Nastola facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nastola
Former municipality
Nastolan kunta Nastola kommun
Nastola Church
Coat of arms
Location of Nastola in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	Päijät-Häme
Sub-region	Lahti sub-region
Charter	1869
Consolidated	2016
Area
• Total	382.86 km2 (147.82 sq mi)
• Land	324.19 km2 (125.17 sq mi)
• Water	38.67 km2 (14.93 sq mi)
Population  (2015-06-30)
• Total	14,905
• Density	38.9307/km2 (100.830/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Website	www.nastola.fi

Nastola was a town in Finland. It used to be its own municipality. But it joined with the city of Lahti on January 1, 2016.

Nastola is located in the Päijät-Häme region of Southern Finland. In 2015, about 14,905 people lived there. The area of Nastola was about 383 square kilometers (148 square miles). About 39 square kilometers (15 square miles) of this area was water. Nastola is between two bigger cities: Lahti and Kouvola. The main language spoken in Nastola was Finnish.

History of Nastola

Nastola has a long history. Old items from the 1200s have been found in the village of Ruuhijärvi. These items show a connection to the Karelian people. Also, coins from England, Germany, and Scandinavia were found in Immilä. This suggests that people traded with others a long time ago.

The first people to settle in Nastola likely came from nearby areas like Asikkala and Hollola. The name Nastola might come from a Karelian male name, Nasto. The first church in the area was built in the village of Nastola. This village gave its name to the whole area. Nastola became an independent church parish in 1860. Later, in 2016, Nastola became part of the city of Lahti.

Geography and Nature

Nastola is located between two large ridges called Salpausselkäs. The first Salpausselkä is a big part of the landscape in the southern area. It splits into two ridges near the village of Villähde. The highest point in the village area is 145 meters (476 feet) above sea level. Further east, the ridge gets narrower.

The area between the Salpausselkä ridges has many long, narrow hills called eskers. It also has many valleys. One esker, Vahteristonmäki, reaches 177 meters (581 feet) above sea level in Nastola.

Most of the soil in central and northern Nastola is made of till. Till is a mix of clay, sand, and rocks left by glaciers. There are also areas with clay soil, especially south of the first Salpausselkä. You can also find bedrock sticking out of the ground. Ukonvuori hill, for example, is 150 meters (492 feet) high and made of bedrock. Most of the bedrock in Nastola is granite.

All of Nastola's lakes are north of the first Salpausselkä. These lakes are all part of the Kymijärvi drainage basin. South of the Salpausselkä, there are several smaller streams.

Villages of Nastola

Here are some of the villages in Nastola:

• Arrajoki
• Immilä
• Koiskala
• Lankila
• Pyhäntaka
• Ruuhijärvi
• Uusikylä
• Vanaja
• Villähde
• Kirkonkylä
• Rakokivi
• Seesta-Luhtaanmaa
• Järvinen
• Tapiola

Places to Visit

Nastola has several interesting places to visit:

• Pajulahti Sports Institute
• Anni Kaste Memorial stone
• Defenders of the home country memorial stone
• Nastola cemetery
• German memorial
• King's Ridge observation tower
• King's fountain
• Ruuhijärvi cultural landscape
• Mountain Troll's observation tower
• Engel's storehouse
• Immilä mill
• Kumia mill
• Nastola church
• Nastola history museum
• Taarasti Art Center

Famous People from Nastola

Many notable people have come from Nastola:

• Adelaïde Ehrnrooth, a writer who supported women's rights.
• Elsi Borg, an architect who designed many buildings.
• Eduard Polón, one of the people who helped start the company Nokia.
• Valtteri Bottas, a well-known Formula 1 race car driver.
• Veli-Matti Lindström, a famous ski jumper.

Images for kids

• 

  Immilä mill

• 

  Engel Makasiini storehouse

See also

In Spanish: Nastola para niños