Iittala – design, arts and culture
The village of Iittala within the Hämeenlinna region is known as the glass manufacturing capital of Finland. It is an excellent centre for Finnish design, handicrafts and arts. Anually more than 100,000 tourists are drawn to the wonders of the Iittala Design Village and here are some reasons why you should visit too.
Iittala can easily be reached by train or car and is a perfect day trip destination. A drive from Hämeenlinna is less than 20 minutes, from Tampere 30 minutes and Helsinki a bit more than an hour. Train connections are available from all the cities mentioned above and more. A train from Hämeenlinna to Iittala is only 15 minutes. Finland’s first themed train station – Iittala Naive Art Train Station – is 700 meters away from the Iittala Design Village.
140 years of Finnish glass and design
The Iittala glass factory is a must-visit. This is where the story of the Iittala brand began in 1881 and still continues. Here all kinds of glass artefacts are still produced to this day. The factory has a free visiting platform where you can view the factory in action and glassblowers at work. Open on weekdays 9 am-8 pm. Free access.
Iittala Glass Museum presents the glass history of Iittala, gorgeous Finnish design pieces, tools for glass blowing and an exhibition of Hackman cutlery and Pro Arte artefacts. This museum in an old barn building is a great experience.
Take a virtual tour in the museum and at the glass factory
After learning about glass from the factory and museum, the next stop is to shop at the Iittala Outlet. They have a wide selection of glass items, tableware and design pieces from the brands Iittala, Fiskars, Hackman and Arabia.
Boutiques
Iittala Village has multiple little shops and boutiques filled with handicrafts (made from ceramics, leather and more!), organic cosmetics, home items and souvenirs. From here you are sure to find delightful items to bring back home!
Iittala Centre of Naive Art
The colourful Iittala Naive Art Exhibition is a lovely visit. The exhibition can be visited during the summer season in an old wooden schoolhouse next to Iittala Village. During the winter season, they offer a variety of art courses, workshops and concerts.
