Järvenpää - Gheos Worldguide

Järvenpää (Träskända)

Järvenpää is first mentioned in historic documents by its Swedish name of Treskendaby in 1540. It was later referred to by its Finnish name of Jerffuepä and Järuenpää. By the 1850s, Järvenpää was the most populous town in the region with about 450 inhabitants.

The railroad arrived in 1862 and the town started growing at a faster rate.

By 2025, Järuenpää had about 47,000 inhabitants and it is a growing center in the larger Helsinki Region.

Järvenpää is a vigorous commercial and industrial city specializing in high technology-oriented metal industry. The city is home to a number of internationally successful companies, such as Metso Paper and Rocla.

Järvenpää is to a great extent a garden city and offers excellent recreational and leisure time opportunities.

Points of interest

At the end of the 19th century, a unique community of artists flourished on the shores of Lake Tuusulanjärvi. The community was known as Ahola and it was led by the nationally famous author Juhani Aho and his painter wife Venny Soldan-Brofeldt. Along with Jean Sibelius, this influential group included the poets J.H. Erkko and Eino Leino as well as painters Eero Järnefelt and Pekka Halonen. Ahola is open to the public.
Järvenpää is best known as the home town of the master composer Jean Sibelius. Sibelius built his log villa Ainola to be 'sufficiently far from the temptations of Helsinki'. He and his family lived at Ainola for more than fifty years. The spirit of Jean Sibelius is very much alive at Ainola, which has been converted into a museum, to preserve a home-like atmosphere. Ainola is open to public from May to the end of September.
Järvenpää has developed into a richly diversified city with its own strong cultural traditions. Järvenpää's Culture Trail links Sibelius' Ainola with Juhani Aho's Ahola. Paintings produced by some of the most important members of the golden era of Finnish art, such as Eero Järnefelt and Venny Soldan-Brofeldt, are permanently displayed at the Järvenpää Art Gallery.
Järvenpää Hall is the cultural centre of the city. It has become one of the most popular concert venues in the Helsinki Region. Järvenpää Hall serves also as a high quality conference center.
Järvenpään Rautatieasema (Järvenpää Railway Station) opened in 1862, but the building had already be completed 4 years earlier. It is a stop on the Helsinki-Riihimäki railway line, which is the oldest railway line in Finland. In 1999, the entire building was move about 25 m (82 ft) further from the tracks.
The Järvenpää Tourist Center is housed in the old manor house of Vanhankylänniemi, a recreational and leisure time center by the Tuusulanjärvi (Tuusula Lake).
The Vanhankylänniemen Tuulimylly is a wooden windmill that was constructed in 1850. It was renovated and relocated to its current location in the grounds of Villa Kokkonen in 1985.
Villa Kokkonen was designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto for his friend and composer Joonas Kokkonen. The building was completed in 1969. Villa Kokkonen is located in the Vanhankylänniemi area, close to Lake Tuusula. The villa can be visited, but there is a hefty entrance fee. The Vanhankylänniemen windmill is located in its grounds.
The Lakeside Blues Festival pulses with life. It has become Europe's largest blues event. The many blues enthusiasts visiting Vanhankylänniemi each year add their own color to the Järvenpää summer.
The annual Sibelius Festival is held during the first two weeks of October and has gained international recognition.

There are several hotels and many restaurants in Järvenpää. The city is located at the northern end of Tuusulanjärvi, about 37 km (23 mi) north from central Helsinki. It has excellent road and rail connections with the rest of Finland.

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