The good news for the Lohja700 anniversary year started in December, when the Suurseutu
Cooperative and Wasa Group announced they were planning a large hotel as a much-
requested addition to the city centre of Lohja. This is great news, especially for tourism in Lohja,
which has been seeing significant growth recently.
Additionally, Helen Oy is planning a ten-megawatt solar farm in Lohja’s Jönsböle, which may be
the largest in Finland at the time of its completion. There is plenty of traffic in the area, because
Hyperco Oy is also planning to build a giant data centre a little over one kilometre from the solar
farm.
Lohja’s reputation as Finland’s leading solar city is also supported by the fact that the Kisakallio
Sports Institute’s ice hall is already operating primarily on solar power. In June, Lohja took a big
step on the path towards a circular economy when Gasum opened a power plant in the city that
makes biogas for industrial and traffic purposes from the city’s wastewater, biowaste and waste
sludge.
“It’s great to start the 700th anniversary year with such good news. It’s also a great joy and
honour to spend the anniversary year in a city that everyone enjoys, whether it’s our residents,
companies, holiday residents or tourists,” says Mayor Pasi Perämäki.
Lohja’s business life is full of life at the start of the anniversary year. Over 250 new companies
were established in Lohja last year. Lohja’s 4,500 companies enjoy a fantastic location, a
business-friendly spirit and a diverse structural system for business life. Lohja is a hub of the
forest, metal, plastic and electronics industries, as well as a future home for bioeconomy and
the experience industry.
“A city full of life, excellent logistics and our existing networks make for a great foundation for
successful business activities in Lohja,” says Pekka Puistosalo, Director of Urban Development.
For vacationers and visitors, the lake city of Lohja is an urban window to Finland, the land of a
thousand lakes. Tourism in Lohja has recently been seeing significant growth. In 2021, 600,000
people visited Lohja, and many of them also visited the Housing Fair, organised for the first time
in Lohja in the beautiful Hiidensalmi area. Lohja’s direct tourism income grew as much as 88 per
cent compared to 2018, and the direct employment effect of tourism grew by 47 per cent.
“Our goal is to be one of the most popular southern travel destinations in Finland. We want to
be a local holiday destination that is full of experiences, sustainable for residents and visitors
alike, as well as a window into the Finnish way of enjoying life and the four Finnish seasons for
those travelling from further away,” says Jannika Joutsenniemi, Lohja’s Head of Tourism &
Experience.
Lohja’s crown jewel is Lohjanjärvi, the largest lake in Uusimaa, a stone’s throw from the cafés,
restaurants, museum and concerts. The city also offers unique experiences, such as the Tytyri
Mine Experience a hundred metres below the surface, and the Kisakallio Sports Institute.
The 700-year-old Lohja is a lake city for people who enjoy life, a metropolitan area close to the
countryside. Nearly 50,000 residents are enjoying life in Lohja, and over 10,000 holiday
residents are doing the same at over 8,000 cabins. They have the space to live close to nature,
hobbies, schools and work.
Lohja’s journey to its 700th anniversary is celebrated throughout the year with events such as
concerts and other experiences, competitions and Lohja700 merchandise. The main celebration
on 10–13 August will host a number of star musicians from Lohja, including Sanni and Elias
Kaskinen.
To celebrate its anniversary, the city is also launching the mylohja.fi website, where residents,
vacationers, entrepreneurs and visitors can discover at least 700 reasons to fall in love with
Lohja during its anniversary year.
