Lahti Travel Guide, Finland

Lahti, Finland - Overview

Lahti is a municipality and city in the country of Finland, as well as the regional capital of Päijänne Tavastia, having a population of 100,000.  The city lies on the northern border of the Vesijärvi Lake and originally was a part of Hollola city, growing significantly bigger than its neighbor.  The city's symbol is of a train wheel on fire.

The terrain of Lahti is very hilly, with the city located on a group of ridges that were created during the past glacial period.  There is also an extensive area of timber in the city, which makes Lahti the center of the furniture industry in Finland, containing plywood, spool, and lumber mills.

History

Ristola is the site of the oldest dwelling in the country and is located in Lahti.  These ancient remains are proof of habitation around 9,300 years ago.  Lahti was mentioned for the time in documentation during 1445.  In 1870, the railway that runs from Helsinki to St. Petersburg was completed.  Then in 1878, the village was given the status of market town.  Later it received a town charter during 1905.

Culture

Lahti is the melting pot of cultural ambitions, and during recent years it has seen the development of a very big congress and concert center, known as Sibelius Hall.  The hall has sparked a lot of controversy, where much of the population feels that the money that is used for its purposes could be spent in a better way, such as on education or health care.

The city is also the home of maybe the best symphony orchestra known in the country, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, which concentrates on the music of Sibelius.  There is also a yearly music festival program in Lahti that includes events like Jazz in the market place, a Sibelius Festival, and the Lahti Organ Festival.

Sports

Lahti is popular for being a host to winter sports.  The facilities of the city for these sports consist of a multi-purpose hall, a ski stadium, several ski slopes, and a stadium.  In both 1978 and 1989, the World Ski Championships were held here.  The World Cup winter games, which are known as Salpausselän kisat are held in Lahti every year as well.  This city has also become the only host for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in six different years.