| City | Hämeenlinna (1639) |
| Administrative Province | Southern Finland |
| Historical Province | Tavastia |
| Area - Total - Land - Water | 185.1 km² 166 km² 19.1 km² |
| Population - Total (2005-1-1) - Density | Ranked 15th 47,200 281/km² |
Hämeenlinna, or Tavastehus in Swedish, is a municipality and city of about 47,000 inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and is the residence city for the Governor of the province of Southern Finland. Nearby cities include the capital Helsinki (100 km), Tampere (73 km) and Lahti (72 km).
The medieval Häme Castle (Hämeen linna) is located in the city.
History
There has been a settlement in where the city now stands since the Viking Age. The castle was built in the late 13th century to secure the Swedish power in central Finland. A village was born near to the Häme Castle to provide services and goods to inhabitants.
The village was granted city rights in 1639 and soon after that the King of Sweden moved it one kilometre south on the hill where it now stands.
The city is been known for its schools and academies where many famous Finns have studied. Schools, government and the military have characterized Hämeenlinna's life all through history.
Finland's first railway line opened between Hämeenlinna and Helsinki in 1862. The current Hämeenlinna railway station (Rautatieasema in Finnish) was built in 1921.
Notable persons
The composer Jean Sibelius was born and raised in Hämeenlinna. He graduated from Hämeenlinna Lyseo in 1885.
Poet Eino Leino graduated from high school in Hämeenlinna. (Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio is Hämeenlinna Lyseo Upper secondary school, roughly the equivalent of a US highschool).
Also, the folk/viking metal band Turisas are from Hämeenlinna.
Kimi Räikkönen (Formula 1) and Jenni Dahlman were married in 2004 in Hämeenlinna.
Economy
Largest employers (by number of employees)
Sport
External links
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