Vaasa Attractions
Post code: SF-65101
Vaasa (Swedish Vasa), on the Gulf of Bothnia, is the chief town of Vaasa province and the seat of the Provincial Court of Appeal. About a third of the inhabitants are Swedish-speaking. Vaasa was chartered in 1606 and is a popular centre for Finnish and Swedish culture. The town lies at the narrowest part of the Gulf of Bothnia, sheltered by a girdle of skerries, the archipelago of the Valsöarna and the islands of Vallgrund and Björkö. The shortest route between Finland and Sweden is the Vaasa-Umeå ferry.
History
The town, named after the Swedish royal house of Vasa, was founded in 1606 at Mustasaari, now 6km/4mi inland but then on the coast. Vaasa was twice destroyed by war (1714, 1800) and again by a great fire in 1852. Thereafter, from 1862 onwards, it was rebuilt on the new coastline, which had moved west as a result of a rise in the level of the land. The rebuilding was directed by the provincial architect, Carl Axel Setterberg; and, as at Pori, the new town was laid out with broad avenues (puistikko) to reduce the fire hazard. Setterberg favored the neo-Gothic style; other architects built in a variety of styles.
In December 1917, after the proclamation of Finnish independence, Vaasa became the temporary capital of the country when the socialist militia seized control of Helsinki and the Senate took refuge in Vaasa. From here General Mannerheim directed operations against the Red Brigades and the Russian forces supporting them. Hence the cross of freedom which figures in the town's coat of arms, as it does in that of Mikkeli.
Vaasa (Swedish Vasa), on the Gulf of Bothnia, is the chief town of Vaasa province and the seat of the Provincial Court of Appeal. About a third of the inhabitants are Swedish-speaking. Vaasa was chartered in 1606 and is a popular centre for Finnish and Swedish culture. The town lies at the narrowest part of the Gulf of Bothnia, sheltered by a girdle of skerries, the archipelago of the Valsöarna and the islands of Vallgrund and Björkö. The shortest route between Finland and Sweden is the Vaasa-Umeå ferry.
History
The town, named after the Swedish royal house of Vasa, was founded in 1606 at Mustasaari, now 6km/4mi inland but then on the coast. Vaasa was twice destroyed by war (1714, 1800) and again by a great fire in 1852. Thereafter, from 1862 onwards, it was rebuilt on the new coastline, which had moved west as a result of a rise in the level of the land. The rebuilding was directed by the provincial architect, Carl Axel Setterberg; and, as at Pori, the new town was laid out with broad avenues (puistikko) to reduce the fire hazard. Setterberg favored the neo-Gothic style; other architects built in a variety of styles.
In December 1917, after the proclamation of Finnish independence, Vaasa became the temporary capital of the country when the socialist militia seized control of Helsinki and the Senate took refuge in Vaasa. From here General Mannerheim directed operations against the Red Brigades and the Russian forces supporting them. Hence the cross of freedom which figures in the town's coat of arms, as it does in that of Mikkeli.
Appeal Court
At the west end of Vaasa's Hovioikeudenpuistikko (Appeal Court Avenue), in a square by the sea, is the Provincial Court of Appeal, a 19th century neo-Gothic brick building with corner turrets. To the south is a monument commemorating the landing here in February 1918 of a German rifle battalion of young Finns trained in Germany.
Braga Open-Air Museum (Motor Museum)
To the south of Vaasa is Hietalahti Park, with the Braga open-air theater (peasant culture of the Finland Swedes) and a summer restaurant. To the east, beyond the station, is a Motor Museum.
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Fishing Trips
The ring of skerries in the Gulf of Bothnia near Vaasa offers great variety of beauty and recreation. Boats can be hired for fishing trips, or visitors can accompany the local fishermen. There are large numbers of holiday cabins on the islands which can be rented through the tourist information office in Vaasa. In particularly cold winters it is possible to drive to Björköby and continue across the ice on the Gulf of Bothnia to Umeå on the Swedish side.
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Market Square
Between the two wide avenues, Hovioikeudenpuistikko and Vaasanpuistikko, which run south-west from the railroad station through the center of Vaasa is the Market Square, with an imposing monument to Liberty (by Yrjö Liipola, 1938), commemorating the 1918 civil war and war of liberation.
Ostrobothnia Provincial Museum
To the north of the Appeal Court in Vaasa lies the Mariepark, in which is the Österbotten Provincial Museum (Pohjanmaa-Museum), with collections illustrating the culture of the province and the history of the town, together with works of art of various periods, including 19th and 20th century Finnish painting.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Discounts on
Wednesday
Stundars - Handicraft Village
From Vaasa on the south side of E 12, at Sulva, is the craftsmen's village of Stundars, with over 40 old buildings, several workshops and a summer theater.
The village opened in 1965 and includes a farmhouse complex, a printing museum and workshops for artists.
The village opened in 1965 and includes a farmhouse complex, a printing museum and workshops for artists.
Hours
June 28 to August 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Guides
Guided tour included with admission.
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Trinity Church
Southwest of the Vaasa Market Square is the neo-Gothic Trinity Church (by C. A. Setterberg, 1868), which has altarpieces by A. Edelfelt, L. Sparre and R. W. Ekman. Opposite the church, to the north, is a bronze statue of the writer Zachris Topelius (19th C.).
Wasalandia Amusement Park and Zoo
The Vaasa street Vaasanpuistikko crosses a narrow channel on a causeway, which also carries the railroad, to the island of Vaskiluoto, on which is the Wasalandia amusement park (with Zoo). From the causeway a short side road gives access to the island of Hietasaari (Swedish Sandö; park, with swimming beaches).
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
