Vantaa: Nature, Saunas and Discoveries

Vantaa offers several reasons to spend your stay outdoors or exploring culture and science. In the east of the city lies Kuusijärvi, a natural area open year-round for outdoor activities, hiking and relaxation. There are also nature trails and outdoor routes through varied landscapes, as well as museums and the Heureka Science Centre. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Vantaa, you can consider which of these experiences you would like to shape your trip.

Kuusijärvi and Vantaa’s trails

Kuusijärvi combines nature and relaxation with two different offerings on site: there are four smoke saunas and four electric saunas, open year-round. If you like to combine your stay with outdoor exercise, you can also follow a marked hiking trail from the Kuusijärvi car park to Bisajärvi in Sipoonkorpi National Park. The route is two kilometres long and marked with orange diamonds. The starting point, destination and trail markers provide clear guidance when choosing a hike.

Beyond Kuusijärvi, Vantaa also has marked nature trails and a variety of outdoor routes. They pass through forests, over rocky terrain and through marshland, as well as along the Vantaa River. These varied landscapes offer different experiences for days when nature and exercise are the focus. The two-kilometre route to Bisajärvi is one specific option described here; the other trails offer further ways to explore Vantaa’s natural environment.

Kuusijärvi is accessible year-round by public transport operated by the HSL regional transport authority. This is a useful point of reference if you are including nature experiences in your stay. Together with the saunas, which operate year-round, the location makes it possible to combine time outdoors and a sauna in different seasons.

Discover museums and science

The city’s cultural and scientific attractions offer a different focus. Vantaa City Museum operates two museum sites, where exhibitions and events are held. The Vantaa History Museum is located in the old railway station building in Tikkurila. The building and the museum’s name give the visit a clear historical focus. The Finnish Aviation Museum is in the Aviapolis area. Its collection includes dozens of aircraft from the history of Finnish aviation.

Heureka, the science centre in the Tikkurila district, has a different focus: its interactive exhibitions explore science and technology and can be experienced hands-on. Visitors can also take part in workshops. This makes for a different kind of visit from a museum tour focused on exhibitions and collections. If you are planning around several interests, you can consider science, aviation history and the city museum’s offerings as different options for how to spend the day.

There is also a specific point of reference for getting to Heureka from Tikkurila railway station: the science centre is about 700 metres away via a signposted walking route. The approximate distance and marked route can help you include this visit in your plans. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can first decide whether nature, saunas, museums or interactive science experiences are especially important to your trip.

Discover more places

If you would like to compare more destination pages, you can also find Vihti, Kurkimäki, Pernå, Raseborg, Sipoo, Ruotsinpyhtää, Hermala and Porvoo here.

For the broader travel overview: Uusimaa.