Discover Asikkala

Discover Asikkala through its waterways, cultural heritage and nature experiences, with attractions spread across several locations. Vääksy brings together canals and culture; Vesivehmaa focuses on aviation and the airport, while Pulkkila and Pulkkilanharju invite you to explore the landscape and watch wildlife. When choosing a holiday rental, it makes sense to start with the kind of outing you have in mind: would you like to explore canals and museums, follow trails, or focus on the landscape around Lake Päijänne?

Canals and waterways near Vääksy

The Vääksy Canal connects boat traffic between Lake Vesijärvi and Lake Päijänne. Together with the Kalkkinen Canal, the canals at Vääksy and Kalkkinen create a water route from Lahti to Jyväskylä and on to Heinola. The Kalkkinen Canal connects Lake Päijänne with Lake Ruotsalainen and is Europe's longest freshwater canal between two locks. It was once used for floating timber and is now operated as a self-service canal. If you plan to travel by boat, check the operating conditions in advance.

A cruise is another way to combine a waterway journey with an outing: the boats on Päijänne-Risteilyt Hilden's Lahti–Heinola route call at Vääksy. Schedules vary by season, so it is worth checking them before making plans. A scenic road also leads from Vääksy to Pulkkilanharju—a different way to discover the landscape of lakes and ridges.

Culture and history in Vääksy and Vesivehmaa

Vanha Vääksy preserves wooden and stone residential and commercial buildings from the early days of the town's commercial centre. The area is a regionally significant cultural landscape. Päijännetalo, in the heart of the Vääksy Canal area, houses Asikkala's tourist information office and a shop selling local products. Opening hours may vary by season.

Päijännetalo also houses the Suomen Vapaa-ajankalastusmuseo and an information point for Salpausselkä Geopark. The museum's exhibition rooms are on the second floor; it originally opened to the public in 2001. Päijännetalo also hosts changing exhibitions and a local microbrewery. Another museum in Vääksy, the Vääksyn vesimylly- ja sähkölaitosmuseo, offers a glimpse into a time when hydropower was the main source of energy in everyday life and grain milling was an important livelihood.

At Lahti-Vesivehmaa Airport, the Päijät-Hämeen Ilmailumuseo displays around 15 decommissioned Finnish Air Force aircraft dating from the 1920s onwards, along with numerous aircraft parts. The airport offers licences for powered and ultralight aircraft, as well as qualification certificates for gliding. It also provides flight instructor training for powered and ultralight aircraft. Confirm that the training is currently available before your trip.

Local products and a look at how they are made

Visitors can visit several farms in Asikkala and see how the food sold there is produced. Which farms welcome visitors and what arrangements are required may vary. In Vääksy, the Viipurilainen Kotileipomo shop and café offers fresh bread, sweet pastries and other local products; check opening hours before your visit. The shop selling local products at Päijännetalo is another place to find regional goods.

Trails, beaches and nature experiences

The Aurinkovuori outdoor area, part of the Salpausselkä ridge, offers routes for exercise and nature outings. The longer multi-use routes are 10, 12 and 15 kilometres long and are maintained for cycling, walking or snowshoeing. The 3- and 7-kilometre routes are lit and maintained in winter; seasonal maintenance may vary. A lean-to shelter with a firepit and firewood is located along the 3-kilometre route. The Kivistö lean-to shelter, completed in 2020, is on the 7-kilometre route and has a firepit, firewood, a dining area and a viewing swing. The shelters are on the 3- and 7-kilometre routes, while the multi-use routes are 10, 12 or 15 kilometres long.

Another option for a nature walk is the Myllytontun nature trail, which follows the Vääksynjoki through a grove and features nature information boards. On Lake Vesijärvi, Kalmarinranta is a 700-metre-long, shallow sandy beach, considered safe even for young children playing in the water. Water conditions and beach facilities may change. Kalmarinranta also has a 12-hole disc golf course.

Pulkkilanharju stretches for almost nine kilometres across Lake Päijänne. The ridge consists of esker islands and submerged eskers and is part of a nationally valuable landscape area. A mostly easy-to-walk nature trail runs for two kilometres; part of Pulkkilanharju belongs to Päijänne National Park. The nature trail also connects to a route of around 4.5 kilometres that follows mostly easy forest paths through a landscape of ridges and lakes. In Pulkkila, Karisalmi is a nationally significant birdwatching site.

Further afield in the region, Päijänne National Park lies in the southern part of Lake Päijänne. It encompasses around fifty islands and skerries and is characterised by steep cliffs, sandy ridges, sheltered lagoons and small skerries. Its islands can be explored by sailboat or motorboat, and the park has numerous natural harbours for boaters. Seasonal access restrictions may apply. This landscape adds a distinct focus to the range of experiences: waterways and canals are complemented by forest and ridge trails, as well as birdwatching.

Discover more destinations

Lahti, Nyystölä, Hollola, Sysmä, Heinola, Hartola, Orimattila, Auttoinen

For the overview of the wider region: Päijät-Häme.