LLoppioppi NNaturallyaturally nnearear bbyy www.loppi.fi Loppi is a lively, growing rural municipality in the Tavastia Proper region. Our central location, active business community, beauti- ful natural surroundings and excellent community services make Loppi a great place for living, leisure and work. Around 8300 people live in Loppi. The municipality has three main population centres: the town of Loppi (Kirkonkylä), Launonen and Läyliäinen. There are also a number of smaller villages. With its beautiful countryside and many lakes and ponds, Loppi munici- pality is also a popular place for outdoor leisure activities. Loppi has thousands of summer cottages, and the area’s population nearly doubles in the summertime. We have a wide variety of cultural events all year round. There are concerts and exhibitions organised throughout the year by the community as well as non-profi t organisations. Thousands of people fl ock to enjoy the summer theatre performances put on by the Loppi Theatre in its summer home in the village of Sajaniemi. We look forward to welcoming you to Loppi to visit, to live and to enjoy! Karoliina Viitanen Municipal Manager NNaturallyaturally nnearear bbyy Close to nature Welcome to Loppi Loppi combines the best aspects of peaceful natural surround- Loppi is especially famous for its potatoes. In addition to tradi- ings, convenient living and closeness to larger cities. tional family farms, the municipality has some 400 businesses. The municipality of Loppi enjoys a prime location in the Tavastia The town of Loppi Kirkonkylä is lively, with its shops and schools, Lake Highlands in Southern Tavastia province. We have some of but there are numerous other villages in the municipality, each the loveliest landscapes in Finland, yet Loppi is located in the with its own active village life. nation’s population and logistical heartland, only about a thirty- Loppi’s excellent transport links to the Helsinki area and other minute drive from the Helsinki region and about an hour from nearby cities have made it a popular place to live. Your work may Hämeenlinna, Lahti, Turku and Tampere. take you to a big city, but our convenient, safe living will bring Loppi is one of the growing municipalities in southern Finland. you back to Loppi in the evening! Our population (currently around 8300) is growing all the time, If you are interested in living or working in Loppi, there is a wide as is the number of summer residents. In this lovely area, there choice of business sites and residential building plots available are even more summer cottages than year-round homes. throughout the municipality. Loppi’s coat of arms features a wave and the symbol for iron, which together symbolise the area’s many lakes and the past era when iron ore was extracted from the lakes around Loppi. Old tale of Loppi There is an old tale that tells of a devil who lived in rock fl ew across to the Tiirinkallio cliff on the shore the caves in the hills around Loppi. It took on the of Lake Loppijärvi, from where the villagers tipped it shape of a giant. When a church was built in Loppi in into the water. Then the rock began to cause disas- the 17th century, the devil tried every trick he had to ters. Livestock became diseased; animals died. Final- disrupt the construction. It fl ew into a rage when the ly the villagers joined forces to raise the boulder up church bells began to peal “I’ll never have another onto a promontory of the cliff. The livestock returned moment of peace when Santa Pirjo is thundering,” to health. Loppi began to fl ourish, and it continues to the devil roared. The church actually bears the name fl ourish today. of Saint Birgitta, but local Loppi residents refer to This legend can tell us about the character of Loppi it as Santa Pirjo. In its rage, the devil picked up a residents today: they have a real community spirit and boulder and tried to smash the bell tower. But the work together to create the elements of a happy life. CCloselose ttoo nnatureature Loppi is located in the Tavastia Lake Highlands, an outstanding natural pearl in the middle of the Tavastia region. You can experience true peace in natural sur- roundings and a genuine outdoor sporting atmosphere just under an hour from Helsinki. Our rugged wilder- ness and crystal-clear lakes provide excellent oppor- tunities for recreation. Loppi offers great outdoor activities. There are marked hiking and canoeing routes, clean natural waterways for swimming and fi shing, and peaceful Finnish for- ests. Clearly marked paths and excellent maps mean you can explore the great outdoors safely. Loppi has a variety of options for dining, overnight accommodation, activities, visitor attractions and shopping. Enjoy our beautiful, clean natural environ- ment, high-quality tourism businesses and convenient services. Visitor attractions 1 Loppi Church The present Loppi Church was built between 1885 and 1887 to a design by architect Constantin Kiseleff. The original church could accommodate a congregation of 1800. The church was damaged in a fi re in 1914, but it was restored and returned to use in 1921. Worship services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. 16 Information: Loppi parish, tel. (019) 426 4100 20 5 2 Loppi Santa Pirjo – the Old Church The patron saint of Loppi’s Old Church is Saint Birgitta, known locally as Santa Pirjo. The Old Church is located in a culturally signifi cant site on Old Church Hill, around 1.5 km from the town of Loppi Kirkonkylä in the direction of Pilpala. The Old Church was used as a place of worship until 1805. It is open to visitors in the summer. Evening devotional service on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. during the summer. The author Sakari Pälsi is buried on the hill. Information: Loppi parish, tel. (019) 426 4100 11 3 The Lukkarin Puustelli homestead museum is located near the Old Church. Information: Loppi-seura society, Tuula Pirinen, tel. 040 330 6035 4 Loppi Parsonage Park Nyynäistentie 35, Jokiniemi, Historic chaplain’s house, 125-year-old gardens with over 160 plant species including fl owers, herbs and medicinal plants. Children’s petting zoo with native Finnish breeds such as endangered kyyttökarja cattle. Information: tel. 050 530 5602 or 050 530 5601 5 Asko Kaikusalo’s “Nature Hut” Asko Kaikusalo’s Nature Hut, opened in the Topeno com- munity hall in the summer of 2006, features a number of objects on display including the largest collection of 10 mousetraps in the Nordic countries, rock and mineral specimens, and marine oddities from coral to a king crab. Free entry. Information: tel. 0400 615 503 6 Forest Research Institute Haapastensyrjä processing station, Haapastensyrjäntie 34, Läyliäinen, Arboretum, exhibition on curly birch trees including prod- ucts and displays of various types of curly birch. Visitors can explore the arboretum on their own. Information: tel. 050 391 2495 7 Hämeen Härkäpiha – Tavastia Cattle Yard Jokiniementie 67, Loppi Tools and other objects used in agriculture and forestry on display. Children’s petting zoo in summer. 33 Information: tel. (019) 440 550 or 0400 476 790 8 Vanhakoski Mill Leppälahdentie 51, Loppi Two-storey mill with three pairs of millstones. Wide-ranging 15 displays of old-time tools and other objects in the mill and neighbouring granary building. Milling demonstrations upon 24 request during the summer months from May onwards. Information: tel. (019) 440 286 or 050 571 3847 12 Sajaniemi Summer Theatre Sajatie 413, Sajaniemi Summer theatre performances every 9 Äijämäki memorial area July at the Sajaniemi Summer Theatre on Taidemäki Hill. In 1916, trenches were dug on Kittilä Hill, also known as Covered seating area in case of rain. Äijämäki, in the village of Joentaka as part of the Russian Information and tickets: 040 754 2886 orinfo@lopenteatteri.fi army’s defence plan. The trenches are now protected by 6 the Finnish National Board of Antiquities. The trenches 13 Villa Vesper Studio are located near the start of the Nyynäistentie Road. Free Villa Vesperintie 11, Sajaniemi entry. You can also book a guide through the Joentaka vil- Paintings, sculptures and portraits by artist Mikael Vesper. lage association. Information: Mikael Vesper, tel. 041 452 8555 Information: Aulikki Kemppi, tel. 040 587 4916 or Marianna Rautiainen, 040 545 4958 14 Home studio of artist Seppo Tamminen Open by arrangement. Address: Santamäentie 88, Santamäki, 10 Marskin Maja Lodge and Sisu outpost in Launonen. The former hunting lodge of Finland’s Marshal Mannerheim Information 040 570 3906 is built of pine logs and stands on the shore of crystal-clear Lake Punelia. Address: Marskintie 216. Nearby is the “Sisu” 15 Vaahteramäki Riding School outpost, opened in 1992. Café, private-hire restaurant Halmelantie 54, Loppi and two saunas on site. Overnight accommodation for 17 Guided riding, trekking, jumping lessons, etc. at the Vaahter- people in the pine-log lodge. amäki Riding School. Information: Teuvo Zetterman, tel. 040 548 0525 or Heikki Information: Jari Nylund, tel. 0400 333 229 or Minna Varis, 040 Kujansuu, tel. 040 527 8087 727 7371 11 Räyskälä airfi eld 16 Kalamylly Summer Café, fi shing Räyskäläntie 311, Räyskälä Tarvontie 1, Topeno One of the world’s largest glider centres. Guided tours Tel. 0400 948 221 or 040 704 6954 on the fi rst Saturday of each month, May – September. In the village of Topeno near Loppi, just off Highway 54. Sum- Departures from in front of the café at 10 a.m.; tours last mer café by the Kaartjoki River rapids, with salmon angling approx. two hours and are done on foot. spot. Smoked fi sh, angling, café, gift shop.