Hattula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hattula
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Municipality
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| Hattulan kunta Hattula kommun |
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The Holy Cross Church of Hattula
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Location of Hattula in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region |  Kanta-Häme |
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| Sub-region | Hämeenlinna sub-region | |
| First records | 1318 | |
| Charter | 1868 | |
| Seat | Parola | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 427.39 km2 (165.02 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 357.8 km2 (138.1 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 69.55 km2 (26.85 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 214th largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 9,371 | |
| • Rank | 103rd largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 26.19/km2 (67.8/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 97.1% (official) | |
| • Swedish | 0.4% | |
| • Others | 2.5% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 17.4% | |
| • 65 or older | 23.3% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
Hattula is a small town, or more accurately, a municipality in Finland. It's located in the Tavastia Proper region. Imagine it as a special area with its own local government. Hattula is mostly surrounded by the larger city of Hämeenlinna. Only to the north does it share borders with Valkeakoski and Pälkäne.
Hattula has about 9,371 people living there. It covers an area of about 427.39 square kilometres (165.02 sq mi), and a good part of that, 69.55 km2 (26.85 sq mi), is water! This means there are many lakes and rivers. The main town in Hattula is called Parola. Everyone in Hattula speaks Finnish.
Contents
About Hattula: Location and Nature
A very important part of Hattula's natural beauty is Vanajavesi lake. Many of the oldest communities in the area grew up around this lake. It's a beautiful place to visit.
History and Important Places
Hattula has a long and interesting history. It was once a popular place for church pilgrimages, which means people traveled there for religious reasons.
Churches of Hattula
There are three main churches in Hattula that belong to the Evangelical Lutheran faith:
- The medieval Church of the Holy Cross. This church is very old!
- The new Hattula church, built in the 1850s.
- The Tyrväntö church, built between the late 1700s and early 1800s in Suotaala.
There's also a Pentecostal Church called Home Church in the center of the municipality.
Manors and Ancient Sites
Hattula is also known for its many old manors, which are like large country houses or estates. Some of these include Ahlbacka, Ellilä, Metsänkylä, Lepaa, Lahdentaka, Suontaka, and Vesunti.
You can also find signs of even older settlements here. For example, there's the Iron Age Tenhola Castle Mountain. Many old items found by archaeologists show that people lived here a very long time ago. A historic road called Hämeen Härkätie (connecting road 2855) also goes through Hattula in the villages of Kivijoki and Kouvala.
Things to See and Do
Hattula is home to the Parola garrison, which is a military base. The Armoured Brigade, a special army unit with tanks, works there.
Armour Museum and Parola Lion
Close to the garrison, you can visit the Armour Museum. This museum shows the history of Finnish armoured vehicles and anti-tank weapons. It's a great place to learn about military history.
You can also see the Paragon Lion sculpture by Andreas Fornander. This statue shows a lion holding a ball. It remembers when Emperor Alexander II of Russia visited Parolannummi on July 29, 1863. The same lion theme is even on the flag of the Finnish army's Armour School! This large monument, over five meters tall, stands at the southern edge of the garrison's training area.
Famous People from Hattula
One famous person born in Hattula was Anders Planman. He was an astronomer, someone who studies stars and planets. He was one of the first people to regularly observe the sky in Finland.
