Att göra i Vasa i Finland - 20 sevärdheter och upplevelser

What to do in Vaasa, Finland? This Finnish city is the centre of Ostrobothnia and offers everything from exciting museums to fantastic nature experiences in the surrounding area. Here are all our top tips for things to see and do in Vaasa.

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Vaasa in Finland

As Vaasa is the centre of the Ostrobothniaand with a ferry from Umeå, this could be a place you end up when visiting Finland. This is a city with a lot of interesting Swedish history - yes, the name comes from the Swedish Vasa dynasty - while the city, like the rest of Finland, was also under Russian rule and for a time had 'Nikolai City' as its official name.

Today this is a city that offers lots of museums and art, but also wonderful nature experiences in the surrounding area, for example in the UNESCO heritage Kvarken archipelago. When it comes to the language, Finnish is the majority language today, but there are also many Swedish speakers and we managed well in Swedish in all places except in a grocery store.

Vasa, or Vaasa as the city is called in Finnish, is located on the coast in Ostrobothnia, Finland.

What can you do in Vaasa?

So what can you do in Vaasa? This is an interesting city in many ways, and it can also be lovely in the summer. Here are our top tips.

1. Strolling at the Vaasa health centre

Vaasa Market Square is located in the heart of Vaasa, and if you want to explore the city, you will end up here sooner or later. The square is home to the Statue of Liberty of Finland, which was unveiled in 1938, and the Rewell and Espen shopping centres are nearby.

2. Eat at a restaurant at Fish Beach

In the centre of Vaasa, there is a beach called Fiskstranden, which was once an important hub for fish trading and boat traffic. Today you can find the popular restaurant Hejm here, as well as the restaurant ship Faros. Next door, on the terrace, we bought a good ice cream.

3. Swimming at Sandö beach

In the centre of Vaasa is the island of Sandö, with Sandö beach. There is a really nice sandy beach with lifeguards, and out in the water there are jumping towers and slides suitable for water play. The weather was not the best when we were here, but otherwise we guess that this is a very popular place.

4. Take the children to Tropiclandia

Travelling with children in the summer? One of their favourite things to do in Vaasa is to visit Tropiclandia, where you'll find a water park, spa and more. If you stay at Top Camping Vaasa, you get a discount, and the "little train" leaves from there as well.

5. Cruising on the waters around Vaasa

A different way to experience Vaasa or the Kvarken archipelago is to take a cruise. In summer, you can cruise with m/s Corina from the World Heritage Gate/Replot Bridge or with m/s Tiira in the inner archipelago of Vaasa. There are also opportunities to take a fast-paced rib boat tour.

6. Learn about local culture at the Ostrobothnian Museum

The Ostrobothnian Museum serves as both the City of Vaasa's historical museum and the Natural Science Museum of Ostrobothnia. On the ground floor you can learn more about local culture through the centuries - and one floor down you can learn about the flora and fauna of the area. There are also various temporary art exhibitions.

This is a nice museum where, among other things, we learnt about the Ostrobothnian tradition of Venetian evening / villa closing, which is a kind of festive farewell to the summer.

7. Visit Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art

If you like art, don't miss the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art. Originally a customs warehouse dating back to 1879, the museum displays both Finnish and international art.

8. See Trinity Church

The Trinity Church is an impressive church that stands in the centre of the city. Built in the Gothic Revival style, the church was commissioned in 1862 and completed in 1869. Inside the nave is the altarpiece 'The Adoration of the Shepherds', painted by Albert Edelfelt in 1892-1894.

9. Check out art at Vaasa Art Centre

Right next to the Trinity Church you will find the Vaasa Art Centre, which is housed in the Vaasa City Hall. Here, 4-5 exhibitions with different forms of art and artistic expressions are organised annually. Admission is free, so it is easy to walk by and take a look.

10. Take a look at Wasa Graffitlandia

A slightly different kind of art exhibition that's fun to check out is Wasa Graffitilandia. In a large venue, the lots of street art - mainly paintings but also various installations. Really cool!

Whether or not the exhibition space is permanent is a bit unclear, but street art has been displayed here for several years. You can find the exhibition in a warehouse building on Institute Street.

11. Discover Old Vasa

When the city of Vasa was built in the 17th century by Charles IX, it was not exactly where it is today. Instead, it was on the site now known as 'Old Vaasa', just south-east of the current city.

Almost the entire city burned down in a violent fire in 1852, after which it was decided to move the city. Today, the ruins of the old church can be seen in the Ruin Park.

A few buildings, which were somewhat separated from the others, survived the fire. These include the stately former Court of Appeal and Abraham Falander's stone house, which today serves as the Old Vaasa Museum.

12. see the Old Vasa Museum

When visiting Old Vaasa, don't miss a visit to the Old Vaasa Museum. The museum is housed in the house of the wealthy burgher Falander, sometimes also known as Wasastjernahuset.

The building contains some furniture and artefacts, but what we found most interesting is an exhibition about the completely devastating fire of 1852. Even though it's mostly text and a model of the old city, it's very moving. Imagine living in a city that burns up in just a few hours!

13. Cycling to Brändö or Strömsö

When you are in Vaasa, you can also make various excursions. For example, you can cycle to Brändö or Strömsö. Brändö is an old working-class district with a church, which was once an important tar harbour, where today you will find, among other things, the Vaasa Maritime Museum.

Idyllic Strömsö is located in Västervik and offers a boat harbour and nice villas. The place has become famous through a TV programme called Strömsö, which is particularly popular in Finland, but has also been shown in Sweden and Norway.

14. Cross the Replot Bridge

The Replot Bridge, which runs from the mainland to the island of Replot, is 1045 metres long, making it the longest bridge in Finland. Opened in 1997, the bridge carries thousands of travellers daily between the mainland and the islands of the Kvarken archipelago.

Just before you cross the bridge, on a smaller island, you will find the nice little fish shop Ruotsala Kala-Fisk Fjärdskär. Shortly after crossing the bridge, you can park at Berny's restaurant at the bridge's base. In addition to the restaurant, there is also a nice view of the bridge and the World Heritage Gate visitor centre, with information about the World Heritage Site and land uplift.

15. Discover the Kvarken archipelago

The Kvarken Archipelago, together with High Coast in Sweden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This unique archipelago is Finland's only natural site on the prestigious list and is a stunningly beautiful area, where you can also understand the land uplift caused by the last ice age.

Via the Replot Bridge you can reach Sommarsund, Klobbskat or Svedjehamn on the island of Björkö. These scenic areas are popular for hiking, cycling and canoeing.

16. Hiking at Saltkaret on Björkö

There are two popular hiking trails in Svedjehamn on the island of Björkö: Bodvattnet around which is a four kilometre long nature trail, and Björköby-Panike hiking trail which is seven kilometres round trip.

About 800 metres from Svedjehamn you will also find the popular viewing tower Saltkaret, from which you have a wonderful view in all directions. Among other things, you can see the moraines known as "de Geer moraines".

17. Time travel at the Stundar open air museum

Stundar Open Air Museum is located in Solf in the municipality of Korsholm, just south of Vaasa. There are more than 60 historical buildings, many of which are decorated as farms, cottages and craft environments from the past.

You can also take a look at a nice old farm shop and a village school. In the summer there are guided tours a few times a day, and joining such a tour really enhances the visit. We got to hear many exciting stories and look at interesting artefacts from the past. It's also a bit funny that "today's" newspaper is on display ... from today's date, but a hundred years ago.

18. See Söderfjärden meteorite crater.

The Söderfjärden meteorite crater, located south of Vaasa, was formed about 520 million years ago when a burning meteorite hit the area. The meteorite created a huge circular crater, which today is an open field with a diameter of around five kilometres.

Because the crater is so large, it is difficult to 'see' it with the naked eye. However, there is a visitor centre with exhibits, and bird watching is also popular in the area.

19. Experience an event in Vaasa

Every year many different events are organised in Vaasa, such as different festivals, music events and markets. We managed to find an annual veteran tractor event, at Kråkbacken south of Vaasa, which is organised every year by Malax veteran tractor association. Lots of nice old tractors and a great atmosphere!

20. travel with Wasaline to Umeå

When you are in Vaasa, you can choose to travel to Umeå in Sweden with Wasaline. The crossing takes around four hours and there is a restaurant and café on board.

READ MORE: What to do in Umeå - 18 tips for the city of birch trees

More to see and do in Vaasa for culture, food and drink lovers

Of course, there is even more to see and do in Vaasa than our tips. Here are some more suggestions for those who like culture, food and drink.

Bock's Corner Brewery is a small brewery that also has a pub and restaurant. (Gerbyvägen 16)
Kyrö Distillery is a distillery in Storkyro, with a visitor centre (Oltermannintie 6, Isokyrö).
Liisa Koski is a delicatessen. (Handelplanaden 12)
Ritz Cultural Centre is a 1950s cinema, with live music, concerts, theatre and other cultural events (Kyrkoesplanaden 22).
Ruotsala Kala-Fisk Fjärdskär sells fresh and smoked fish (Alskatvägen 1346, Iskmo)
Tikanoja Art Centre is an art museum with exhibitions of older domestic and foreign art. (Hovrättsesplanaden 4)
Wasa Theatre is a Swedish-language theatre in Vaasa. (Sandögatan 7)

More to see and do in Vaasa with children

Travelling with children or teenagers? Then you can find more tips on things to do in Vaasa here.

Aava Kerttu Kotitila is a livestock farm with alpacas and other animals (Österändsvägen 92, Södra Vallgrund).
Kvarken Escape offers challenges for both children and adults in the form of an escape room. (Vallgrundvägen 78A)
Little train LilliPutti runs between the campsite, Tropiclandia and the city.
Zip Adventure Park is an adventure park with climbing, bungee trampoline and more. (Uddnäsvägen 15)
Vaasa Car & Engine Museum is a museum of old cars (Kvarngatan 18 B).
Wasa Up is a climbing centre (Strandgatan 2).
Mount Öjberget is a winter sports centre with slalom, cross-country skiing and a toboggan run.

Where can you stay in Vaasa, or park your campervan?

There are of course many different hotels in Vaasa, such as Sokos Hotels. We travelled by motorhome and stayed at Top Camping Vaasa, which is in a good location for exploring the city. It is also possible to stay overnight in a motorhome in various places in the Kvarken archipelago.

More things to see and do around Vaasa

From Vaasa it is relatively close to Närpes, which is an interesting city to visit. If you head north instead, you can discover Oravais, Nykarleby and Jakobstad. Below you will find even more tips on things to see and do in Finland.

More tips on things to see and do in Vaasa?

Have you visited Vaasa in Finland? Do you have even more suggestions for what to see and do in Vaasa? Let us know!

Facts about Vaasa in Finland

Country: Finland
Landscape: Ostrobothnia
Population: More than 67 000 (2021)
The name: Vasa in Swedish and Vaasa in Finnish. Between 1855 and 1917, the city was officially called Nikolai City (Nikolainkaupunki) after the Russian Tsar.
Language: 67 % Finnish and 23 % Swedish
Currency: Euro
Read more: You can find more information at tourist office website.

Travelling to Vaasa

Flight: The airport is in Vaasa and you can fly from Helsinki, among other places.
Car/caravan: You can of course drive to Vaasa, for example on the road known as Riks-Åttan.
Ferry: Wasaline runs between Umeå and Vaasa.

Getting around in Vaasa

Walking/cycling: You can of course walk, cycle or scooter around the city.
Car/caravan: It is possible to drive a car or camper van, and it is possible to find parking spaces in a reasonably central location.
Bus: In summer, you can get around with Visit Vasa's summer bus.

History of Vasa

1360s: Korsholm Castle was built on the ramparts of Korsholm near what is now known as Old Vasa.

17th to 18th century

1606: A town was built on the Mustasaari trading post by Charles IX, the youngest son of Gustav Vasa.
1611: The new city was granted city privileges and was also given the name Vasa, in honour of Sweden's reigning royal family, the Vasa family.

19th century

1808-1809: During the war, a fierce battle was fought between Swedish troops, commanded by Bergenstråhle, and Russian occupation troops. After the battle, the Russians sacked the city.
1852: A violent fire destroyed almost the entire town, which until this year was located in what is now known as 'Old Vaasa'.
1855: By an imperial manifesto, the city was renamed Nikolai City, after Nicholas I of Russia.

20th century

1917: After the Russian Revolution, the city reverted to its name, which has always remained in common parlance.
1918: During the Finnish Civil War, part of the country's government took refuge in Vaasa, which became a centre for White Finland.
1939-1940: The ice road across the Kvarken, from Umeå to Vaasa, served as an important supply route during the Finnish Winter War, when Vaasa was exposed to Russian bombs.

4 Comments

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Marias memoarer says:

The old church of Storkyros should also be visited if you happen to be passing by there 😊http://mariasmemoarer.com/2019/august/mitt-osterbotten-utflykt-till-storkyro-2.html
Unusual with churches of that kind in Ostrobothnia (maybe even the only one?). If you want to stay in a hotel and want it to be an experience in itself, I definitely recommend Sokos Hotel's themed rooms. http://mariasmemoarer.com/2020/january/staycation-och-skogsrum-i-vasa-2.html
You can call or send an e-mail if you want a specific themed room, if you book on the booking site, I suppose that chance decides which room you end up in, which can also be exciting.

29 July 2023 - 9:36

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Many thanks for more great tips Maria!!!
  
  29 July 2023 - 19:29
  
Ewa Axelsson says:

Have been to Vaasa quite a few times as we live in Umeå, which has Vaasa as the closest city (distance, not travel time). It is a fantastically cosy summer city, which we can warmly recommend. You mentioned restaurant Hejm as a good restaurant. It is not only good, it is VERY good. But book a table in very good time Another nice place is Strampen, which has been around for over 150 years. Good food and beautiful surroundings.

29 July 2023 - 14:35

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Understand! Vasa must be a great excursion destination when you live in Umeå! Nice to hear about the restaurant and thanks for more tips!
  
  29 July 2023 - 19:31

Things to do in Vaasa in Finland - 20 sights and experiences