Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna (Finnish: [ˈhæmeːnˌlinːɑ]; Swedish: Tavastehus; Karelian: Hämienlinna; Latin: Tavastum or Croneburgum) is a city in Finland 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 68,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 94,000. It is the 15th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 14th most populous urban area in the country.
Hämeenlinna
Tavastehus | |
|---|---|
City | |
| Hämeenlinnan kaupunki Tavastehus stad City of Hämeenlinna | |
Aerial view of the Häme Castle. | |
|
Coat of arms | |
Location of Hämeenlinna in Finland | |
OpenStreetMap Interactive map outlining Hämeenlinna. | |
| Coordinates: 60°59′40″N 24°28′00″E | |
| Country | Finland |
| Region | Kanta-Häme |
| Sub-region | Hämeenlinna sub-region |
| Charter | 1639 |
| Government | |
| • City manager | Olli-Poika Parviainen |
| Area (2018-01-01) | |
| • Total | 2,031.53 km2 (784.38 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,785.35 km2 (689.33 sq mi) |
| • Water | 245.79 km2 (94.90 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 34th largest in Finland |
| Population (2023-12-31) | |
| • Total | 68,303 |
| • Rank | 15th largest in Finland |
| • Density | 38.26/km2 (99.1/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 93.7% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.4% |
| • Others | 5.9% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 14.5% |
| • 15 to 64 | 59.3% |
| • 65 or older | 26.2% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | www |
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 (also known as Tavastia Castle) is located in the town.
Hämeenlinna is known as the birthplace of Finnish national composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Kanta-Häme, and before 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the province of Southern Finland. Nearby cities include the capital Helsinki (98 km or 61 mi), Tampere (73 km or 45 mi) and Lahti (72 km or 45 mi), the regional centre of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme).
The neighbouring municipalities of Hämeenlinna are Akaa, Asikkala, Hattula, Hausjärvi, Hollola, Janakkala, Loppi, Padasjoki, Pälkäne, Tammela, Urjala and Valkeakoski. The former municipalities, Hauho, Kalvola, Lammi, Renko and Tuulos, were consolidated with Hämeenlinna on 1 January 2009; with these municipal associations, the Hattula municipality is almost completely surrounded by Hämeenlinna.
The coat of arms 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 on the basis of the old coat of arms, and was confirmed on September 21, 1956.