Hejj
nice to have you here
Today we are welcomed to the beautiful lakeside city of Lohja, Finland.
I believe it’s the first time we are visiting.
It seems like the weather gods are having a windy conversation above us.
Therefore i apologize for the noticeable wind noise, however i did my best to block it.
Aside from the noise, a gusty day like this also adds to the atmosphere.
Leaves sing and the waves on the lake dance with the wind.

Like many cities in Finland, Lohja has also been the subject of new residential areas.
Before we get into that, i want to share more information about Lohja.
Lohja is an hour’s drive from Helsinki.
With a population of ~46,000, it is the 24th largest in Finland.
Officially bilingual, but most speak Finnish as their native language.
As of June 2018, there were 8,468 summer cottages in Lohja, making it the 4th most in Finland.
Lohja is also called “Lake City”, located on the shores of ‘Lohjanjärvi’, the largest lake in the Uusimaa region.
The oldest building is the medieval church of St. Lawrence, built in the 15th century.
Which we will visit another time, maybe in winter?
It’s the third largest of its kind and is surpassed only by the Turku Cathedral and Naantali Abbey.
Lohja received city rights in 1969, but in 2023 it will celebrate its 700th anniversary.
The establishment of the Lohja parish dates back to the year 1323.

As i mentioned, many new neighborhoods are being introduced in cities all over Finland.
This phenomenon is called the ‘Asuntomessut’ or Housing Fair.
It is an annual event focused on housing and decoration.
The aim is to improve the quality of housing in Finland.
The events are held in different locations every year.
The first Housing Fair in Finland dates back to 1970 in the city of Tuusula.
During the fair, visitors can walk around and enter the homes.
It is possible to buy your own accommodation or be inspired by the unique designs.
Lohja was chosen to hold a Housing Fair in 2021.
Plans were made to build accommodations on the shores of Lohjanjärvi in ‘Hiidensalmi”.
What was an important industrial area in the 20th century.
Has now been transformed into a beautiful modern scenic residential area.
Any area or city with a body of water makes for a beautiful location.
In Finland there is water everywhere, with beautiful lakes like the one we have here.
With more such Housing Fairs, Finland is on track to become a little paradise in the north.
The broken construction on the shore is what is left of the industrial era at this location.
It is part of a sawmill that operated from the 1920s until 1967.

Thank you for joining
Enjoy a pleasant (but windy) walk and hopefully see you in the next scene.
Together we learn, explore and walk through the scenes.