Häme by Cycle: East Strider’s Trail

Forssan tori, Forssa

Forssa

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Description

East Strider’s Trail is a 260 km long circular route that leads you through the cultural and historical landscapes, ridges, lakes, and villages of Kanta-Häme. The route combines urban services, wilderness, cultural sites, and a wide range of accommodation into a seamless cycle route especially suited for adventurers on gravel or touring bikes.
The route is designed to be completed in 3-5 days and it can be cycled both clockwise and anticlockwise. Overnighting is possible both in the middle of nature and in hotel accommodation, and services can be found at various points along the route.

The route starts at Riihimäki railway station and follows cycle paths through the city. The urban landscape soon changes to a rural idyll, and paved roads to hard gravel roads. The first rest stops are on the shores of Lake Paalijärvi and Lake Hirvijärvi, where you can take a break by the water. The route continues through the centre of Loppi to Komio Nature Reserve and the unique swamp landscape of Luutasuo.
You reach Komio Nature Reserve along a dirt road. Luutasuo’s swampy landscape and Komio’s ridges left behind by the Ice Age are the scenic highlights of the area. There are beautiful places to stop, and you can also explore the area’s varied nature on foot. The route continues through the beautiful ridge and lake landscapes of Loppi along dirt roads towards the sparse pine forests of Räyskälä.
The old Viking Age Hämeen Härkätie ox road leads you towards Saari Folk Park, where Kaukolanharju Observation Tower offers some of the most spectacular views of the route over the forests, lakes, and marshes of Häme Lakeland. The route to Tammela follows a paved road through rural landscapes.
From Tammela, the route continues along the old church path towards Forssa. There, the route intersects with the industrial history of the town: the old spinning mill area and Mustiala Manor invite you to explore the everyday life of the past. From Mustiala, the route returns to the historic Hämeen Härkätie ox road where road sections vary from paved roads to hard-surface tracks and hilly dirt roads.
In Hämeenlinna, Ahvenisto’s ridges feature trail climbs and technical terrain, after which you can rest and take a break swimming in the lake. In the city, you will find cafés and restaurants, the medieval Häme Castle, and an opportunity to top up provisions or enjoy a short rest in a cultural setting.
On the last stretch from Hämeenlinna back to Riihimäki, the route leads past the historic Vanajanlinna and Harviala Manors, skirting Lake Katumajärvi along cycle paths and dirt roads. After Kiipula, the route follows dirt roads alongside ridges shaped by the Ice Age. These areas have been inhabited and used by people since the Stone Age. Before the end of the route, Riihimäki offers you a chance to stop and refresh yourself at Kolmilammi dancing parlour surrounded by three lakes, and admire the rural landscape of Ryttylä.

The route is at its best when you combine accommodation at nature sites and guesthouses or hotels. Accommodation and eating options are available along the route, especially in Riihimäki, Forssa, and Hämeenlinna, but there are also options in Loppi, Tammela, Renko, Turenki, and Kiipula. Food and water supplies should be planned in advance, especially between Forssa and Hämeenlinna, where services along the route are few and far between.

East Strider’s Trail is accessible by train: there are good train connections to Hämeenlinna and Riihimäki from Helsinki and Tampere. Local trains also stop along the way at Ryttylä and Turenki stations. There is a bus connection to Forssa from Helsinki. The route can be cycled both clockwise and anticlockwise, and it can be divided into sections or combined with other sections of the Häme by Cycle route if needed.

East Strider’s Trail follows old trade routes through forests and rural landscapes. It is suitable both for the more experienced solo adventurer and for those who enjoy a more leisurely pace – overnighting in a tent or between the sheets.

Highlights