Six Reasons to Visit a Village

Do you enjoy peace and quiet, but at the same time want to have fun and get involved in activities on holiday? Welcome to Häme with over 120 villages! The countryside and villages are closer than you think and offer something for the entire family to do.

Enjoy the Slow Häme Lifestyle and Fun Activities

The best thing about Häme is the people and local life. People in Häme are characterised as slow, which just means that we do not fuss or stress over petty things. People are happy, caring and always have time to help others. The countryside is home to many handymen, and if a village lacks, for example, a multi-purpose hall, it will be built by the collective efforts of village residents coming together to help. This was done, for example, in Teuro-Kuuslammi, a community that has also been awarded the prestigious title of Village of the Year.

In order to revitalise the village, the villagers have also come up with interesting events that attract people of the region, as well as new acquaintances from elsewhere in Finland or abroad. Pavilion dances are popular during the summer, and they are often attended by people travelling from further afield. Explore the village routes in the citynomadi app, take a flea market tour at Tammela or go shopping and enjoy yourself at Thursday Market in Loppi.

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Idyllic Accommodation in a Granary

Knowing where to stay and to sleep in the evening is obviously essential when travelling. Fortunately, Häme is full of accommodation options. You can choose whether you want to wake up in a hotel, inn or farm granary to the rousing cock-a-doodle-doo call of a male chicken. And because we have a lot of lakes and spectacular nature, our region has many cabins in which you can stay, as well. What better thing to do than to heat the sauna after an active day then jump into a lake from a pier to refresh yourself and then crawl into the loft of a peaceful cabin to sleep.

Enjoy Summer Theatre

Finnish summer would not be summer without a visit to the summer theatre, and we have plenty of those in the Häme region! This summer, because of exceptional circumstances, we have enjoyed summer theatre in only a few villages, but next summer we will hopefully get back to filling the seats in every theatre. We Finns love the experience of a summer evening, stunning nature and light-hearted comedy coming together on a theatre stage. Young aspiring actors, keen theatre enthusiasts and local villagers are often seen on the stage. You can enjoy barbecue sausages, ice cream and homemade buns, and meet friends during intervals. Moreover, if you visit the Ypäjä Music Theatre, you may get lucky and see a real horse in the play as well!

Horse

You will meet horses all over Häme, at many stables, events or even in the summer theater!

Get Astride Your Horse

Speaking of horses, we have plenty of those here in Häme. Did you know that in Ypäjä, for example, as many as one fifth of the population are horses? It is not difficult to conclude that various horse races and events are organised in the locality. Of course, horses can also be found elsewhere, such as the Riihimäki racetrack and the Forssa Pilvenmäki racetrack, where “sulky” races are organised all year round. In the summer of 2021, Forssa’s Pilvenmäki will also host the Kuninkuusravit Royal Race, also known as the “Sulky Festival”.

If you want to do more than just watch horses, our villages have numerous stables and riding trails. It is very common to see sheep, cows or other farm animals in the pastures while driving along the small roads. You also can get right up close to farm animals in our numerous petting farm if you wish.

Feast with Local Flavours

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Delicious crabs grow in the waters of Häme!

Piapo, a traditional Finnish dish made by combining talkkuna, a finely milled flour mixture, with sour milk or buttermilk, cheese made of sour milk and pylsy, a meat-hash dish traditionally made of intestines, pork rind and other leftover parts not consumed as such, are all local Häme flavours; the best way to get to know the Häme region is to taste these authentic local flavours. In our region, the food is locally produced and is guaranteed to satisfy your taste buds and your appetite. The Häme feast event is a real variety of gastronomic delights with fish, meat jelly, potatoes, casseroles, roast, bread made with buttermilk, egg cheese, homemade beer and all sorts of other delicacies.  Blueberry mush is a must for dessert!

Save the Environment

By plane or by bus? More and more people are also considering the environmental impact of their choices when planning their holiday. However, why travel far when there is plenty to do in Häme.  As you have already read, we have plenty of lake shores, culture, events, and quirky (in a good way) activities. All this just an hour’s drive from the big cities of Southern Finland; Helsinki, Turku and Tampere.  When travelling in Häme, you also support the work of local entrepreneurs and residents. That if anything is reason enough to visit us. If you are coming to Finland from abroad a visit to Häme is an absolute must on your list of things to do and can easily be accomplished when you take a day trip or extended excursion from Helsinki, for example.