Kangasala

Kangasala is a town in the Pirkanmaa region in Western Finland.

Lake Roine from the Vehoniemenharju observation tower

Understand

Enshrined in Zacharias Topelius' 1853 poem Sommardag i Kangasala ("A Summer Day in Kangasala"), the ridges (harju) and lakes of Kangasala are known throughout Finland.

Get in

Kangasala is 30 minutes from Tampere by bus. Line 70 departs from just outside the train station (€5.00).

By car from Tampere, follow signage to Kangasala. Two main routes are via Lahti highway or smaller local road (the old highway) starting next to Tampere-talo and University of Tampere.

Get around

See

• 🌍 Emperor's Ridge (Keisarinharju). Visited by King Gustav III of Sweden and Tsar Alexander I of Russia in 1819 (hence the current name). The old wooden sightseeing tower here was burned down in 2006 but has been rebuilt since. A pathway to Keisarinharju sightseeing tower begins at Mobilia. Other sightseeing towers are located at the town centre near the church (Kirkkoharju), at the north end of lake Vesijärvi (Haralanharju), near Vehoniemen automuseo (Vehoniemenharju) and by Pohtiolampi camping centre. From Haralanharju tower you can see the view that inspired the much-loved traditional poem and song "Sommardag i Kangasala".  
• 🌍 Kangasala Church (Kangasalan kirkko), Myllystenpohjantie 2, ☎ [phone]. A stately old church built from grey stone in the 1760s. A famous "blood stone" (verikivi) in the north wall slowly leaks a reddish, bloodlike substance.  
• 🌍 Mobilia, Kustaa Kolmannentie 75 (Kisaranta), ☎ [phone]. An "automobile and road museum" that, true to the name, showcases lots of old and unusual cars. A must for the motoring buff but skippable for the rest of us. Open daily 10 AM to 4 PM in winter, until 8 PM in summer.  
• 🌍 Vehoniemen automuseo, Vehoniemenharjuntie 92, ☎ [phone]. Open daily April 1 - September 30: 10 am - 7pm; October 1 - December 10: 10am - 4pm. A nice, small car museum with some rarities. Free entrance! The museum has a café and a shop, which, among other things, has a lot of model cars for sale. The museum is located on a ridge in a nature preservation area, the area is great for small hikes and there is a free observation tower with some of the best views in Finland.  
• 🌍 Kangasalan lepokoti. An old villa with a long and colourful history. It is located just next the town centre and has offered lodging and workspaces for many Finnish writers, composers and other artists for 100 years. Guided tours are available by request and during summer there is a small shop selling local handicrafts.  

Do

• Kaarinan polku (Kaarina's path). 60 km hiking path through Kangasala that goes through remote wilderness and historical places. You can get maps at Kangasala Town office or at Mobilia. 
• Pohtiolampi. Sighting tower, restaurant/café, salmon fishing and chance to see ospreys hunting. Located next to stone age Sarsa settlements and the site of the biggest natural disaster in the Nordic countries (1604 overnight catastrophic draining of lake Längelmävesi caused by postglacial rebound, man-made changes in drainage, and rains). 

Buy

• Marjamäki Willow Farm (Marjamäen Pajutila), Hanuri-Topin tie 35 , FI-36200 Kangasala, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. The warm and welcoming farm offers a wide variety of wickerwork produce but beautiful things for the home and the garden as well. Also worth a visit is their heaven of cakes on the attic of the old barn. 

Eat

• Ravintola Paakari, Ruutanantie 3, 36200 Kangasala. High quality restaurant in the center of Kangasala serving food from local ingredients. Also has a cafe and pastry shop downstairs. 
• Aryana, Lentolankuja 2, 36220 Kangasala. The only Afghan restaurant in Finland, serving also more local variants. 

Drink

Sleep

Cottages. There are no hotels in Kangasala (as of 6/2012), but you can find many good hotels in neighbouring Tampere.

• Uotilan lomamökit. Offers cottages for rent – from posh villas to more traditional Finnish summer cottages. 
• Lomaroine. Rents traditional (both modern and old style) cottages. 

Stay safe

Finland is generally safe, and Kangasala is no exception.

• For urgent need of medical treatment, Kangasala health center reception (Terveyskeskus) is at Herttualantie 28. Open weekdays at 8-21 and weekends at 9-21.
• In medical emergencies, the nearest ER is at Tampere University Hospital (ACUTA). In emergency, call 112 (free from all phones).

Go next

Routes through Kangasala

Sodankylä ← Muurame ←

N  S

→ Tampere → Turku