Lohja

Lohja (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈlohjɑ]; Swedish: Lojo) is a town in Finland, located in the southern interior of the country. Lohja is situated in the western part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Lohja is approximately 46,000. It is the 25th most populous municipality in Finland. Lohja is part of the Helsinki sub-region, but not directly part of the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Lohja covers an area of 1,109.73 square kilometres (428.47 sq mi) of which 91.78 km² (35.44 sq mi), or 8.3 percent, is water. The population density of Lohja is 48.55 inhabitants per square kilometre (125.7/sq mi).

Lohja has the fourth most summer cottages of any municipality in Finland, with 8,468 in the city as of June 2018. Lohja is close to the Helsinki metropolitan area and benefits from a good road network. It takes less than an hour to drive from Helsinki to Lohja on the E18 motorway, which, along with Hangonväylä, is one of Lohja's main road connections.

Lohja is a bilingual municipality with Finnish and Swedish as its official languages. The population consists of 90% Finnish speakers, 3% Swedish speakers, and 6% speakers of other languages. City's bilingual slogan is: Järvikaupunki – Insjöstaden which translates to "Lake city".

The landscape of Lohja is characterized by manors and gardens. Its area is divided by the Lohja ridge, which forms a watershed for the largest lake system in Uusimaa, Lake Lohja (Lohjanjärvi); mostly that's why Lohja is also referred to as "Lake City" (järvikaupunki). The medieval Church of St. Lawrence is the architectural highlight of downtown Lohja, which also includes a heterogeneous mix of buildings mostly dating from the 1960s onwards. The Lohja library, which was opened in 2005, is a distinctly modern building placed in the very centre of the city.

Lohja has been a focal point for the population and economy of western Uusimaa since the early 14th century. It was renowned as a trading centre in the Middle Ages. The local inhabitants were among the pioneers of the Finnish mining and construction material industries. Lohja has long-established traditions in horticulture and especially in market gardening. These traditions are represented by the symbols of present-day Lohja: limestone and an apple.

Politics

Local

Pasi Perämäki is the city manager of Lohja. The city manager oversees the city committee. In addition to the city committee, Lohja has a 51-seat municipal council. The parties represented in the council as well as their seat counts are listed below.

National

2015 parliamentary election

Culture

Lohja is famed for its cultural events. More than a hundred different events are arranged in the city each year by its residents and organizations. The most notable are the Lohja Summer Cultural Festival, the Apple Carnival organized by representatives of business and commerce, the retailers' Hurlumhei Carnival and the Old Time Christmas market continue the tradition of fairs dating back to the Middle Ages.

The Doom Metal band Reverend Bizarre hails from Lohja.

Elias Lönnrot, who wrote the Kalevala, was both born and died in Sammatti, which has been part of Lohja since 2009.

Sights

Museums

• Lohja Museum

• Paikkari Croft, the home of Elias Lönnrot
• Johannes Lohilampi museum
• Tytyri Mine Museum
• Kaarre Military Museum
• Kovela Agricultural Museum
• Hyrsylän Mutka, the home of dancer Aira Samulin
• Nummi Local History Museum
• Pusula Local History Museum

Churches

• The medieval St. Lawrence's Church
• Karjalohja Church
• Kärkölä Village Church
• Nummi Church
• Pusula Church
• Sammatti Church

Other places of interest

• Surroundings of Lake Lohjanjärvi
• Alitalo vineyard
• Paavola Oak and nature trail
• Karkali Nature Park
• Lohja Theatre
• Liessaari Nature Trail
• Torhola Cave

Manor Houses

• Ojamo Manor
• Kirkniemi Manor
• Kyrkstad Manor
• Laakspohja Manor

Sports

Lohjan Pallo is the football team of the city. Lohja also has an ice hockey team called Lohjan Jääankat.

Kisakallio Sports Institute is located in Lohja. Other important sports venues in the town are Neidonkeidas Indoor Swimming Pool and Lohja Spa Resort in Karjalohja.

Municipal consolidations

The municipality of Lohja was consolidated with the city of Lohja in 1997, and the municipality of Sammatti in 2009. The municipalities of Karjalohja and Nummi-Pusula were consolidated with Lohja in 2013.

Local subdivisions

A significant part of the city of Lohja is not yet part of any district, since after the 1997 municipal association with the former rural municipality of Lohja.

Neighborhoods

The official city districts within the city proper of the municipality of Lohja are:

• Ahtsalmi, Anttila, Gruotila, Gunnarla, Hiidensalmi, Immula, Keskilohja, Kirkniemi (Swedish: Gerknäs), Kukkumäki (formerly Luttula, Swedish: Jönsböle), Kirkonkylä (Swedish: Kyrkstad), Lempola, Maksjoki, Metsola, Moisio, Muijala, Myllylampi, Neitsytlinna, Ojamo, Ojamonkangas, Paloniemi (Swedish: Fagernäs), Pappila (Swedish: Prästgården), Pappilankorpi, Perttilä (Swedish: Bertbacka), Pitkäniemi, Routio (Swedish: Routiobacka), Röylä, Sammatti, Vappula (Swedish: Vabby), Ventelä (Swedish: Vendelä), Vienola and Virkkala (Swedish: Virkby).

Villages

The villages and hamlets of the municipality of Lohja are:

Lohja rural

• Ahtiala, Askola, Hermala, Hietainen, Hiittinen, Hongisto, Iso-Teutari (Swedish: Stortötar), Jalassaari, Jantoniemi, Kaijola, Karjalohjan Ahtiala, Karjalohjan Pappila, Karkalniemi, Karnainen, Kittilä (Swedish: Kittfall), Koikkala, Kokkila, Korkenoja, Koski, Kouvola, Kunnarla (Swedish: Gunnars), Kutsila, Laakspohja (Swedish: Laxpojo), Lehmijärvi, Lieviö (Swedish: Skräddarskog), Lohjankylä, Lylyinen, Maksjoki, Mynterlä* (Swedish: Mynderlä), Niemi, Nummenkylä, Näätälä (Swedish: Mårbacka), Osuniemi (Swedish: Orsnäs), Outamo, Paavola, Paksalo, Pauni, Pietilä, Piispala (Swedish: Biskopsnäs), Pulli, Seräjärvi, Skraatila, Suittila, Särkijärvi, Talpela, Torhola, Vaanila, Valla, Vanhakylä, Varola, Vasarla, Veijola (Swedish: Vejby), Virkkala (Sardinian: Virkby), Vohloinen, Vähä-Teutari (Swedish: Lilltötar) and Yli-Immola.

Sammatti

• Haarijärvi (Haarjärvi), Karstu, Kaukola, Kiikala, Leikkilä, Lohilampi, Luskala, Myllykylä, Niemenkylä and Sammatti

Karjalohja

• Härjänvatsa, Ilmoniemi, Immola, Karkali, Kattelus, Kourjoki, Kuusia, Kärkelä, Lohjantaipale, Lönnhammar (Linhamari), Maila, Makkarjoki, Murto, Mustlahti, Nummijärvi, Pappila, Pellonkylä, Pipola, Pitkälahti (Långvik), Puujärvi, Pyöli, Saarenpää, Sakkola, Suurniemi, Särkjärvi, Tallaa and Tammisto

Nummi

• Haarla, Hakula, Heijala, Heimola, Huhti, Hyrsylä, Hyvelä, Immola, Jakova, Järvenpää, Jättölä, Korkianoja, Kovela, Leppäkorpi, Luttula, Maikkala, Maskila, Mettula, Miemola, Millola, Mommola, Mäntsälä, Nummi Church Village, Näkkilä, Oinola, Oittila, Pakkala, Pälölä, Raatti, Remala, Retlahti, Röhkölä, Salo, Saukkola, Sierla, Sitarla, Tavola, Varttila and Vivola

Pusula

• Ahonpää, Hattula, Hauhula, Herrala, Hirvijoki, Hyrkkölä, Hyönölä, Ikkala, Karisjärvi, Kaukela, Koisjärvi, Kärkölä, Marttila, Mäkkylä, Pusula, Radus, Seppälä, Suomela, Uusikylä, Viiala and Vörlö

Twin towns

Lohja is twinned with:

• Växjö, Sweden
• Ringerike, Norway
• Aabenraa, Denmark
• Skagaströnd, Iceland
• Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary

See also

Districts of Lohja

• Saukkola
• Virkkala

Neighbourhooding municipalities

• Ingå
• Siuntio
• Vihti

References

External links

• Media related to Lohja at Wikimedia Commons
• Town of Lohja – Official site (in Finnish and Swedish)
• Visit Lohja