# Riihimäki

Riihimäki is in Tavastia Proper, about 70 km north of Helsinki. An industrial town of about 29,000 inhabitants (2021), Riihimäki is an important railway junction.

## Understand

Riihimäki isn't an old city, even compared with other Finnish cities. The first railway in the country (at the time a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire) was opened between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna in 1862, and the small station of Riihimäki was built pretty much in the middle of nowhere. A few years later a railway from Lahti and eventually all the way from the imperial capital St. Petersburg was opened, joining the first railway in Riihimäki and thus it became an important railway junction, which it remains today, and a town started to grow around it. In 1960 Riihimäki received city status.
Today Riihimäki is an industrial city, also home to some governmental functions like a garrison and Riihimäki Prison with the highest security level in Finland. The most notable attractions in the city are museums, such as the Glass Museum hosted in the former glass factory of Riihimäen Lasi, and while Riihimäki isn't exactly a prime tourist destination, quite a number of travellers pass through every day.

## Get in
### By train

* 60.73527824.7808331 Riihimäki railway station. Riihimäki is on the Finnish main north–south train line between Helsinki and Tampere and further all the way to Northern Finland. Most trains stop here. In addition, there are some trains from Lahti. Commuter train lines R, T and D come in from Helsinki (about every half hour during daytime), R from Tampere, and G from Lahti (about hourly). Coming from Helsinki airport, take train P to Tikkurila and switch to one of the trains from Helsinki.

### By bus

The railway station doubles as bus station. You can get in by bus from nearby major cities, see Matkahuolto for schedules. As the centre is quite far from the motorway (3 km to the bus station), many of the buses between Helsinki and Tampere don't stop in Riihimäki centre but instead use the highway stop, called Riihimäki liittymä 19.

### By car

Highway 3 (E12) from Helsinki to [[Hämeenlinna], Tampere and Vaasa passes near Riihimäki. E12 continues from Vaasa to Umeå and Norway as the Blue Highway. In the east–west direction there's highway 54 between Lahti and Forssa.

## Get around
### By car

Traffic isn't busy and vacant parking lots are easily found.

### By bus

Riihimäki has 7 local bus lines and a service line. Line #1 goes once an hour, other lines even less frequently. A single bus ticket costs €3.30 for adults and €1.70 for children. There is a route planner for local trips. The Opas.matka.fi$^{[deadlink]}$ route planner has information about regional routes. Matkahuolto's smartphone app Routes and Tickets has address based routing and also a ticket purchase option directly from the app.

### By dial-a-ride

R-kyyti is Riihimäki's dial-a-ride service, which operates according to customers' own routes and schedules.
Order an R-ride with Matkahuolto's Routes & Tickets application or by calling +358 20-614-4400 (ppm, M–F 07:00–17:00).
You can order a ride within the service area and operating time, which is M–F 05:00–23:00, Sa Su 07:00–17:00. You can place an order immediately or in advance. Routes are created based on customer orders. The timetable is announced as a flexible interval so that passengers travelling in the same direction can be combined on the same routes.
In the summer, you can also order a ride to the beaches of Hirvijärvi and Paalijärvi, when you book an arrival at the beach at the following times (departure from the beach must also be ordered during these times):
* M–F 10:00, 13:00, 16:00 and 19:00
* Sa Su 10:00, 13:00 and 16:00

### By foot

As the town is small, pretty much everything is within walking distance – although for the western sights you need to walk 2.5 km and for Lempivaara 4–5 km.

### By bike

There is a bike sharing system using Bluetooth and the Donkey Republic. Prices: about €1.50/1 hr, €4/5 hr, €12/24 hr. For longer stays becoming a member is cheaper: €9 or €18/month covers all trips of less than 1 hr respectively 12 hr, also in other towns using Donkey Republic – but you need to register as member in the country of your card (available: most countries in western Europe and USA). Customer service info@kaakau.fi, ☏ +358 44-716-0644 daily 09:00–21:00. Several towns in south-east Finland use the same system, which is in use also elsewhere in Finland and abroad.

### By scooter

    See also: Finland#By motorised scooter
You can rent electric kick scooters for use in the centre from Finnish Swup.

### By taxi

* Taksi Häme, iTaksi: see Tavastia_Proper#By_taxi
* Lähitaksi, ☏ +358 100 7300 (extra charge: €1.92+€2.5/min+pvm). Traditionally the main taxi dispatch service in the capital region outside of Helsinki. Smartphone app: Taksini Daytime M–Sa €3.90+€1/1.45/km+0.90/min, nights and holidays €7.90+1.05/1.55/km+0.99/min; prebooking €7/14; the lower km and prebooking fees for 1–4 persons. (updated Jul 2020)
* Menevä Riihimäki, ☏ +358 50-471-0470 (head of office), toll-free: 0800-02120 (booking). Also bookable by app or web. Fixed price based on calculated route and time if destination address given when booking by app or web. Flag fall M–Sa 06:00–18:00: €4, other times and holidays: €7; 1–4 persons €0.90/km + €0.90/min, 5–8 persons minimum €20, €1.60/km + €0.90/min (March 2021). (updated Mar 2021)
* Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi

## See

* 60.731124.736821 Suomen Metsästysmuseo, Tehtaankatu 23, ☏ +358 19 722 294, info@metsastysmuseo.fi. Tu-Su 10:00-16:00. Hunting Museum of Finland. €6 adults, €3 kids.
* 60.7322324.736642 Suomen lasimuseo, Tehtaankatu 23, ☏ +358 19 758 4108, glass.museum@riihimaki.fi. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. Glass Museum of Finland, housed in an old glass factory. €6 adults, €3 kids.
* 60.736524.76793 Riihimäen taidemuseo, Temppelikatu 8, ☏ +358 19 758 4124, taidemuseo@riihimaki.fi. Tu-Th 11:00–18:00, F-Su 11:00–17:00. Riihimäki Art Museum. €5 adults, €2.5 kids.
* 60.736224.7764 Riihimäen kaupunginmuseo, Öllerinkatu 3, ☏ +358 19 758 4116, kaupunginmuseo@riihimaki.fi. W Su 12:00-18:00. Riihimäki city museum. free.
* 60.738924.78575 Valtakunnallinen työväentalomuseo, Hj. Elomaankatu, info@tyovaentalomuseo.fi. May-Sep: Su 12:00-16:00. National Worker's House Museum. free.
* 60.722224.73166 Finland's highest flagpole (Suomen korkein lippusalko), Merkoksenkatu 5. 40 m high, this is one of Finland's tallest flagpoles.

## Do

* 60.743724.77081 Kansainväliset erämessut (International Outdoors Fair), Urheilupuisto, info@riihimaenmessut.fi. Biannually in even-numbered years, in June.
* 60.742124.76932 Riihimäen maauimala/uimahalli, Salpausseläntie 16, ☏ +358 19 758-4730, uimala.kassa@riihimaki.fi. M W-F 06:00 – 20:00, Tu 13:00 – 20:00, Sa Su 10:00 – 17:00. Swimming hall open during the winter. During the summer the indoor hall is closed, and the outdoor pool is open. adults M–F 06:00–14:00 €3.50, other times €5.50, kids always €3.

## Buy

* 60.732624.77961 $^{[deadlink]}$ Kauppakeskus Atomi, Etelän Viertotie 2. M-Sa 08:00-21:00, Su 10:00-21:00.
* 60.722624.73462 Merkos shopping area, Merkoksenkatu 5. Several big stores next to each other, including Citymarket, Gigantti and Biltema.
* 60.73330824.7756933 Femmatori, Etelän Viertotie 1, ☏ +358 50 4306 510. Large flea market. (updated Jun 2021)

## Eat

* Hesburger. M-Sa 10:00-21:00, Su 12:00-21:00. The national hamburger chain has restaurants in Merkos, the Atomi mall and the ABC service station. €5-10.
* 60.733624.77921 Subway, Etelän viertotie 2, ☏ +358 10-820-0420. M–F 09:00–21:00, Sa 10:00–20:00, Su 12:00–19:00. €5-10.
* 60.7353124.780862 Ravintola AsemaX, Asema-aukio, ☏ +358 19 449-333, asemax@asemax.fi. M–F 09:00–22:00, Sa 10:00–23:00, Su:00 12-20:00. Restaurant at the railway station. €10-30, buffet at lunchtime €10.20.

## Drink
### Cafés

* 60.7355524.768841 Feeniks Café, Hämeenkatu 25-27, tiina.numento@hotmail.com. M–F 11:00–19:00, Sa 11:00–16:00.
* 60.73124.76172 Café Kotileipomo Laine, Kaarlonkatu 18, ☏ +358 10 4703 746, toimisto@kotileipomolaine.fi. M-F 08:00-17:00.

### Bars and pubs

* 60.733624.78153 Bulldog Bar, Eteläinen asemakatu 2, ☏ +358 50-517-7002. Su M 11:00–23:00, Tu–Th 11:00-00:00, F Sa 11:00–02:00.
* 60.738924.77474 Riihimäen Poolbar, Eteläinen asemakatu 2, ☏ +358 440-766-527, info@poolbar.fi. M 16:00–22:00, Tu–Th 16:00–00:00, F 16:00–02:00, Sa 14:00–02:00, Su 14:00–22:00. Pool bar, that has pool equipment for sale as well.

### Nightclubs
## Sleep
### Budget

* 60.753124.83721 Matkailukeskus Lempivaara, Karhintie 196, ☏ +358 19 719-200, info@lempivaara.fi. Camping area with cottages, as well as places for tents and campervans. The smallest (and cheapest) cottages are closed in the winter.

### Mid-range

* 60.7352424.767972 Scandic Riihimäki, Hämeenaukio 1, ☏ +358 19 7721.
* 60.739624.77513 Hotel Seurahuone, Hämeenkatu 29, ☏ +358 19 716-270, myynti@seurahuone.fi.

### Splurge
## Stay healthy

* 60.743224.77631 Riihimäen terveysasema, Penttilänkatu 5. Emergency room.

### Pharmacies

* 60.737924.772052 Aarre Apteekki, Hämeenkatu 24-26, ☏ +358 293 400 540. M-F 08:00–19:00, Sa 09:30–17:00, Su 11:00–15:00.
* 60.722624.73513 Apteekki Merkos, Merkoksenkatu 5, ☏ +358 10 321 4950, info@apteekkimerkos.fi. M-F 08:00-20:00, Sa 08:00-17:00, Su 11:00-18:00.
* 60.732124.77894 Aurinko Apteekki, Voimalankatu 2, ☏ +358 19 5363 600, aurinko@apteekit.net. M-F 08:00-21:00, Sa 09:00-17:00, Su 10:00-18:00.

## Stay safe

* 60.7365824.767355 Riihimäen poliisiasema, Temppelikatu 8, ☏ +358 295 430 311. M–F 08:00–16:15. Police station.

## Go next

* Forssa
* Helsinki
* Hyvinkää
* Hämeenlinna
* Lahti
* Tampere