Seinäjoki is a city located in South Ostrobothnia, Finland; 80 kilometres east of Vaasa, 178 kilometres north of Tampere, 193 kilometres west of Jyväskylä and 324 kilometres southwest of Oulu. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960. In 2005, the municipality of Peräseinäjoki was merged into Seinäjoki, and in the beginning of 2009, the neighbouring municipalities of Nurmo and Ylistaro were consolidated with Seinäjoki. Seinäjoki is one of the fastest growing regional centers in Finland..
The asteroid 1521 Seinäjoki bears the town’s name.
Seinäjoki Airport is located in the neighbouring municipality of Ilmajoki, 11 kilometres (10 mi) south of the Seinäjoki city centre. Seinäjoki railway station in city center was opened in 1883 and until 1897 it carried the name Östermyra station.
Culture
There are many kinds of cultural events in Seinäjoki nowadays. For example, Seinäjoki is known for hosting three large summer events: Tangomarkkinat, which is a tango festival typically attracting more than 100,000 visitors annually, Vauhtiajot, which is a motor racing event/music festival, and Provinssirock, which is one of the largest and oldest rock festivals in Finland. Rytmikorjaamo is a popular rock club, wherein almost every weekend some Finnish or international artists perform. In Seinäjoki there are also several other bars and clubs offering live music and other entertainment. The city theatre of Seinäjoki has a wide, quality program throughout the year, offering plays for everyone. The city orchestra of Seinäjoki performs many concerts in the area and has had many tours in Finland and abroad.
Sights
- Lakeuden Risti Church (“The Cross of the Plains”)
- Alvar Aalto’s cultural and administrative centre, comprising the City Hall, library and theatre, among others
- The Southern Ostrobothnia District Museum
- The Civil Guard and Lotta Svärd Museum, located at the Seinäjoki Civil Guard House
- Törnävä church
- The railway exhibition
- Mallaskoski brewery
Other points of interest
- Törnävä Museum Area
- the Suviyö trotting-race
- Törnävä summer theatre – Seinäjoki
- Jouppi mountain winter sports centre
- Seinäjoki City Theatre
- Provinssirock
- Tangomarkkinat
- Vauhtiajot
Economy
Nordic Regional Airlines has its financial office in Seinäjoki. Its predecessor, Finncomm Airlines, had its head office on the grounds of Seinäjoki Airport in nearby Ilmajoki.
In terms of market area, Seinäjoki is the sixth largest city in the country.[10] Also Seinäjoki has a nationally and internationally significant food production and R&D industry. Headquartered in Seinäjoki food company Atria Corporation‘s net sales in 2009 were EUR 1316 million and it employed an average of 6,214 persons in several countries. According to a study published by the Economic Survey at the end of 2018, Seinäjoki has the best image among corporate leaders among the 36 largest Finnish cities and municipalities. The survey had asked the CEOs and CFOs of companies operating in the area about the municipality’s affairs.
Seinäjoki also is well known for having a large number of SME’s and a big number of shops for its size. One of the most important shopping places in Seinäjoki is the Torikeskus shopping mall in the city center.
Education
- Southern Ostrobothnia Summer University
- Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki
- Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences
- Seinäjoki University Center:
- JAKK adult educator and developer
