
Seinäjoki is a versatile sports city, especially known for its Finnish championship-level football, Pesäpallo (Finnish baseball), floorball and American football teams. Besides spectator sports, you can participate in many sports and physical activities on your holiday. A popular place to visit is Duudsonit Activity Park in the Kapernaumi district, where you can find sports-oriented activities for adventurers of all ages. Seinäjoki also has the Ruuhikoski Golf Course, designed by internationally renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr, and the Joupiska Sports Centre, which offers ski slopes in winter and mini golf and disc golf courses in summer.
In addition to the city’s own offerings, it is definitely worth exploring the beautiful tourist centre at Kalajärvi. Kalajärvi lies about 25 miles from the centre of Seinäjoki, in the Peräseinäjoki neighbourhood. Particularly in summer, the beautiful surroundings of Kalajärvi provide lots of activities for the whole family, from swimming to fishing and park golf to horse riding. A 14-mile cycle route runs around Lake Kalajärvi, allowing you to admire the Ostrobothnian lake scenery.
Seinäjoki has major cultural festivals that attract tens of thousands of local residents and foreign visitors every summer, but there are plenty of other things to do as well. Discover the authentic traditional life of Ostrobothnia or spend an active holiday combining various hobbies with the bustling life of the city.
