My favourite places in Vaasa

Johanna
My favourite places in Vaasa

Shopping

Rewell Center is a shopping center next to the Market Square, you will find a good selection of clothing shops, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa -bookstore and the best sushi In Vaasa (Magokoro) on the second floor. On selected nights, there are also concerts by popular artists. Open Monday to Saturday 8.00 - 21.00, Sundays and Public Holidays 10.00 - 21.00. Many of shops close earlier and during Chrismas, Midsummer and other holidays, there are changes to the opening times.
15 preporuka/e lokalaca
Kauppakeskus Rewell
2 Ylätori
15 preporuka/e lokalaca
Rewell Center is a shopping center next to the Market Square, you will find a good selection of clothing shops, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa -bookstore and the best sushi In Vaasa (Magokoro) on the second floor. On selected nights, there are also concerts by popular artists. Open Monday to Saturday 8.00 - 21.00, Sundays and Public Holidays 10.00 - 21.00. Many of shops close earlier and during Chrismas, Midsummer and other holidays, there are changes to the opening times.

Food scene

some of the restaurants I enjoy in Vaasa - purely personal and not objective recommendations
Excellent sushi on the second floor of Rewell Center. Founders are Japanese girls who came to Vaasa to study, and then decided to stay and start a restaurant. My favourite is the "Firecracker". Closed Sundays.
9 preporuka/e lokalaca
Magokoro
2 Ylätori
9 preporuka/e lokalaca
Excellent sushi on the second floor of Rewell Center. Founders are Japanese girls who came to Vaasa to study, and then decided to stay and start a restaurant. My favourite is the "Firecracker". Closed Sundays.
Napoletanian pizza-chef will make you excellent pizza, run by an Italian-Finnish couple. Best pizza this side of Suomenlahti. Try the pizza bianco also (no tomato sauce). My favourite is "Regina Margherita". Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
7 preporuka/e lokalaca
Pizzabistro Marco Polo
11 Hovioikeudenpuistikko
7 preporuka/e lokalaca
Napoletanian pizza-chef will make you excellent pizza, run by an Italian-Finnish couple. Best pizza this side of Suomenlahti. Try the pizza bianco also (no tomato sauce). My favourite is "Regina Margherita". Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Excellent pizza, traditional pizzeria in Vaasa. You will not go hungry!
Pizzeria O Sole Mio
34 Pitkäkatu
Excellent pizza, traditional pizzeria in Vaasa. You will not go hungry!
Great seaside restaurant, normally open from late April to late December. Nice terrace in the summer time. Old world charm.
20 preporuka/e lokalaca
Strampen
7b Rantakatu
20 preporuka/e lokalaca
Great seaside restaurant, normally open from late April to late December. Nice terrace in the summer time. Old world charm.
Reputedly the best (and maybe the most expensive) restaurant in Vaasa. When you want to splash out in style. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
6 preporuka/e lokalaca
Gustav Wasa Restaurant
24 Raastuvankatu
6 preporuka/e lokalaca
Reputedly the best (and maybe the most expensive) restaurant in Vaasa. When you want to splash out in style. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Great food from local ingredients, very good price on lunchtime, slightly more pricey á la carte list in the evenings. Closed on Mondays
16 preporuka/e lokalaca
Restaurant Hejm
1 B Sininen tie
16 preporuka/e lokalaca
Great food from local ingredients, very good price on lunchtime, slightly more pricey á la carte list in the evenings. Closed on Mondays
Restaurant HEJM is the latest addition to the Vaasa restaurant scene. Great food from local ingredients, by the sea shore. Closed on Sundays.
16 preporuka/e lokalaca
Restaurant Hejm
1 B Sininen tie
16 preporuka/e lokalaca
Restaurant HEJM is the latest addition to the Vaasa restaurant scene. Great food from local ingredients, by the sea shore. Closed on Sundays.

Sightseeing

Vaasa has a lively arts scene, here are some of my personal favourites. Also some fun facts from history.
Tikanojan Taidekoti is the former home of local industrialist and art lover, Frithjof Tikanoja (1877-1964). Nice size art museum, normally exhibiting older Finnish and international art. Not too big, not too small. You can buy a combi-ticket to Kuntsi Art Museum. Closed on Mondays. Fun fact: Lassila & Tikanoja runs many of the garbage trucks in Finland still.
Tikanojan Taidekoti
4 Hovioikeudenpuistikko
Tikanojan Taidekoti is the former home of local industrialist and art lover, Frithjof Tikanoja (1877-1964). Nice size art museum, normally exhibiting older Finnish and international art. Not too big, not too small. You can buy a combi-ticket to Kuntsi Art Museum. Closed on Mondays. Fun fact: Lassila & Tikanoja runs many of the garbage trucks in Finland still.
Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art is located in the former customs house by the Inner Harbour. Named after the local industrialist and art lover Simo Kuntsi (1913–1984) it houses, inter alia, the art collections of both Mr. Kuntsi and Lars Swanljung’s (b. 1944). The space is gret, lots of light and space. The exhibitions vary in style and quality - some you will like, some, not so much. Let your imagination go free and you will enjoy this museum. In the summer, nice terrace to enkoy a beer or a glas of wine. You can also buy a combi ticket to Tikanojan Taidekoti. Closed on Mondays.
16 preporuka/e lokalaca
Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art
16 preporuka/e lokalaca
Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art is located in the former customs house by the Inner Harbour. Named after the local industrialist and art lover Simo Kuntsi (1913–1984) it houses, inter alia, the art collections of both Mr. Kuntsi and Lars Swanljung’s (b. 1944). The space is gret, lots of light and space. The exhibitions vary in style and quality - some you will like, some, not so much. Let your imagination go free and you will enjoy this museum. In the summer, nice terrace to enkoy a beer or a glas of wine. You can also buy a combi ticket to Tikanojan Taidekoti. Closed on Mondays.
Vaasa burned down in 1852, ruins can be seen in Vanha Vaasa about 7 km South and East from the current centre. After the fire, the good people of Vaasa made a petition to the Russian Tsar Emperor, Nikolai I, to have permission to move the location of the city to it's current place. With the rising of the land, the new location was also closer to the sea shore. At the same time, the good people of Vaas petitioned that the name of the city would be changed to Nikolaistad / Nikolainkaupunki. The Tsar Emperor granted both petitions. Ruins of Old Vaasa will not impress you if you compare them to the Roman Ruins or Stonehenge. But for our little provincial town, these are the best ruins we have. When we have snow, also a nice sled hill for the kids. Fun fact: Hovioikeudenpuistikko, Kauppapuistikko, Kirkkopuistikko, Korshholmanpuistikko are a network of fire-prevention measures in the newly built Vaasa city (from 1952 onwards). These streets were on purpose built so wide that in case fire would start again, it would not sweep through the whole city so easily. City planning by Carl Axel Setterberg (a.k.a. Karl Aksel Zetterberg) (1812-1871).
Ruins of Old Vaasa
5 Kauppiaankatu
Vaasa burned down in 1852, ruins can be seen in Vanha Vaasa about 7 km South and East from the current centre. After the fire, the good people of Vaasa made a petition to the Russian Tsar Emperor, Nikolai I, to have permission to move the location of the city to it's current place. With the rising of the land, the new location was also closer to the sea shore. At the same time, the good people of Vaas petitioned that the name of the city would be changed to Nikolaistad / Nikolainkaupunki. The Tsar Emperor granted both petitions. Ruins of Old Vaasa will not impress you if you compare them to the Roman Ruins or Stonehenge. But for our little provincial town, these are the best ruins we have. When we have snow, also a nice sled hill for the kids. Fun fact: Hovioikeudenpuistikko, Kauppapuistikko, Kirkkopuistikko, Korshholmanpuistikko are a network of fire-prevention measures in the newly built Vaasa city (from 1952 onwards). These streets were on purpose built so wide that in case fire would start again, it would not sweep through the whole city so easily. City planning by Carl Axel Setterberg (a.k.a. Karl Aksel Zetterberg) (1812-1871).
Söderfjärden was formed about 520 million years ago when a meteor hit the Earth. The large circular meteor valley is 5 kim in diameter. In the middle, you will find Meteoria obstervation trowr (and parking lot). About 10 km south of Vaasa city center. For bird lovers, excellent opportunity to watch migrating cranes and other birds in Spring and Autumn.
Meteoria Söderfjärden
294 Marenintie
Söderfjärden was formed about 520 million years ago when a meteor hit the Earth. The large circular meteor valley is 5 kim in diameter. In the middle, you will find Meteoria obstervation trowr (and parking lot). About 10 km south of Vaasa city center. For bird lovers, excellent opportunity to watch migrating cranes and other birds in Spring and Autumn.

Sports and activities

Municipal swimming hall in Vaasa has a 50 m long swimming pool and good saunas & showers. Compared to many other countries, water may feel a bit chilly in the pool at first. If you like swimming and want to do very local stuff, this is the place.
7 preporuka/e lokalaca
Vaasan uimahalli
8 Hietalahdenkatu
7 preporuka/e lokalaca
Municipal swimming hall in Vaasa has a 50 m long swimming pool and good saunas & showers. Compared to many other countries, water may feel a bit chilly in the pool at first. If you like swimming and want to do very local stuff, this is the place.
Tropiclandia is a spa for both kids and adults - 32 degrees will keep you warm all year round. Water slides, jacuzzi, saunas and also spa treatments. Also a resraurant. In the súmmer, the local students theater has open air performances next to the spa.
15 preporuka/e lokalaca
Tropiclandia
1 Kesäpolku
15 preporuka/e lokalaca
Tropiclandia is a spa for both kids and adults - 32 degrees will keep you warm all year round. Water slides, jacuzzi, saunas and also spa treatments. Also a resraurant. In the súmmer, the local students theater has open air performances next to the spa.

Lokalne preporuke

Običaji i kultura

You can drink tap water and it tastes good.

In restaurants, tap water is normally free.