• Get around
• See
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Contact
• Get out

Jyväskylä [1] is a nice little university town in Western Finland. Its population is about 85 000.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Jyväskylä has a small airport which is mostly served by the "Golden Air" Airline. From the airport you can reach the city in about 20 minutes with a Finnair bus (6 Euros) that leaves a few minutes after the arrival of the flight. The same bus goes from the city to the airport 50 minutes (at the train station stop) before the flight leaves.

[edit] By train

Jyväskylä is quite well connected with railroads to the other Finnish cities, and getting in by train is rather effortless. One way Helsinki-Jyväskylä train ticket costs a bit under 50 euros for adults (August 2006).

[edit] By bus

Buses travel between Jyväskylä and other Finnish cities, as well as smaller destinations. When traveling between cities, using trains is typically faster. Express Bus [2] from Jyväskylä to Helsinki airport is about 50Euros. (Autumn 2005)

[edit] Get around

Jyväskylä has rather nice opportunities for getting around by foot or by bicycle, so if you're not in a hurry, you might want to just consider walking everywhere.

Local buses [3] travel between the different parts and suburbs of Jyväskylä. The fares are relatively costly, 2.90 € per trip (the exact amount changes quite often). Night fare (23:00-04:00) is double, 5,80 €, making taxi relatively cheaper option when travelling in groups of three or more. If you need to change buses during one trip, you need to ask for a special receipt that you can show in the next bus (you'll have to get on to the next bus within one hour from buying the ticket). This receipt does not currently cost anything extra, but you still have to ask for it explicitly before you pay for the trip. If you're planning to stay longer and want to use the bus service regularly, you might want to consider buying a bus card, which will be a bit cheaper (much cheaper if you are a student). A 30-day bus card costs 45,50e and it can be used as much as wanted during this 30-day period. No matter which part of Jyväskylä you want to get, there are approximately three buses leaving each hour (daytime).

[edit] See

There is a nature preservation area just a few hundred meters off the city center. The area is located on the bank of the Tourujoki-river. There are also six other recreational 'nature paths' in Jyväskylä.

Exhibitions and art museums: Admission is free for all on Fridays to Jyväskylä Art Museum, Craft Museum of Finland and Museum of Central Finland. Ask for a student discount in the museums and galleries.

Jyväskylä has many buildings by the famous architect Alvar Aalto. These include kaupunginteatteri (the town theater), some buildings in the main campus of the universty and the Alvar Aalto Museum.

Harju A ridge just next to the center of the town has a park on its slopes. Good for picnics and such. Vesilinna (water tower) is a building on top of the ridge that acts as an observation tower, restaurant and a museum of natural science in addition to dispensing water to the town. The building can be seen from many parts of Jyväskylä.

[edit] Do

The city's web site [4] has an event calendar for current and upcoming events.

Ice skating on Lake Jyväsjärvi in the winter once the ice is thick enough.

Skiing and snowboarding (Laajavuori) Laajavuorentie 15, +358 (0)14 624 885 (info@laajavuori.com), [5]. When there is snow. A small ski centre for downhill skiing and snowboarding with an extensive network of crosscountry skiing tracks in the vicinity.

[edit] Swimming and Beaches

Jyväskylä has plenty of lakes and these provide nice opportunities for swimming and general beach activities during the warm summer months. Some of them offer ice swimming during the winter.

• Vuorilampi, Laajavuori, close by to the ski centre. A small pond with usually relatively warm water. Swimming is possible also during the winter.

• Tuomijärvi, north from the centre. Maybe the most popular beach in town and has two beach volleyball fields.

• Alban ranta, next to Hotel Alba and one of the university campuses.

[edit] Buy

You'll definitely want to look for shopping opportunities at the Jyväskylä pedestrian precinct, which is located at the other end of Kauppakatu.

During the summer, the marketplace (Yliopistonkatu 15) is a good place to visit if you want fresh vegetables or fish, flowers or craft items.

There is also a big flea market [6] worth visiting in Jyväskylä.

[edit] Eat

There are many pizzerias offering large pizzas for as cheap as 4-5 €, guaranteed to fill your belly.

• Katrina Restaurant, near the city center. The only vegetarian restaurant in Jyvaskyla. Unfortunately, it is open only for lunch between 11 am and 2 pm.

• Hong Kong City, across the street from Katrina, serves up pretty decent Chinese cuisine every day until 11 p.m.

• Grilli 21, located near the university serves up high quality traditional Finnish street food. Try the Taxari, deep fried french fries and sausages, with your choice of condiments, 4,5 €. Especially tasty after an evening of drinking. Open until 5 a.m. weekends.

• Figaro, a good small restaurant located a bit off from city center (at Asemakatu 4), however it only servers lunch between 10.30 am - 2.00 pm

• Restaurant Pöllöwaari, located at same place where Hotel Yöpuu is (Yliopistonkatu 23, near city center). Serves excellent lunch between 11am - 2pm

[edit] Drink

Nightlife is centered in the downtown part of Kauppakatu and cross streets, also in the uptown part of Kauppakatu, near the University.

Alakaupunki (Downtown) A large number of bars, restaurants and nightclubs is located around the pedestrian district. Cheap places in this area incude Bar Explosive, Bar 68 and Bar Passion. Suggested establishments:

• Kharma, Väinönkatu, can be recognised from a long queue during weekends. A big nightclub located in an old cinema with the normal blend of danceable music and beautiful people. Cover charge €5.
• Giggling Marlin, Väinönkatu, the other club with a long queue during weekends. As a part of a nightclub chain, this venue offers the same blend of danceable music and beautiful people you might have seen in the other SK bars. Cover charge €5.

Yläkaupunki (Uptown) If you prefer a more laid-back night scene than euro-disco hell, walk uphill along Kauppakatu until you are past the church. This is where Yläkaupunki begins. Suggested establishments:

• Vihreä Haltiatar. Located at Kauppakatu 13. A quality establishment with over 100 beers to choose from. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Wireless internet. Awesome jukebox packed with an eclectic collection of old 45s. Closed on sundays and mondays.

• Vakiopaine, Kauppakatu 6 Definitely the coolest spot in town to have a beer, afternoon or evening (happy hour is 9 pm til 11pm every day, .4 liter tap for 2€). Art shows on the walls change every 20 days or so. Live music sometimes. Theater in the cellar. Lots of board games available for play. Wireless internet.

• Ylä-Ruth, just a block further from Vakiopaine. A true Finnish drinking experience, you'll hear the word "Perkele" several times before your first beer is gone!

[edit] Sleep

There are a few hotels in the vicinity of the train station. All the bigger hotel chains (Scandic, Cumulus, Sokos) can also be found from the city.

• Hotel Alba, Ahlmaninkatu 4 (near the University campus), tel. +358-14-636311. A nice, mid-range budget hotel. Half of the rooms face the lake, while the other half face the city.

• Hotel Yöpuu, Yliopistonkatu 23 (near city center, at same place as Restaurant Pöllöwaari), tel. +358-14-333-900. A small, beautiful botiquehotel (but expensive one!).

[edit] Contact

You can find an internet cafe with moderate rates in the city. The address is Puistokatu 1.

[edit] Get out