Vantaa – the young big city

“The Sock of Helsinki,” as the city was translated before it was renamed Vantaa in 1974, is the fourth largest city in Finland and is part of the Gulf of Finland Capital Region, along with Helsinki, Espoo and Kauniania.

Thanks to the attractive offer of museums and cultural institutions, Vantaa promises an exciting city trip with everything.

General info

• Population: 238,033/ Size,
• Area from 240,36 km²
• Official language: Finnish and Swedish
• Location: Immediate vicinity north of Helsinki

Testimonies from a long time ago

Thanks to many archaeological finds, evidence of human settlement could be found back to the Neolithic Age.

Another testimony of days long gone is the St. Laurentius Church. The church was built in the 15th century and was reconsecrated in 1894 after a fire had damaged it severely. It is the oldest building in Vantaa.

After the Russo-Swedish War was lost by Sweden, present-day Finland was ceded to Russia in 1809.

During the 1951 Olympic Games, Helsinki- Vantaa Airport was completed and put into operation.

The name Vantaa is based on the river Vantaanjoki, which it received in 1974.

Top 5 activities in Vantaa

Fazer Experience Visitor Center

In 2016 opened Fazer Experience Visitor Center makes the hearts of chocolate fans beat faster. The Chocolate Museum offers guided tours around the history of Fazer, the wide range of products and innovations on the part of the company.

Visitors should bring an appetite for chocolate. This, of course, can be tasted here. If you still miss something among the large selection of varieties, wishes for future products can be expressed here.

Heureka – Finnish Science Center

True to the motto “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”, young and old alike can give free rein to their curiosity in the Heureka Science Center with over 100 technical experiments. Heureka is one of Finland’s most famous and popular leisure attractions and offers a planetarium as well as numerous exhibitions related to science.

The center is open every day of the week, exceptions can be found in the calendar on the Heureka Center website.

A ticket for adults from 16 years of age costs 24 euros, children from 6-15 years of age pay 17 euros. The same applies to students, pupils, pensioners, unemployed persons and persons liable for military service.

Tip: Book the ticket online on the website instead of buying it directly on site on the day of the visit. This can save 2 euros.

Finnish Aviation Museum

Around 70 aircraft such as gliders, propeller planes and helicopters can be seen at the Finnish Aviation Museum. The two large exhibition halls display different eras of aviation history and other objects such as seats of a 1960 passenger plane, model airplanes and other aircraft parts.

Thanks to four flight simulators, you can take the controls yourself – and do it safely from the ground, accompanied by an experienced flight instructor. The simulators are open during museum hours and on Saturdays from 12-5 p.m.

Ticket prices are 12 euros for adults and 6 euros for children 6-17, students, pupils and pensioners. The exact opening hours and details about the exhibitions are available on the museum’s website.

Tip: With the Helsinki Card, admission costs only half, and with the Museum Card for 74 euros, visitors receive free admission to 300 museums in Finland.

Tip: Dress warmly, the exhibition halls are not heated!

Artsi – Art Museum Vantaa

Artsi Art Museum in Vantaa offers a collection of about 10000 works of Finnish and international contemporary art, which can be found not only in the museum itself. Buildings such as libraries or schools were also embellished with graffiti.

The museum invites its guests to admire and interpret the paintings, and completely for free! Guided tours for small groups of up to 5 people are offered from time to time.

The museum offers tours for people with special needs. For example, tours can be booked for visually impaired people. It is best to contact the art museum directly using the contact form.

Flamingo Spa

The water park at Flamingo Spa invites the whole family to swim and splash in several pools and basins. Small and big water rats can plunge into the floods here or climb the slide with tires.

Adults can get away from it all thanks to a variety of saunas, including a traditional Finnish sauna, or relax in warm-water pools. In addition, soothing treatments such as body scrubs or massages can be booked.

Tips for couples: For more togetherness, Kings Bath can be booked for 45 minutes of candlelit bathing with champagne for 89 euros.

An overview of the specific treatments and details about the spa are available on its own website.

Accommodation in Vantaa

Clarion Hotel Vantaa

Close to the Finnish Aviation Museum, the Clarion Hotel is about a 10-minute bus or train ride from the airport.

The hotel has parking, a minibar in the rooms, a fitness center and an in-house restaurant.

Noli Myyrmäki

Located in the heart of Vantaa, the Noli Myyrmäki has around 322 rooms in various categories. There is also a modern gym, a sauna area, a communal kitchen and a co-working space covering an area of 1000 m².

20Rooms

About 20 minutes from the airport, in a quiet location, is the 20Rooms. The family-run hotel is located in a quiet area and 2 kilometers from the Heureka Science Center.

Culinary in Vantaa

For shopping queens

Jumbo Center

Shopping queens and kings will find a variety of trendy stores in Finland’s largest shopping center. Besides stores for everyday use, there are fashion stores, toy and sports stores, furniture and home stores and much more.

After an exhausting day of shopping, you can fortify yourself in one of the many restaurants. Open Monday through Saturday from 11am-1pm and Sundays from 11am-6pm , the shopping center has 4600 free parking spaces.

Conclusion

Despite its proximity to Helsinki, Vantaa is in no way inferior to the capital. Especially history lovers and art enthusiasts can be inspired by Vantaa. In addition to numerous museums, shopping lovers can also get their money’s worth here.

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