Put this on Your Bucket List: Aulanko is A Winter Gem in Jean Sibelius’ Hometown, Hämeenlinna

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Aulanko is a vast, unique, and historically rich nature reserve just a stone’s throw and a direct bus ride away from Hämeenlinna city center. Its wild yet park-like whispering forests are crowned by a network of inviting trails, ponds, babbling brooks, fairy-tale-like small villas, and sturdy stone towers that evoke thoughts of Walt Disney movies. Nature takes center stage everywhere, wrapping you in its embrace as you let intuition guide your steps. We discovered a serene and sunny winter paradise at Aulanko, where our snowshoes joyfully crunched through the powdery snow.

• Starting point on map
• Fireplace: Yes, next to the parking area
• Accessible: Partially
• By car: Address: Linnanen 77, Hämeenlinna
• By public transport: Local bus 2U runs from Hämeenlinna train station to the Aulanko Nature Activity Center. Direct train connections from Helsinki to Hämeenlinna take 1–1.5 hours.
• Additionally: The starting point features an ice swimming hole, a café, and snowshoe rentals.
• Aulanko map (PDF)

The crisp air pinched at Aulanko’s forest, bathed in the soft light of a frosty morning. The temperature was -10 degrees Celsius (-14 degrees Fahrenheit). A faint swish filled the air as the first skiers of the day stretched their limbs, eager for a wonderful outdoor experience. We parked our car in a lot with a six-hour time limit. While the skiers glided onto their tracks, we crossed the road and stepped into the forest, ready to ascend toward Aulanko’s most picturesque and famous sights.

The Nature Activity Center and the entire beautiful Aulanko nature reserve are situated around Lake Aulanko. Knowing that the forest I admire is protected offers a deep sense of security and continuity. It’s reassuring not to worry about returning to find clear-cutting, making trips to nature reserves a refreshing break from eco-anxiety. Even Aulanko’s historical buildings date back over a hundred years! My spirit sighed with deep admiration as we left the morning calm of the Nature Activity Center and headed into the forest, climbing toward Aulanko’s famous landmarks perched on the hillside.

I was equipped with snowshoes, and this was my first time using them in Southern Finland. While Aulanko offers many well-trodden paths, snowshoes provided me with the freedom to explore untouched snow. My partner, equipped with tall and warm winter boots, couldn’t navigate as easily in all areas.

If you don’t own snowshoes but would like to try them out in Aulanko’s winter wonderland, you can rent them from the Nature Activity Center or Aulanko Outdoors. Renting outdoor equipment is an easy and stress-free way to try something new without investing in costly gear. Plus, with so many different types of snowshoes available, renting saves you from a lot of decision-making.

After climbing through the forest for a while, we emerged onto a quiet road that looked like something straight out of a winter wonderland. The rising sun’s bright rays reached deeper into Aulanko’s wooded heart with every passing moment, and we could already feel their gentle warmth.

We had arrived at Aulanko’s one-way scenic drive, which loops for three kilometers (1.86 miles) in a clockwise direction. We decided to use this road as our main route, loosely following it to enjoy Aulanko’s powdery snow and winter beauty while visiting various sights along the way. Whenever we came across particularly beautiful forest sections, we were free to dive into the woods, while at other times, the road provided a convenient and easy break. This way, we ensured that the day’s still relatively short hours would be enough to complete the circuit. Snowshoeing through the terrain is notably slower and more exhausting than regular walking, especially when you love to stop and soak in the atmosphere constantly.

Rose Valley Pavilion

We emerged from the forest onto the road at what I consider to be one of Aulanko’s most beautiful, enchanting, and romantic views. The Rose Valley Pavilion was just beginning to catch the day’s first rays of sunlight, which made our breath visible as delicate plumes in the cold morning air.

The pavilion, like Aulanko’s other remarkable constructed sights, was built by Aulanko’s benefactor Hugo Standertskjöld in the late 19th century. It’s no surprise that this spot is a popular choice for wedding and engagement photos. It’s hard to imagine a more romantic location, as the pavilion stands not only among beautiful trees but also on the shores of Forest Pond.

I wandered around the pavilion, admiring the warm glow of the sunlight, which accentuated its yellow tones against the cold blue hues of the January winter.

My partner and I had visited Aulanko once before, celebrating our wedding anniversary with a hotel stay a couple of years ago. Aulanko was an easy choice for many reasons. Over the years, I’d seen countless photos and heard so many praises about Aulanko that I wanted to see it for myself. Even just studying the area’s map had sparked serious hiking fever in me. Additionally, Aulanko was close enough to avoid long travel times—it’s only an hour’s drive from Tampere, an hour and a half from Helsinki, and two hours from Turku. When we discovered that there’s also a spa hotel nearby and two military museums of interest in the Hämeenlinna area, the decision was made. Be sure to read my story from that April trip, where we walked the 7-kilometer trail around Lake Aulanko.

From our last visit to Aulanko, I remembered the blue anemones, mezereons, birch buds glowing like emeralds in the spring sun, and the crystal-clear water of Lake Aulanko. This time, those memories remained just that—memories. But as we climbed toward the observation tower, I was already looking forward to rinsing off the day’s sweat in the ice swimming hole—a first-time dip in Lake Aulanko for me.

Aulanko Observation Tower

Judging by the tracks, someone had recently ridden a horse here! Following the hoofprints, we arrived at Aulanko’s most imposing structure, the observation tower, where only two cars were parked in the nearby lot.

The 33-meter (108-foot) tall tower stood gray and cold-looking amidst the forest, overlooking the landscape. The Aulanko Tower Café also appeared dormant. Be sure to stop by and treat yourself when it’s open. Last spring, when I first visited Ahvenisto in Hämeenlinna with a friend and explored its equally protected forests, we ended the hiking day with a visit to Aulanko, where the café was open. Both Ahvenisto and Aulanko are located near the city center, but on opposite sides. It’s worth enjoying both when visiting Hämeenlinna.

I took off my snowshoes to climb the more-than-100-year-old tower as high as it was possible at this time of year. The stairs were quite snowy, but by moving slowly and holding onto the railing, we navigated them safely. We managed to reach the lowest platform of the tower, as the doors leading to the upper levels were still locked.

From the hill where the tower stands, one of Finland’s 27 official national landscapes, the Vanajavesi Valley, opens up. Like the Rose Valley Pavilion, the observation tower was also built by Standertskjöld, whose commemorative plaque is located on the exterior wall of the tower at the base of the staircase.

At the base of the tower is a viewing terrace built in the 1930s, which is also accessible, at least during the snow-free seasons. From this balcony-like, beautiful terrace, there’s a view of Lake Aulanko, which is encircled by a seven-kilometer loop trail (4.35 miles). On the opposite shore rises the Sibelius Forest nature reserve, known for its scenic cliffs.

The sun, around mid-January, didn’t rise very high in the sky yet. Still, it crowned our journey with a joy familiar to many, that feeling when winter seems to have turned a corner, and the slow slide toward spring begins. From the viewing terrace, we admired not only the sun but also the stately spruce trees below and the beautiful pines growing further up the slope. Many of these pines were undoubtedly quite old, even if their size didn’t reflect it. I recall hearing that a pine’s advanced age is indicated more by its shape than its size. An old pine’s crown is said to flatten or even bend slightly downward rather than pointing straight up to the sky.

After peacefully admiring the scenery, we quietly continued our journey. We decided to skip the Bear Cave and Statue located below the tower, recalling the staircase there to be quite steep—an idea that didn’t seem entirely safe with the snow. The stairs descend from beside the viewing terrace, so if you visit during snow-free seasons and have the energy, it’s worth seeing the bears. Descending from the Bear Statue further down to the shores of Lake Aulanko, you can start the loop trail that encircles the lake. Alternatively, you could park at The Aulanko Nature Activity Center and follow the lakeshore trail, climbing up the stairs past the Bear Statue to the tower. In winter, the lower area has a maintained and lit ski track where walking is prohibited.

We encountered very few people, despite expecting a crowd of hikers. It was a sunny Sunday and forecasted to be the last proper winter day before temperatures were set to rise above freezing. But no—it was quiet. Here and there, a lone car stood in the small parking areas, and we passed only a handful of people. For most of the journey, we had the serene winter forest and its silence all to ourselves, even when following marked trails or roads. Skiers were the most numerous, gliding along their dedicated tracks that loop through the Aulanko area.

Granite Castle

From the observation tower, we slowly made our way to the other side of the area, to Granite Castle. This imposing sight is near the spa hotel and prominently visible from Aulangontie, the road leading to Aulanko from the city. A narrow trail packed into the snow led to Granite Castle, where snowshoes were especially useful this time, as the snow was thick and soft. Emerging from the forest, we arrived at the sunlit Granite Castle, which was completely deserted—only the summer theater structures lay in deep winter hibernation.

Granite Castle features one large tower and two smaller ones. The smaller towers have charming spiral staircases, and fortunately, the railings provided support even now, with the stairs covered in snow.

The towers offer a view toward Lake Vanajavesi, although your attention might primarily be drawn to the spa hotel and the scenic road winding through the park-like landscape beneath the canopy of large trees. For photography, Granite Castle, with its towers and staircases, provides plenty of fun and distinctive opportunities. Music videos have also been filmed here. Aulanko is well represented in our recently published “Metal Fans’ Guide to Finland”—the very first video in the collection was filmed at Aulanko.

Temple of Happiness

From Granite Castle, our journey continued through very snowy and sunny forest paths to the Temple of Happiness. Perched on its own small hill, the red, round, and elegantly named brick building stood surrounded by tall trees, so much so that the January sun barely reached it, even as the day progressed.

A thick blanket of snow covered the slope, leaving us completely clueless about what lay beneath. I climbed the snowdrift effortlessly with my snowshoes, reaching the temple, where I removed them before entering through the wooden door. The metal spikes on snowshoes would damage the floors.

“Kel’ onni on, se onnen kätkeköön – Whoever has found happiness, that happiness they should hide.” This famous verse by a Finnish Poet Eino Leino is said to have been inspired by the Temple of Happiness. Legend has it that the builders hid a gold coin here, and whoever finds it will own all of Aulanko… Well, despite the story, let’s keep Aulanko as a shared joy for everyone!

Excerpt from Aulanko Tower Café’s website (translated from Finnish)

The natural stones above the windows and doors, adorned with beautiful turquoise lichen, struck me as a delightful detail of the Temple of Happiness. They reminded me of the lovely stone beaches of Jurmo Island in the Archipelago. From inside the building, I watched skiers glide past on their track and saw occasional cars and walkers on the road.

Swan Pond

From the shadowy hill of the Temple of Happiness, we briskly made our way to Swan Pond. Earlier, we had noticed from the forest that the sun was shining brightly on the northeastern shore of the pond. There, tall pines, young oaks still holding their crisp brown leaves, and various other trees and vegetation basked in the winter sun’s orange glow. The light was so warm that the snow on the tree trunks visibly steamed in the backlight.

I am very cautious about walking on ice, and it didn’t even cross my mind this time. I had noticed the flowing streams from Swan and Forest Ponds and knew we had no idea about the ice’s strength, even further away from the streams. Instead, we focused on enjoying the light and warmth safely on dry ground, where picnic tables on the shore awaited visitors beneath layers of snow. Skiers populated the nearby trail, but we walkers were few and far between here as well. Often, it was intoxicatingly quiet—and beautiful.

According to Aulanko Tower Café’s website, a pair of mute swans once resided at Swan Pond, named Janne and Aino after Jean “Janne” Sibelius and his wife. It’s a common story that Sibelius drew inspiration for composing Finlandia (1899–1900) from the landscapes of Aulanko. Thus, it’s no surprise that the protected forest on the opposite shore of Lake Aulanko was named Sibelius Forest in honor of our national composer, born right here in Hämeenlinna in 1865.

The moment by Swan Pond was the perfect conclusion to our walking tour from one Aulanko landmark to another. Although the days are still short, we were able to enjoy the sun on our skin for a good while, watching as the light highlighted the stunning colors and textures of the trees under the snow. We admired the reddish-brown scaly bark of the pines, the yellow-green needles of the spruces, and the ochre-colored dried leaves of the oaks, which rustled at the slightest touch. Snow-decorated shrubs stood there too, leaving us to imagine how they might look in their summer attire.

However, our excursion wasn’t over yet. The tour was complete, but we returned through the forest to the Ulkoilumaja—not to head home, but so I could take a dip in the ice swimming hole!

Aulanko’s Ice Swimming Hole

The ice swimming hole is located by Lake Aulanko, in front of the Aulanko Nature Activity Center. On the shore, there was a heated dressing room building with a usage fee of three euros. Normally, the Lake Café also offers public sauna sessions (€7/person) on weekends, but this gorgeous winter weather coincided with a time when the facility was closed for maintenance. It’s now open again, so be sure to check the Nature Activity Center’s website for sauna schedules! Payments can be made online or at the café.

I thought I was the only one heading for a swim, as the pier and the ice hole were completely empty—except for the water beside the pier, which was literally swarming with fish. But when I stepped into the heated dressing room, I realized that everyone else was there! The atmosphere was cozy, cheerful, and friendly. From the conversations, it was clear that everyone had been enjoying their own outdoor activities around Aulanko, and as the sun began to set, we had all decided to crown our day outdoors with a dip in the ice swimming hole. We took turns according to who was planning a quick plunge and who intended to stay in the water longer, so no one had to stand waiting in the cold on the pier.

The swim in the clear water was wonderful. My feet didn’t reach the bottom at the end of the pier, but the ice hole was spacious, making it easy to swim comfortably. It was truly delightful to step out of the water and into the heated dressing room to dry off and change before heading home.

When I return here in the summer, I’ll bring a snorkeling mask and an underwater camera because the water in Lake Aulanko is crystal clear.

Read Also

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A Hidden Forest Oasis in Hämeenlinna – Discover Ahvenisto nature reserve & lake