It may look like we’ve only visited Finland in winter in order to find out where to go in summer:) And Кytaja is definitely one of the destinations no matter if you love golf or not. And if you are in Kytaja, visiting beautiful cosy Hyvinkaa, that is only 12 kms away, is a must. It is proud of its cleanest air (thanks to the pime woods around!) and a summer beer rock-festival, that annualy attracts around 10 000 visitors.
And now it’s time for a couple of photos. Trust me, there is a lot worth seeing in here! Despite its small size (only a little over 40 000 citizens), Hyvinkaa is a hometown for many outstanding people like Heiki Mikkola (4 times world champion in motorcross), Lauri Tukonen (hockey player from NHL) and several artists as well as philosophers and musicians.
Your tour around the city will probably start at the railway station. And it couldn’t be better, cause exactly the railway was a reason why a lonely tavern of XVI century suddenly turned into a city, starting from the late XIX. By the way, all the main sights are in a walking distance from here, so it’s also a very convenient place to start.
The best-known building of Hyvinkaa is probably a local Lutheran church. You will see it easily, cause the church is located on a small hill and is surrounded by a beautiful pine park. From the outside this building looks more like a space shuttle or a modern laboratory, but outstanding churches are a common thing in Finland (remember that church inside a rock in Helsinki?).
An interesting fact: triangle shapes are repeated in an architecture of the building to honor The Holy Trinity. And it is build of concrete, marble and Oregon pine.
Just across the road from the church and in a short walking distanse is a former wool factory called Valvilla. Its activities stopped in 1990s, turning this place into an art zone with different exhibitions, theaters, caffees, markets and, of course, a museum of Finland’s largest fabric factory.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see a lot in this city, but trust me, there is much more. I, for example, would have visited Teddy Bears Museum with pleasure (though they call the Railway Museum the main attraction. Seriously, guys!) or took a hourse ride around the park.
