Asikkala suits small groups after a sauna and a lake, with Vääksy Canal linking Lake Päijänne to Lake Vesijärvi. Most homes here are modest in size. The drawback is transport: Helsinki Airport is over an hour and a half away by road and public transport is slow.
Asikkala covers about 756 square km, a quarter of it water, and has roughly 7,800 residents. The seat, Vääksy, is the main village, with about 4,800 people, and it sits on the shore of Lake Päijänne. The canal there is 1.3 km long, has a single lock and carries mostly pleasure boats and cruise ships, and Old Vääksy has cafés, restaurants and boutiques near it. The lake keeps the climate slightly milder than in nearby Lahti. Homes here run small: most sleep about four, all have a sauna and nearly all a fireplace. They are spread over around 10 km, so the shore and the village are not equally close for every home. None has a pool, and evenings revolve around the sauna and the water.
A 1.3 km canal completed in 1871, linking Lake Päijänne and Lake Vesijärvi, with one lock and mainly leisure boat traffic.
The old part of the village near the canal has tourist information, cafés, restaurants and boutiques.
A neighbouring municipality that borders Asikkala, and the natural place to head for a day away from the shore.
A neighbouring municipality that also borders Asikkala, useful if you want to compare a second stretch of lake country.
Helsinki Airport is about 78 miles away, roughly an hour and a half by car. Trains run to Lahti with a bus on to Asikkala, but that takes around three hours, so most visitors hire a car at the airport.
May to October are the recommended months for the canal, which matches the boating season. Winters are cold and summers mild to warm, and Lake Päijänne gives Asikkala a slightly milder climate than Lahti. Outside summer the area is very quiet, so check opening times for cafés and canal services before an off-season visit.
It is a 1.3 km canal that connects Lake Päijänne with Lake Vesijärvi, completed in 1871. It has one lock with a drop of about three metres and is used mainly by leisure boats and cruise ships.
About 78 miles by road, which is roughly an hour and a half by car. Public transport takes about three hours, with a train to Lahti and then a bus, so a car saves a lot of time.
It is cold, and May to October are the recommended months for the canal, so boating belongs to summer. The lake gives the area a slightly milder climate than Lahti. A sauna and a fireplace, which nearly all homes here have, are the main reason to come in winter.
Vääksy is the seat of Asikkala and its largest urban area, with about 4,800 residents. It sits on Lake Päijänne and has cafés and restaurants in Old Vääksy by the canal.
Rarely. Homes here are mostly small, with a typical one for around four people, and few sleep more than eight. Check sleeping numbers early if you are travelling as a big party.
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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