Päijät-Häme

Päijät-Häme's landscape reflects the dramatic retreat of glaciers. The last Ice Age carved the land, leaving ridges (Salpausselkä) and large lakes (Finnish Lakeland). As the ice melted, the Baltic Sea went through various stages, dramatically changing shorelines. Land rose, creating islands and eventually dry land. Human settlement followed the receding water, with the Porvoo River valley being the oldest cultural landscape. Today, Päijät-Häme boasts a unique blend of lakes, ridges, and reminders of its glacial past.^[4]

After glaciers retreated 11,000 years ago, the first settlers arrived in Päijät-Häme. Birch dominated the initially barren landscape. As the climate warmed, people lived near ancient lakes and bays. By 5100 BC, the Comb Ceramic culture thrived. The arrival of the Battle Axe culture around 3200 BC brought new tools and pottery styles. During the Bronze Age (1900 BC), cremation burials and large stone cairns became common. In the Iron Age, settlements shifted to better farming areas near waterways. Viking raids and unrest marked the later Iron Age. Christianity arrived during the Crusades (1050-1300 AD).^[5]

By the Middle Ages, villages dotted the shores of waterways and lakes. The 16th century saw a solidification of village life, with the most prominent settlements around Hollola, Lahti, and Nastola. The 1800s brought a boom in agriculture, with cultivated land tripling and industries like flax farming and cattle raising flourishing. Forests were mostly owned by farms, and improved transportation facilitated timber sales. Manor houses played a crucial role in rural life until World War I, with some later being divided into new farms. Today, Päijät-Häme's settlement can be divided into three zones: the sparsely populated eastern area with smaller farms and estates, the more densely populated central region with a strong presence of independent farms, and the sparsely populated north with vast forests. As transportation networks evolved, settlement patterns shifted, with Lahti emerging as the dominant population center.^[6]

Villages in Päijät-Häme have a long history intertwined with the landscape. Most likely arose around the 16th century, strategically placed near ridges and waterways for easy access to water and fertile land. Water remained the primary mode of transportation for centuries, with some villages even shifting their centers to be closer to navigable routes. The arrival of railways in the 19th century revolutionized transportation, and later road networks further influenced development. Heinola, for example, benefitted from its location near the Kymijoki River, which facilitated industrial growth once railways arrived. This pattern likely mirrored itself across Päijät-Häme during the 1800s and 1900s.^[7]

Heinola, founded in 1776, became the region's first city in 1839. Industrial areas grew around its center, particularly on the east and south sides. Lahti's story is tied to railways and lakeside industry. It gained market town rights in 1878 and city status in 1905. Factories like sawmills, a pulp mill, and match factories fueled Lahti's expansion. Village churches (kirkonkylät) also saw growth from the 1860s onward, spurred by relaxed land ownership laws. However, rapid expansion in some villages obscured their older features. Lahti housed sawmills, pulp mills, glass factories, and textile producers. Heinola developed sawmills, plywood, and fiberboard factories alongside metalworking. Notably, Hämeenkoski had Finland's first flax cleaning plant built in 1888. Worker housing districts accompanied industrial growth. The passage mentions both early examples and later, larger developments from the post-war period and the 1960s and 70s.^[8]

Blazon: Azure, a mermaid and in dexter chief a cuckoo close Or. In laymen's terms: The coat of arms sports a depiction of the ancient water goddess Vellamo as a mermaid, with a cuckoo.^[9][10]

The region of Päijät-Häme consists of 10 municipalities, two of which have city status (marked in bold).

 

 

Lahti

 

Hollola

 

Heinola

 

Orimattila

 

Asikkala

 

Iitti

 

Kärkölä

 

Sysmä

 

Padasjoki

 

Hartola

 

Päijänne

 

Vesijärvi

 

Ruotsa-
lainen

 

Central
Finland

 

Etelä-
Savo

 

Kymen-
laakso

 

Uusi-
maa

 

Kanta-
Häme

 

Municipalities

 

Over 100 000 inhabitants

 

 Over 30 000 inhabitants

 

 Over 10 000 inhabitants

 

 Over 3 000 inhabitants

 

 < 3 000 inhabitants

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Cities and municipalities of Päijät-Häme.

Lahti sub-region

Coat of arms	Municipality	Population	Land area (km2)	Density (/km2)	Finnish speakers	Swedish speakers	Other speakers
	Asikkala	7,892	563	14	98 %	0.2 %	3 %
	Hartola	2,519	543	5	97 %	0.1 %	3 %
	Heinola	17,872	676	26	95 %	0.2 %	5 %
	Hollola	22,814	651	35	97 %	0.3 %	3 %
	Iitti	6,433	590	11	98 %	0.2 %	2 %
	Kärkölä	4,102	257	16	95 %	0.5 %	5 %
	Lahti	121,202	460	264	90 %	0.4 %	9 %
	Orimattila	15,649	785	20	96 %	0.6 %	4 %
	Padasjoki	2,711	523	5	97 %	0.4 %	3 %
	Sysmä	3,448	667	5	98 %	0.3 %	3 %
	Total	204,642	5,715	36	92 %	0.4 %	7 %

 

•   Artjärvi (Artsjö)
  • Consolidated with the town of Orimattila in 2011.^[11]
•   Hämeenkoski
  • Consolidated with the municipality of Hollola in 2016.^[12]
•   Heinolan maalaiskunta (Heinola landskommun)
  • Consolidated with the town of Heinola in 1997.^[13]
•   Nastola
  • Consolidated with the city of Lahti in 2016.^[14]

• Until 2021, Iitti was part of the Kymenlaakso region before it became part of Päijät-Häme.^[15]

Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Päijät-Häme:

• Social Democratic Party 23.28%
• Finns Party 22.10%
• National Coalition Party 19.43%
• Centre Party 9.94%
• Green League 8.82%
• Left Alliance 6.12%
• Christian Democrats 6.12%
• Movement Now 1.64%
• Seven Star Movement 0.40%
• Blue Reform 0.38%
• Swedish People's Party of Finland 0.29%
• Other parties 1.48%

• Kajaanselkä Basin
• Kymi River
• Lake Vesijärvi

•  
  Medieval church in Hollola
•  
  A view of Lahti centre
•  
  Lake Päijänne in Sysmä
•  
  Heinola town centre
•  
  Lahti Market Place with the City Hall by Eliel Saarinen in the background
•  
  Harbour in Vääksy, Asikkala
•  
  Virenoja Rapids and ruins of an old mill, Orimattila
•  
  Hartola Church
•  
  The radio masts in Lahti, symbols for the city
•  
  Vääksy Canal, Asikkala
•  
  Rural landscape in Orimattila
•  
  Nastola Church
•  
  Rural landscape in Kärkölä
•  
  The Tähtiniemi Bridge in Heinola
•  
  The celebrated Sibelius Hall is the heart of Lahti's cultural life
•  
  Ski jumping hills in Lahti; also a venue for Ski Jumping WC
•  
  A rock cleft in Hollola
•  
  The Gothic Revival church in Kärkölä
•  
  Lake Vesijärvi in Asikkala
•  
  A windmill in Hartola
•  
  A typical traditional Tavastian village view, Orimattila
•  
  National romantic municipal house in Hollola
•  
  Architecture in Lahti
•  
  Pyhäniemi Manor, Hollola
•  
  An old mill at River Vääksynjoki, Asikkala
•  
  Kymi Ring, a motor racing circuit in Kausala, Iitti

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Päijänne Tavastia.

• The Regional Council of Päijät-Häme

61°15′N 25°50′E / 61.250°N 25.833°E / 61.250; 25.833