Nastola is a small village in the region of Päijänne Tavastia in southern Finland. It was for a long time the seat of its own municipality but is since 2016 a part of Lahti Municipality. The urban area in the village has approximately 12.000 inhabitants, . These figures include a few nearby villages as well.
A Short History of Nastola
Nastola is a settlement that has developed around the parish church. Nastola became a satellite parish of Hollola Parish in 1555. The chapel of the area is believed to have existed already in 1515, as this is the year of the first known mention of the chapel in written sources.
The first church in Nastola was built in the 17th century, but it became too small and a new church was completed in 1804. However, it wasn’t until 1860 that Nastola became an independent parish. The parish, and later municipality, remained independent until 2016 when it merged with Lahti.
Things to Do and See
Nastola might be smaller than nearby Lahti and there are not that many sights. Nonetheless, there is a lot of nature around here to explore and the number of possible hikes and bike routes is far from limited.
Nastola Church
Nastola Church was the center of the former parish and dates back to 1804. It is a wooden church that can seat around 700 visitors.
Pajulahti Sports Institute
Pajulahti Sports Institute is at the shores of lake Iso-Kukkanen. It is a large sports and leisure center dating back all the way to 1929. It was originally a sports center for the women’s section of the Finnish Workers’ Sports Federation. The center has since developed and is today a national and international sports institute. There are several venues for different sports as well as an adventure park and areas for outdoor recreation.
Taarasti Art Center
Taarasti Art Center is at the shores of lake Pikku-Kukkanen. It was founded in 1981 and received its current housing in 1990. The art exhibitions that are hosted are changed regularly.
How to Get to Nastola
- Flights: The closest major airport is Helsinki Airport (HEL), 111 kilometers away, with both domestic and international flights.
- Car: Nastola is along road 12, just a short distance east of Lahti.
- Train: The closest train station is in nearby Lahti.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 117 kilometers (1 h 22 min)
- Turku – 252 kilometers (2 h 47 min)
- Vaasa – 395 kilometers (4 h 38 min)
- Oulu – 506 kilometers (5 h 55 min)
- Joensuu – 338 kilometers (3 h 50 min)
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