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Aulanko Nature Reserve is one of Finland's two most visited natural areas in the Kanta-Häme region. The main feature of the reserve is the rocky Aulangonvuori (154 m / 505 ft) hill with the observation tower, which overlooks the picturesque Aulangonjärvi Lake. The area is part of the larger Vanajavesi Lake and its vast valley, one of the foremost Finnish national landscapes. In total, there are 3 named mountains in Aulanko Nature Reserve. Kilometrimäki (155 m / 508 ft) is the highest and most prominent mountain.
The original name of Aulanko Nature Reserve in Finnish is Aulangon luonnonsuojelualue. In Swedish, the second official language in the country, the name is Aulanko naturskyddsområde. It is important to distinguish the reserve from Oulanka National Park, named after the river flowing in southeastern Lapland.
Aulanko Nature Reserve is in the Kanta-Häme, also known as Tavastia Proper, in Southern Finland. Tavastia is one of the six historical provinces of the country, which also includes the neighboring Päijät-Häme region and a large part of the Central Finland region.
The reserve is also firmly associated with Hämeenlinna, as it is within the city's borders. The city, in turn, is widely known in Finland and beyond, thanks to Häme Castle or Tavastia Castle. It is one of the two main medieval castles in the country, along with Olavinlinna Castle (St. Olaf's Castle) in the town of Savonlinna in Southern Savonia. Both sites are part of the National Museum of Finland.
In addition to Häme Castle, on the reserve's territory, there is Aulanko Castle (Aulangonlinna) of the same name, which is also well preserved.
However, the main feature of the reserve's landscape is Aulangonjärvi Lake. The lake is part of the vast valley of the larger Vanajavesi Lake to the north of it. It is included in the list of 27 national landscapes of Finland, created in 2017 for the 100th anniversary of the country's independence from Russia and Sweden.
Notably, the reserve hosts a rare old-growth cedar forest (Tuijametsä, where thuja is cedar). However, the reserve also includes an English-style park with bridges, statues of people and animals, pavilions for recreation, and other objects. Over 400,000 Finnish and foreign tourists visit the reserve annually, which makes it one of the two most popular natural areas, on par with Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park in Lapland.
There are three ways to see the reserve.
1. Walk or ride a bicycle along one of the marked trails.
2. Climb the massive granite Aulangonvuori Observation Tower (Aulangon näkötorni), 33 m (108 ft) high, built in the early 1900s.
3. Take Lady Moon Cruises at Vanajavesi Lake to get a view from the side.
Aulanko Nature Reserve is part of the larger Hämeenlinna National Urban Park, the first (2011) of more than ten such parks. They also exist in Turku, Porvoo, Pori, Forssa, Hanko, Kuopio, and Heinola and are planned in Kokkola, Rovaniemi, Savonlinna, Tampere, and Helsinki. So walking through these cities, remember that you are also walking through the parks.
Hundred-year-old northern white cedars (thuja occidentalis) and western redcedars (thuja plicata) grow in the park. Aulanko Nature Reserve also hosts spruces, pines, firs, and almost all kinds of deciduous trees and different shrubs—a total of over 140 species, some of which were planted specially and are not native to the territory. For example, curly birch and mountain ash are introduced species.
Among animals, the most common are birds. It is relatively easy to see and hear woodpeckers, owls, and black-throated divers living in the surrounding lakes' waters. Of course, there is plenty of fish in the lakes, as elsewhere in Finland, in case you decide to fish for sport. Fishing is allowed on Aulangonjärvi and Vanajavesi but prohibited in the reserve's several ponds. The larger animals are squirrels, hares, and deer, but they are much harder to spot.
Aulangonvuori (154 m / 505 ft) hill with the observation tower is the central mountain of the reserve, which has been inhabited since the Iron Age. From lake level, the hill rises to 70 m (229 ft). In addition to this, there are also two other hills: Kilometrimäki (155 / 508 ft) and Molkkarinmäki (141 m / 462 ft), which you can also climb on marked trails.
All three peaks belong to Salpausselkä III (Bar Ridge), a series of unique terminal moraine formations "laid down by ancient meltwater streams at the end of the Ice Age," which stretches across the whole of Southern Finland. The number in its name indicates that it is one of the three main ridges of the system, the northern edge of which touches the town of Hämeenlinna. The entire system is also a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Visitors can explore Aulanko Nature Reserve on marked hiking and mountain biking trails. In particular, a 1 km (0.6 mi) long nature trail around Joutsenlampi Pond is in its center. In addition, the park is covered by many small individual paths - combine them to build your route. A 7 km (4.3 mi) trail is also around Aulangonjärvi Lake. Mountain bikers can circumnavigate the reserve on a 6 km (3.7 mi) trail.
In winter Aulanko Nature Reserve and its surroundings are great places for cross-country skiing. Two trails of 4.5 km (2.7 mi) and 6.5 km (4 mi) run directly through the reserve. The longer 10 km (6.2 mi) trail runs around Aulangonjärvi Lake. The lake (5 km / 3.1 mi) also offers a perfect canvas after freezing.
For Alpine skiing, the nearest ski resorts to Hämeenlinna are Kalpalinna (3.6 km / 2.2 mi of slopes and four ski lifts) to the south, Sappee (5 km / 3.1 mi of slopes and six ski lifts) to the west, Messilä (5.7 km / 3.5 mi of slopes and nine ski lifts) to the east and Himos (12.4 km / 7.7 mi of slopes and 16 ski lifts) to the north.
Check the Finland ski resorts map in the World Mountain Lifts section of the site. It includes information about open ski lifts/slopes near Hämeenlinna in real-time with opening dates and hours. There are also year-round cable cars, funiculars, cog railways, aerial tramways, and all other types of mountain lifts.
Before or after hiking in Aulanko Nature Reserve, visit the official Hämeenlinna tourist office for more information:
Hämeenlinna Tourist Information
Wetterhoffinkatu 2, 13100 Hämeenlinna, Finland
+358 3 6213370
Visitors cannot stay overnight in the reserve, so you must find lodging in the surrounding area (Hämeenlinna). However, suppose you still want to be in nature - the chain Kylpylähotelli Scandic Aulanko Hotel is only a few meters from its western borders next to Aulanko Castel. If chain hotels are not your choice and you prefer something authentic, check out Matin ja Maijan Majatalo B&B in the Hämeenlinna center or Myllytalon majoitus, a farm east of the city.
Hämeenlinna is a relatively small city with over 67,000 inhabitants. In addition to Häme Castle, its main attractions are Market Square, Hämeenlinna Church, Häme County Government House, Hämeenlinna Lyceum, and Häme University of Applied Sciences. If you come to the city by train, you’ll visit the fantastic Hämeenlinna Railway Station one way or another. Be sure to walk by Sibelius House, the birthplace of Finland’s most famous composer, Jean Sibelius, author of the national anthem.
Explore Aulanko Nature Reserve with the PeakVisor 3D Map and identify its summits.
