Haapamäki

Haapamäki can be explored from two different perspectives: its railway history tells the story of life in a railway community and of Finland’s development, while the nature trail leads through changing forest landscapes. For your stay, you can decide how much to focus on culture and an excursion into nature, according to what matters most to you.

A place with railway history

The virtual exhibition “Haapamäki, Rautatiekylä keskellä Suomea” (Haapamäki, a railway village in the heart of Finland) presents life in the Haapamäki railway community. It also covers the more than 100-year history of Haapamäki station in the context of the development of Finnish society. The station area is a typical example of a settlement that developed along Finland’s nationwide railway network. Anyone interested in local history will find several perspectives here: community life, the development of the station, and the emergence of a railway settlement within the railway network.

The station’s architecture is also part of this historical picture. Haapamäki station is among the first National Romantic station buildings designed by Granholm. Haapamäki Church offers a different cultural note: it is one of Finland’s first multi-purpose churches. Haapamäen Suoja, a Civil Guard hall, was completed in 1939. These different buildings and their historical context provide tangible points of reference for local history, without reducing Haapamäki to its railway past.

Local traditions include the Pro-Haapamäki Days, a traditional annual event weekend. Alongside the historic buildings and the virtual exhibition, this recurring event format also offers a way to engage with local history. If you want to focus your trip mainly on culture, these themes provide a different emphasis from the nature route.

Forest landscapes along the nature trail

The Haaramäen luontopolku (Haaramäki Nature Trail) passes through spruce forests with varying levels of moisture, along a stream, and through an old, rocky pine forest. The changing forest types and the stream shape the trail’s described sections, while the old, rocky pine forest adds its own distinctive landscape feature. The route is 2.5 kilometres long.

The starting point is at the Haapamäki Steam Locomotive Park car park on Veturipuistotie. For planning purposes, it is also important to note that the Steam Locomotive Park ceased operations and, following the closure announcement, was permanently closed on 30 April 2025. The information about the nature trail’s starting point describes its location; it does not mean that the closed park is available as a visitor attraction.

A cycling route offering another perspective on Haapamäki

The “Hiekkakiskoilla Haapamäelle” (To Haapamäki on the Sand Tracks) route passes through Haapamäki to the Steam Locomotive Park. Starting at Hotel Keurusselkä, it is 31 kilometres long. This distance offers a different perspective on Haapamäki from the 2.5-kilometre nature trail: the cycling route includes the town as part of a longer journey, while the nature trail has its own shorter route. Since the Steam Locomotive Park is permanently closed, you should not plan to visit it as an open attraction.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Haapamäki, you can first consider which of these aspects you want to shape your stay: the station’s history and its architectural examples, the forest landscape of the nature trail, or a cycling route that passes through the town. Families who enjoy including different themes in their trip can consider these interests side by side when planning, without needing to give every activity the same emphasis.

Discover more places

If you’d like to expand your search to other places, you can also find Keuruu, Oulunsalo, Jämsänkoski, Muurame, Kannonkoski, Multia, Äänekoski and Pylkönmäki here.

For the broader travel overview: Central Finland.