Heinola, Finland

Heinola is located in southern Finland, amidst waterways, ridges and forests, making a real gem at the gate to the lake district in Finland. In Heinola, the natural environment is always close by: good maps and guides make it easy to get to know the environment. No matter whether you are into snowshoe walking, curling or any other interest, Heinola has the facilities. (Although you should keep your eyes open in the woods not to bump into a deer!)

Heinola is a town of a sensible size, says the Town Manager. And he also has proof for saying this: this active town is in the prime bloom of its more than 200-year existence. Heinola offers its inhabitants balanced and versatile services which are located close to the people, still not burdening the people too much in the form of taxes.

In the 1950s, Heinola had only one large industrial enterprise, the Zachariassen Plywood Mill established in the early 1930s. Tampella's semipulp mill launched the rapid industrial trend. Today, Heinola is a vital industrial town with more than 1,000 enterprises of different sizes, ranging from a manufacturer of industrial control systems to a maker of bottle return machines.

Uuno Kailas, one of the foremost Finnish poets in the 1920s, lived in Heinola. The slogan of the young generation which he represented was: "Open the windows to Europe!" The windows of cultural life in Heinola are nowadays open in the streets and parks, in arts and events, on festive occasions and in everyday life.

Travellers feel at home in Heinola. Vierumäki with the Finnish Sports Institute, several cosy summer hotels, cafeterias, restaurants, summer market place... There are many factors which render Heinola a unique experience. Fishing Paradise is one of those factors. One of the newest sports fishing areas in Finland, 4 kilometres long, approximately 2 km² of fishing grounds in an urban setting, only an hour's drive from Helsinki!