Jyväskylä is a city located in central Finland. It is the capital of the Central Finland region and is the seventh-largest city in the country.
Thanks to its geographical location, Jyväskylä is one of the most important logistical points in the country, connecting the cities of Helsinki and Tampere with the towns of northern Finland.
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Things to see and do in Jyväskylä
The city of Jyväskylä has many interesting buildings and museums. This is mainly due to the fact that much of the work of the famous architect Alvar Aalto is located in the city and other nearby municipalities.
As in all towns in the country, nature plays a prominent role in Jyväskylä. Several nature parks and trails can be found along the lakes surrounding the town.
Alvar Aalto Museum
The Alvar Aalto Museum in Jyväskylä is a museum specialising in architecture and design. It is the national and international centre for information about the architect Alvar Aalto and his work. The building in which the museum is housed was designed by Aalto himself and completed in 1973.
The museum houses a permanent exhibition on the work of Alvar Aalto. They are also responsible for organising exhibitions about the architect all over the world and for protecting the buildings he designed.
Jyväskylä City Church
Jyväskylä City Church is located in the centre of Jyväskylä. The building was completed in 1880.
The architect L. I. Lindqvist was responsible for the design of this characteristic red-brick church. The new church was built in 1775 to replace the old wooden church that had fallen into disrepair.
The Church Park, designed by Carl Ludwig Engel, surrounds the church and is one of the most interesting places in the whole city, especially in summer when locals and tourists take advantage of the good weather to stroll around it.
Museum of Central Finland
The Museum of Central Finland houses a permanent exhibition on the history of the Central Finland region and its development over time. In addition, the museum has various temporary historical and artistic exhibitions. The building in which the museum is housed was designed by Alvar Aalto.
Harju Ridge and Vesilinna Observation Tower
Harju Ridge is located in the centre of the city and has several paths and trails to stroll or picnic on while enjoying views of the entire city.
Harju is a popular pine forest area with walking trails right in the city centre. Its main route takes you from the centre to Harju and the Vesilinna Tower via the majestic Nero staircase, built in 1925.
The Vesilinna Tower, built in 1953, is a water and observation tower. The observation deck surrounds the entire tower so that it is possible to enjoy a magnificent view of the entire city. The tower also houses the Vesilinna restaurant where you can stop for a meal and rest while enjoying the view.
Jyväskylä Art Museum
The Jyväskylä Art Museum or Taideomuseum has temporary exhibitions that change every two to three months. The central theme of these exhibitions is usually contemporary art, printmaking and art from the Central Finland region.
On the first floor of the museum, there is a room where various workshops and courses related to Finnish art are held. Admission to these is free, so you could take part in one of the workshops during your visit to the city.
Säynätsalo Town Hall
The town hall of Säynätsalo, a municipality located about 15 kilometres from Jyväskylä, is one of the most important works of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. It can be reached by public transport.
The building, constructed between 1950 and 1952, has a central courtyard that is raised to a height of one storey above the ground level outside. The council chamber, located on the first floor and standing 17 metres high, is the most impressive space in the entire town hall.
Petäjävesi Church
Petäjävesi Old Church is a Lutheran church that was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.
The church is located in the municipality of Petäjävesi, about 30 kilometres from Jyväskylä, and was built between 1763 and 1765. The main characteristic of the church is that it was made entirely of natural Scandinavian pine logs.
How to get to Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is one of the main points of the Finnish road network, so a large number of roads from many directions pass through the town. Therefore, cars and buses are two very interesting alternatives to get to Jyväskylä.
The same is true for the train, and it is possible to reach the city from different parts of the country by train. The price of the ticket will depend on how far in advance you buy it, but it will be between 20 and 50 euros.
Finally, it is possible to get to Jyväskylä by plane, as Jyväskylä has a small airport located about 20 kilometres from the city centre. However, the airport is not served by international flights and can only be reached from Helsinki.
How to get around the city
Jyväskylä has extensive pedestrian areas and cycle routes for getting around the city. The city centre is also home to most of the city’s attractions, so you probably won’t even need to use public transport to get around.
It is possible to rent cars and bicycles in the city to get around Jyväskylä faster. Bicycles are the preferred mode of transport for students to get around the city centre.
Alternatively, if you want to get away from the city centre, you can make use of the local bus service that travels between the different residential areas of Jyväskylä and some of the nearby municipalities.
Where to stay in Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä has a number of hotels to suit all budgets. Some of them are located very close to the train station, so they can be very convenient if you are going to use the train to get to Jyväskylä.
Where to eat in Jyväskylä
At the Jyväskylä market, you can sample some of the most typical products of the Central Finland region.
If you’re on a tighter budget, you can eat at one of the many student restaurants in town, which cost around 5.50 euros, or at a pizzeria or fast food restaurant.
Erasmus in the university town of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is home to the University of Jyväskylä, one of the most important public universities in the country. It welcomes many international students each year and is one of Finland’s most popular destinations for exchange students, such as those participating in the Erasmus programme.
The university has about 15,000 students each academic year, so Jyväskylä can be considered a very attractive city for the younger population.
We hope our travel guide to Jyväskylä will help you prepare for your trip to the city. We invite you to share this article on social media using the buttons below. And if you have any questions, you can use the comments section to ask them.