Hämeenlinna (; ; ; or ''Croneburgum'') is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
and the regional capital of
Kanta-Häme. It is located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of
Lake Vanajavesi. The population of Hämeenlinna is approximately , while the
sub-region
A subregion is a part of a larger geographical region or continent. Cardinal directions are commonly used to define subregions. There are many criteria for creating systems of subregions; this article is focusing on the United Nations geoscheme ...
has a population of approximately . It is the most populous
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in Finland, and the 14th most populous
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
in the country.
Hämeenlinna is the oldest inland city in Finland and was one of the most important Finnish cities until the 19th century. Hämeenlinna was located in the heart of the historic province of
Tavastia. Since then, Hämeenlinna has remained an important regional centre. The medieval
Häme Castle
Häme Castle or Tavastia Castle (, ) is a medieval castle in Tavastia Proper, Finland. It is located in Hämeenlinna, the city between Helsinki and Tampere. Originally located on an island, the castle now sits on the coast of lake Vanajavesi. ...
(also known as ''Tavastia Castle'') is located in the town.
Hämeenlinna is known as the birthplace of the Finnish national composer
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his countr ...
. It is now part of the Kanta-Häme region and was the residence of the
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of the province of
Southern Finland
Southern Finland (, ) was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.
History
On September 1, 1997 the Uusimaa Province, the Ky ...
until 2010. Nearby cities include the capital
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
(),
Tampere
Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...
() and
Lahti
Lahti (; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Päijät-Häme. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lahti is approximately , while the Lahti sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is the mo ...
(), the regional centre of
Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme).
The neighbouring municipalities of Hämeenlinna are
Akaa,
Asikkala
Asikkala () is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Vääksy, at the shores of the Lake Päijänne. It is located in the provinces of Finland, province of Southern Finland and is part of the Päijänne Tavastia regi ...
,
Hattula,
Hausjärvi
Hausjärvi is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Oitti.
It is located in the provinces of Finland, province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper regions of Finland, region. The municipality has ...
,
Hollola
Hollola () is a municipality of Finland, located in the western part of the Päijänne Tavastia region. The municipality is unilingually Finnish and has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . ...
,
Janakkala
Janakkala () is a municipality of Finland. Its administrative centre is in Turenki. Janakkala is located along Highway 3 ( E12) in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. To the south, Janakkala shares a bo ...
,
Loppi
Loppi (; , also ) is a municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. It is located in the provinces of Finland, province of Southern Finland and is part of the Kanta-Häme regions of Finland, region, located about 50 kilometers (about 30 mil ...
,
Padasjoki,
Pälkäne
Pälkäne () is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is part of the Pirkanmaa regions of Finland, region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which . The population density is . Onkkaala is the adm ...
,
Tammela,
Urjala
Urjala (; , also ) is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the Pirkanmaa region, near the town of Forssa. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density
Population density (in ...
and
Valkeakoski
Valkeakoski (; lit. "white rapids") is a town and municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. It is located south of Tampere, north of Hämeenlinna and north of Helsinki in the Pirkanmaa regions of Finland, region. The municipality has ...
. The former municipalities of
Hauho,
Kalvola,
Lammi,
Renko and
Tuulos were merged with Hämeenlinna on 1 January 2009; with these mergers, the municipality of Hattula is almost completely surrounded by Hämeenlinna.
The
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
of Hämeenlinna is based on the 17th-century
town seal, which in turn refers to the Häme Castle built by the Lake Vanajavesi in the Middle Ages, near which the city was founded. The current coat of arms was designed by
Gustaf von Numers
Gustaf von Numers (31 July 1912 – 21 May 1978) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish civil servant and leading heraldic artist.
Life
Gustaf von Numers studied heraldry in the 1930s under Arvid Berghman and was considered one of the leading Fin ...
on the basis of the old coat of arms, and was confirmed on September 21, 1956.
History
Vanaja is the name of a settlement next to Vanajavesi that had been in existence since the
Viking Age
The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...
. The castle was built in the late 13th century to secure Swedish power in central Finland. A village was established near
Häme Castle
Häme Castle or Tavastia Castle (, ) is a medieval castle in Tavastia Proper, Finland. It is located in Hämeenlinna, the city between Helsinki and Tampere. Originally located on an island, the castle now sits on the coast of lake Vanajavesi. ...
to provide services and goods to its inhabitants.
The village was granted city rights on January 19, 1639, but Hämeenlinna, which still after that looked more like a rural village, developed very slowly, which was a typical problem for inland cities in Finland compared to the most prosperous coastal cities.
In 1777,
King Gustav III of Sweden moved it one kilometre () south to the hill on which it still stands.
Hämeenlinna has hosted numerous royal and imperial visits, including the visits of the Kings of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December15946 November Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 16 November] 1632), also known in English as ...
,
Adolf Frederick of Sweden, Adolf Frederick,
Gustav III
Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden.
Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw ...
, and
Gustav IV Adolf
Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph (1 November 1778 – 7 February 1837) was King of Sweden from 1792 until he was deposed in a coup in 1809. He was also the last Swedish monarch to be the ruler of Finland.
The occupation of Finland in 180 ...
. The city was also visited by Russian Emperors
Alexander I and
Alexander II, Grand Dukes of Finland.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hämeenlinna and its region became known for its grand summer residences, such as
Karlberg Manor (Aulanko) and
Vanajanlinna Manor.
The city is known for its schools and academies where many famous
Finns
Finns or Finnish people (, ) are a Baltic Finns, Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these cou ...
have studied.
Schools, government and the military have characterised the life of Hämeenlinna throughout history.
Finland's first railway line, the
Finnish Main Railway (, ), opened between Hämeenlinna and Helsinki on March 17, 1862. The current
Hämeenlinna railway station (' in
Finnish) was built in 1921.
During the
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...
in 1918, Hämeenlinna was initially in the area controlled by the
Reds, but the
Whites
White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view.
De ...
captured the city with the help of the Germans in the
Battle of Hämeenlinna. After the war, the Hämeenlinna
prison camp established for red prisoners operated in the Poltinaho barracks area, and it was known as one of the most notorious high-discipline camps in the history of the Civil War, where female prisoners were also kept. By mid-September, over 2,000 Red prisoners died in the prison camp, mainly for communicable diseases such as
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
,
scarlet fever
Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'', a Group A streptococcus (GAS). It most commonly affects children between five and 15 years of age. The signs and symptoms include a sore ...
,
typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposu ...
and
Spanish flu
The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. The earliest docum ...
.
After World War II, Hämeenlinna underwent significant transformation as Finland shifted from a wartime economy to peacetime recovery. The city experienced substantial reconstruction efforts, which included the renovation of damaged infrastructure and the development of new housing to accommodate returning soldiers and their families.
Häme County received 73,812 war refugees from
Karelia
Karelia (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; , historically Коре́ла, ''Korela'' []; ) is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Russia (including the Soviet Union, Soviet era), Finland, and Sweden. It is currentl ...
. Of all the war refugees, 90 percent were Finns. Hämeenlinna specifically welcomed these refugees, and the Ojoinen Borough was constructed to accommodate them.
Post-war period saw an increase in population as people moved to Hämeenlinna for job opportunities in various sectors. Hämeenlinna also embraced industrialisation during this era, with manufacturing becoming a cornerstone of its economy. The city’s strategic location facilitated trade and transport, further promoting economic development.
The establishment of educational institutions, such as
the Häme University of Applied Sciences, contributed to the city's growth and modernisation. Additionally, cultural initiatives flourished, with museums and theaters enhancing the local cultural landscape.
The Artillery Museum of Finland, which opened in 1997, became a key attraction, showcasing the military history and heritage of the region.
The Prime Ministers and ministers of Finland and Sweden gathered for a historic and joint meeting in Hämeenlinna in 2009.
Geography

There are a total of 339 lakes in whole or in part in the area of the city of Hämeenlinna. The largest of them are
Lake Vanajavesi,
Lake Kukkia and
Lake Kuohijärvi. The main features of the Hämeenlinna landscape are the Häme Lake Plateau, the Vanajavesi Valley and the Kanta-Häme Grove Center. In many places, the landscapes are marked by the prosperous
Tavastian agricultural
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
culture.
The city has several
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
s, the largest of which are located in the popular
recreation areas of
Aulanko and Ahvenisto on the outskirts of the city. In total, there are 31
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...
areas in the city of Hämeenlinna. In addition, Hämeenlinna has Finland's first
national urban park, established in 2001.
Climate
Cityscape

The center of Hämeenlinna is located on the Saarinen Hill on the shores of
Lake Vanajavesi, and is bordered on the west by
Highway 3
The following highways are numbered 3, H-3, PRI-3, AH3, E03 and R3. For roads numbered A3, see A3 roads. For roads numbered M3, see M3 (disambiguation)#Roads, M3. For roads numbered N3, see N3 (disambiguation)#Roads, N3. For roads numbered 3A, see ...
(
E12), while
Highway 10 bypasses the city to the south and east. The street network in the center is based on a
grid pattern
In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at Angle#Types of angles, right angles to each other, forming a wikt:grid, grid.
Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, fr ...
drawn up by
Carl Ludvid Engel in 1832 with the
Market Square
A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...
as its center. On the edge of the market square are the town hall, Hämeenlinna Church and the Häme County Government House. The city center is divided into four
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
s, which are
Linnanniemi,
Koilliskulma,
Hämeensaari and
Saaristenmäki. Raatihuoneenkatu, which has been partially transformed into a pedestrian street, is the most significant shopping street in the city center; for example, at the western end of the street, the
Goodman Shopping Center was completed in October 2014.
There are plenty of buildings of different styles in the city center, and in proportion to the city's population, it is quite large and densely built. The most significant expansion direction in the city center in the 2010s has been the Keinusaari district on the other side of Lake Vanajavesi, where, for example, the
city's railway station is located. Supplementary construction has also been carried out in the city center on an ongoing basis. The center of Hämeenlinna has been ridiculed as the "Finland's largest lit cemetery".
Demographics
Population
The city of Hämeenlinna has inhabitants, making it the most populous municipality in Finland. The
Hämeenlinna region has a population of .
Languages
Hämeenlinna is a monolingual
Finnish-speaking municipality. , the majority of the population, persons (), spoke Finnish as their first language. In addition, the number of
Swedish speakers was persons () of the population. Foreign languages were spoken by of the population.
As
English and
Swedish are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.
At least 40 different languages are spoken in Hämeenlinna. The most common foreign languages are
Estonian
Estonian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe
* Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent
* Estonian language
* Estonian cuisine
* Estonian culture
See also ...
(0.7%),
Russian (0.7%),
Ukrainian (0.7%),
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
(0.7%) and
Persian (0.5%).
Immigration
, there were 5,308 persons with a foreign background living in Hämeenlinna, or 8% of the population. The number of residents who were born abroad was 5,143, or 8% of the population. The number of persons with foreign citizenship living in Hämeenlinna was 3,809. Most foreign-born citizens came from the former
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
,
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
and
Ukraina.
The relative share of immigrants in Hämeenlinna's population is below to the national average. However, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.
Religion
In 2023, the
Evangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 67.8% of the population of Hämeenlinna. Other religious groups accounted for 2.5% of the population. 29.7% of the population had no religious affiliation.
Economy

The economic structure of Hämeenlinna is close to the national average. In 2015, there were 28,270 jobs in the city. Of these, 75% were in the service sector, 3% in primary production (
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
,
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
and
fisheries
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...
) and 21% in processing. The share of the unemployed was 13,6%.
Largest employers
Source:
[, ''Taskutietoa Hämeenlinnasta'', a factbook published by the city of Hämeenlinna (]PDF
Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Inc., Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, computer hardware, ...
download, in Finnish)
By number of employees:
*City of Hämeenlinna: 2,490
*State of Finland: 2,480
*Kanta-Häme Hospital District: 1,460
*
Ruukki (Rautaruukki Oyj): 1,030
*
Huhtamäki Oyj: 700
*
HAMK University of Applied Sciences (an institution offering tertiary degree education): 510
*Kansanterveystyön ky: 490
*
Patria Vehicles Oy: 430
*
Konecranes Standard Lifting Oy: 330
*Koulutuskeskus Tavastia: 270
*Aina Group Oyj: 250
*Lindström Oy: 175
Education
Hämeenlinna is home to
HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences' headquarters. Founded in 1873, Hämeenlinna Lyceum has many cultural influencers. The school is one of the most famous educational institutions in Finland, as many well-known Finns have graduated from the institution; examples include master composer
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his countr ...
and president
Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Juho Kusti Paasikivi (, 27 November 1870 – 14 December 1956) was a Finnish politician who served as the seventh president of Finland from 1946 to 1956. Representing the Finnish Party until its dissolution in 1918 and then the National Coaliti ...
.
Hämeenlinna Lyceum has a middle school (grades 7–9) and a high school. Another of the high schools in Hämeenlinna's inner city is Kauriala High School. Hämeenlinna's Lyceum and Kauriala High School were to be combined in the fall of 2018 to form a large high school with more than a thousand students on the Hattelmala campus of the Tavastia Education Consortium. However, the city council decided to cancel the high school project in the spring of 2018, and the high schools will continue to be separate.
Culture
Museums
Hämeenlinna is home to a diverse range of museums, including
Häme Castle
Häme Castle or Tavastia Castle (, ) is a medieval castle in Tavastia Proper, Finland. It is located in Hämeenlinna, the city between Helsinki and Tampere. Originally located on an island, the castle now sits on the coast of lake Vanajavesi. ...
, Hämeenlinna Art Museum, Iittala Glass Museum, Prison Museum, Skogster Museum (Hämeenlinna City Museum), Birthplace of
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his countr ...
, and Artillery, Engineer and Signals Museum of Finland (Militaria Museum).
Verkatehdas - Cultural and Conference Center
Verkatehdas is a well-known cultural and conference center situated in Hämeenlinna, Finland. Originally a textile factory, it has been repurposed into a versatile venue that hosts a wide range of events and activities.
BioRex Verkatehdas: This modern cinema, located within the complex, features five screening rooms equipped with advanced technology, including 4K laser projectors and Xpandin 3D capabilities.
Hämeenlinna Art Museum: Situated in the Verkatehdas area, this museum showcases Finnish and international visual art. It boasts an extensive collection of over 8,000 works and frequently hosts temporary exhibitions.
Gastronomy
Hämeenlinna is emerging as a notable gastronomy destination in Finland, characterized by its diverse culinary offerings and a growing number of high-quality restaurants.
In the 1980s, the following dishes were named Hämeenlinna's traditional cuisine: as a daily meal, smoked
ham and
sourdough
Sourdough is a type of bread that uses the fermentation by naturally occurring yeast and lactobacillus bacteria to raise the dough. In addition to leavening the bread, the fermentation process produces lactic acid, which gives the bread its dis ...
bread; as a festive meal, the
herring
Herring are various species of forage fish, belonging to the Order (biology), order Clupeiformes.
Herring often move in large Shoaling and schooling, schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate wate ...
wrapped in
rye
Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...
dough or ''kalaleipä'', i.e. "fish bread",
buttermilk
Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in Western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most mode ...
and
beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
, and the ''riistansylttääjän lintupaisti'', which is
pheasant
Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...
stuffed with
almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...
s, potato and apple slices.
Festivals
* Wanaja Festival is annual music festival held in Linnanpuisto, this event has grown in popularity, showcasing both local and international artists. It attracts large crowds each summer, emphasizing Hämeenlinna's vibrant music scene.
* Häme Medieval Festival celebrates medieval culture with activities, performances, and markets. It has become a staple event in August, drawing visitors interested in history and reenactments.
Sport
*Elite level ice hockey teams
HPK of the
SM-liiga and
HPK Kiekkonaiset of the
Naisten Liiga
*Football team Hämeenlinnan Jalkapalloseura plaus in the third-tier
Kakkonen
Kakkonen or II divisioona is the fourth level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. Until the end of 2023, ''Kakkonen'' was the third-highest level in Finland, but after the creation of new second-t ...
, and the women's representative team of Hämeenlinnan Jalkapalloseura plays in the Naisten Kakkonen.
*The city hosted the
modern pentathlon
The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic multisport that consists of five events: fencing (one-touch épée followed by direct elimination), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, Laser pistol (sport), laser pistol shooting, and ...
competition for the
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.
After Japan declared in ...
in
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
.
*Hämeenlinna hosted the first round of the Underwater Rugby Euroleague in October 2012 and again in 2015.
*The
Ahvenisto Race Circuit, opened in 1967, hosts many motorsport happenings. The following racing legends have competed on the circuit:
Jim Clark
James Clark (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British racing driver from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Clark won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with Lotus, and—at the time of his death—held the ...
,
Graham Hill,
Jack Brabham
Sir John Arthur Brabham (2 April 1926 – 19 May 2014) was an Australian racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Brabham won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in , and , ...
, and
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian racing driver, motorsport executive and aviation entrepreneur, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Lauda won three Formula One World Drivers' Champ ...
. Track has an FIA Grade 4 license.
*Steelers Sailbandy (Floorball) Club which play in the
F-liiga.
Notable natives or residents

*
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola (born 1 December 1970) is a Finland, Finnish former Strongman (strength athlete), strongman, powerlifter and actor. He is a two time World's Strongest Man winner, a two time Europe's Stron ...
(strongman/actor)
*
Antony Hämäläinen (vocalist)
*
Eino Leino (poet)
*
Marko Mäkilaakso (music video and film director)
*
Antti Miettinen
Antti Markus Miettinen (born July 3, 1980) is a Finnish people, Finnish ice hockey coach and former professional forward (ice hockey), forward, who last played professionally with HPK of the Liiga. He had previously played in the National ...
(NHL player); won a bronze medal with Finland in the
2010 Vancouver Olympics
*
Victorine Nordenswan (painter)
*
J. K. Paasikivi (7th
President of Finland
The president of the Republic of Finland (; ) is the head of state of Finland. The incumbent president is Alexander Stubb, since 1 March 2024. He was elected president for the first time in 2024 Finnish presidential election, 2024.
The presi ...
)
*
Kimi Räikkönen (
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
driver) and
Jenni Dahlman (married at
Vanajanlinna Manor in 2004)
*
Juuse Saros
Juuse Saros (born 19 April 1995), nicknamed "Juice", is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Saros was selected by the Predators in the fourth round (99th overall) of the 2 ...
(
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
goaltender)
*
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his countr ...
(composer)
*
Turisas (metal band)
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Hämeenlinna is
twinned with:
See also
*
Aulanko
*
Finnish national road 3
* ''
Hämeen Sanomat''
*
Parola (
Hattula)
*
Häme Castle
Häme Castle or Tavastia Castle (, ) is a medieval castle in Tavastia Proper, Finland. It is located in Hämeenlinna, the city between Helsinki and Tampere. Originally located on an island, the castle now sits on the coast of lake Vanajavesi. ...
*
Lake Vanajavesi
*
Vanajanlinna Manor
Notes
References
External links
City of Hämeenlinna– Official Site (in English)
1952 Summer Olympics official report (pp. 60–62)Häme Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hameenlinna
Venues of the 1952 Summer Olympics
Olympic modern pentathlon venues
Cities and towns in Finland
Municipalities of Kanta-Häme
Grand Duchy of Finland
Populated places established in 1639
1639 establishments in Sweden