Paloheinä

Paloheinä (Swedish Svedängen) is one of four quarters of the Tuomarinkylä district in Northern Helsinki, Finland. Described by the municipality as "a place where habitation, traditional agricultural milieus, and the forest meet" [ [http://www.hel2.fi/keskuspuisto/eng/3sections/ City of Helsinki "Central Park"] ] , the Paloheinä recreation area is the northern continuation of "Helsingin keskuspuisto", Helsinki's "Central Park".

Recreation

Paloheinä is Helsinki's main center for outdoor activities. [ [http://wikimapia.org/616833/ Wikimap of Paloheinä recreation area] ] . Over 200 competitions are held in Paloheinä each year in sports such as skiing, cross-country running, and orienteering. [ [http://www.hel2.fi/keskuspuisto/eng/3sections/ City of Helsinki "Central Park"] ]

Airsoft

Local airsoft players stage mock combat in the wooded areas of Paloheinä. [ [http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Palohein%C3%A4&search_type= YouTube videos of airsoft battles in Paloheinä] ]

Cycling

A cycling enthusiast reviews Paloheinä as follows:

The best thing I like about Paloheinä is that when I get there from the town center I can ride almost all the way on dirt roads of the central park. There are several routes to Paloheinä from the center and most of them avoid crossing with car traffic. There are also nice little rocks along the way for some trial-stuff. [ [http://www.mtbr.com/trails/Europe-Other/Rooty.html Trail Reviews] ]

Golf

A golf course known as "Helsinki City Golf" is available for a fee. [ [http://www.paloheinagolf.fi/index.php?q=helsinki-city-golf-puttasi-tiensae-golfliiton-liittovaltuustoon Helsinki City Golf puttasi tiensä Golfliiton liittovaltuustoon] ]

Hiking

There are many paths popular for hiking as well as a hiking lodge with showers, a café, and saunas (heated three days a week). [ [http://www.hel2.fi/keskuspuisto/eng/3sections/ City of Helsinki "Central Park"] ]

Nature tours

In the summer, guided nature tours are organised from the Paloheinä lodge. [ [http://www.hel2.fi/keskuspuisto/eng/3sections/ City of Helsinki "Central Park"] ]

Nordic walking

Nordic walkers seen every evening at the Paloheinä area. There are organized Nordic walking events at Paloheinä twice a week. In August 2007, Nordic walkers gathered at the Paloheinä recreational area to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their activity. [ [http://www.abc-of-nordicwalking.com/news/200708/nordic-walking-on-its-10th-year.asp Nordic Walking on its 10th Year] ]

Running

A cross-country runner describes:

In Paloheinä, there is a pleasant cafe, open in the afternoons on weekdays, all day saturday-sunday. In Paloheinä there is a soft jogging course of 2-5k, rather hilly but very pleasant for the feet. All this is lit up all night long so you don't have to worry about getting lost in the dark. If you want to run 20-25k you continue from Paloheinä making a wide circle in the forest and turning back to the city by Vantaankoski. There are good maps available in the city tourist office and in the cafes along the route. You don't have to use the same route coming back (there are three main routes going from south to north, with lots of connecting routes). In winter, if there is snow, all the routes are skiing tracks, and runners are not - well if not welcome but frowned upon. But then you can rent skis from Paloheinä! [ [http://www.runtheplanet.com/runningroutes/route.asp?r=9923 Run the Planet: Central Park Run: Starting From The Olympic Stadium og Helsinki] ]

kiing

In winter, Paloheinä is Helsinki's main area for skiing, especially cross-country skiing ( a sport immensely popular among Finns). The Paloheinä Skiing Centre has a number of well-maintained skiing tracks to suit skiers of all levels. They also offer rented equipment including skis, snowshoes and pulkka. [ [http://www.ulos.fi/hilavitkutin/hilavitkutin.cgi?E07 Paloheinä Skiing Centre] ]

The hill

"Paloheinän mäki" is a prominent sloping hill 120 m long and 38 m high which is the best ski slope in the area. [ [http://www.hel2.fi/keskuspuisto/eng/3sections/ City of Helsinki "Central Park"] ]

One visior to the hill wrote:

In winter, every kid wants to find a big hill and ride down it on a toboggan. And there are no better places in Helsinki than Paloheinä hill. This huge hill is [...] a great place to enjoy a winter's day when the sun is shining. Unfortunately, many local people know this as well and the hill tends to be crowded when the weather is beautiful. However, the exhilaration and excitement as you zoom towards the bottom of the hill are worth it. There is also good illumination until 9pm. At the foot of the hill is the Paloheinä Outdoor lodge, with a café that serves hot drinks and small sandwiches for the exhausted ones. [ [http://www.igougo.com/attractions-reviews-b59549-Helsinki-Paloheinn_mki.html Paloheinän mäki] ]

Tiia Piili did a segment on the Finnish television show "Fit 4 You" in which she ascends this "famous hill" using a kickbike. [ [http://www.kickbike.com/index.php?mid=48&a=show&id=67 Tiia Piili - a Kickbiker!] ]

Gardens

There are allotment gardens in the area between Pirkkola and Paloheinä. [ [http://www.hel2.fi/keskuspuisto/eng/3sections/ City of Helsinki "Central Park"] ]

Library

The Paloheinä Library, a branch of the Helsinki City Library, is located at Paloheinäntie 22. [ [http://www.lib.hel.fi/en-GB/paloheina/yhteystiedot/ Paloheinä Library] ]

Buses

Helsinki public transportation in buses 63 and 67 go to the library. [ [http://www.lib.hel.fi/en-GB/paloheina/yhteystiedot/ Paloheinä Library] ] Buses 66, 66A and 66B all have their final stops near the hill. [ [http://www.igougo.com/attractions-reviews-b59549-Helsinki-Paloheinn_mki.html Paloheinän mäki] ]

References