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

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated August 2026 | What to do in Vaasa, Finland? This Finnish city is the center of Ostrobothnia, and offers everything from exciting museums to fantastic nature experiences in the surrounding area. Here you will find all our best tips for things to see and do in Vaasa.

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

Of course, there is even more to see and do in Vaasa beyond our 20 tips. Here are some more suggestions for those of you who want to discover more of the city and its surroundings.

• Bock's Corner Brewery is a local brewery with a restaurant and pub in an old industrial environment.
• Ritz is a classic cinema from the 1950s that today functions as a cultural venue for concerts, theater and other events.
• Tikanoja Art Centre is an art museum with older Finnish and international art in a former private residence.
• Wasa Theatre is Vaasa's Swedish-language theater and offers theater performances and other cultural events.
• Vaasa Car & Motor Museum Suitable for those who like vehicles and shows, among other things, old cars, motorcycles and engines.
• Zip Adventure Park is an adventure park with climbing courses and activities for both children and adults.
• Mount Öjberget is an outdoor recreation area just outside Vaasa with exercise trails and hiking opportunities, and in winter also skiing and sledding slopes.

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

Of course, there is more to see and experience nearby. Here are some more tips:

• Närpes
• Oravais
• Jakobstad