Seinäjoki

Kökkahenki

The friendly urban climate, short distances and different types of housing define the city’s daily life. The wide-open expanses typical of Southern Ostrobothnia surround the area. Seinäjoki is characterized by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and the Ostrobothnian tradition of cooperative work, known as ‘kökkähenki’.

City of many events

Seinäjoki is renowned for its unique administrative and cultural center, designed by the architect and scholar Alvar Aalto, and for its summer activities. Tens of thousands of people year after year are attracted to enjoy their time in the city by the Provinssi festival, the Tangomarkkinat tango festival, the Solar Sound Festival and the Vauhtiajot races.

Reasons to choose Seinäjoki

• Seinäjoki is the hosting city of numerous festival during the summer; one of the most famous being Provinssi and Tangomarkkinat
• The city is one of the fastest-growing urban centers in Finland and is home to thousands of university students

Population: around 64,000

Founded: 1868

Foreign nationals: 1,7%

Total area:  1,469 km²

Warmest month: July, 25C°

Coldest month: January, -4.0C°

Currency: Euro (€)

The city of Seinäjoki lies 48m above sea level, so there is significant rainfall throughout the year. The driest month of the year is February. The temperatures are fairly cold throughout the year, however during the hottest month in July the temperatures can rise to 25C° and above. The coldest month of the year is January/February, with temperatures averaging -8,0C°.

In Seinäjoki, there are lots of different restaurants, pubs, cafés and bars to enjoy delicious food and tasty drinks.

Seinäjoki is especially known for its drinking scene, in the sense that there are many breweries, distilleries and wineries that produce high-quality & local products.

In the center, you are able to find great bakeries and shops that are full of amazing cakes and other delicacies. You certainly won’t go hungry in Seinäjoki, and there are always new places to try!

When getting around in the city center, the best option aside from walking and biking is using the local bus operator Komia Liikenne. They also have a handy app for public transportation. The app provides information on routes, timetables, stops, real-time information on public transport, and important traffic bulletins.

Otherwise, Seinäjoki has excellent connections to other cities in Finland. By train, you can get to Tampere in 1 hour and to Helsinki in 3 hours, for example.

There is no airport in Seinäjoki, but the nearest one is located in Vaasa about 1 hour away. The best way to come to Seinäjoki for international students is to take a train from Helsinki airport, as the ride is only 2,5 hours.

By train:

You get a 30 % student discount on Basic tickets when travelling on long-distance trains, as well as on 10 and 30 journey multi-tickets. You are also entitled to a 50 % student discount when travelling on commuter trains in commuter train services area on single tickets and on 10 journey multi-tickets.

More information: https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/students_new.

By bus:

For single trips exceeding 60 kilometres, Matkahuolto grants a 50% discount for normal adult tickets. For shorter trips, the discount is smaller. The tickets are always cheaper when purchased online in advance. There is also a five-trip travel card available for students, that entitles the cardholder for five travel times in the specified route. To receive the student discount, you must a full-time student at a Finnish institution and have a student ID with Matkahuolto stamp on it. Alternatively, you can get a Matkahuolto and VR student ID from any bus terminal.

More information: https://www.matkahuolto.fi/en/.

Local transportation:

The public transport provided by the City of Seinäjoki includes public and community transport.

Public transport operates in the city centre of Seinäjoki and the area of Nurmo. The operator is Komia Liikenne.

Komia Liikenne has two options when it comes to buying tickets. Single tickets can be bought straight from the bus driver or from an app called Kätevä. One ticket is 3€ for adults. You can also buy a travel card, which is 35€ for 30 days.

More information: https://www.komialiikenne.fi/w/tickets—fares

Community transport operates in the centre area of Seinäjoki and in Nurmo, Peräseinäjoki and Ylistaro.

Mallaskoski Brewery

Founded in 1997, the Mallaskoski brewery in Seinäjoki is a place worth visiting. They produce all kinds of drinks from beer to energy drinks, and some of them have even been voted the best in Finland once! There you have the opportunity to try some very exotic flavors like salmiakki-lemon!

Lakeuden Risti Church

The church was built between 1957-1960 and is one of the most famous landmarks in Seinäjoki. It was designed by Alvar Aalto and is known especially for its 65-meter bell tower, which makes it an amazing sight to see and visit.

Provinssi

Provinssi is one of the biggest music festivals in Finland. It is a three-day festival that was first held in 1979, and is a yearly happening in Seinäjoki. The festival was originally just focusing on rock music, but throughout the years the artists have become more and more diverse.