Photo: Atacan Ergin
photo: Atacan Ergin
Photo: Maris Grunskis
Photo: Julia Kivelä
Photo: Jiri Halttunen

3 hours

City of Light Route

Tour around the City of Light and the more than one hundred permanently illuminated sites it is made up of! Along the City of Light Route, you can witness a selection of these shimmering destinations all the way from the Jyväskylä uptown to the Kuokkala neighbourhood. You should traverse the route during twilight or darkness to make the most of your City of Light experience. The City of Light route is around 10 kilometres in length and takes about three hours to travel on foot.

See route

Vehicle

  • By bike

  • Walking

Duration

3 hours

Length

12 km

The Light City route is best traveled at dusk when the lighting installations are at their most magnificent. The route is best navigated on foot or by bike.

Follow the route easily with free Citynomadi app

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Route description

Attractions

  • Harju Ridge and Observation Tower

    Experience an island of nature at the heart of the city, and climb the stony Nero stairs to the top of the Harju ridge. The Vesilinna building located on top of the ridge is one of Jyväskylä’s most important landmarks. The observation tower in the building allows you to see the beautiful city of Jyväskylä from above. Vesilinna can be seen from a great distance, and on summer evenings, also heard from a long way away, as the Harju evening call echoes from the tower. Both Vesilinna and the Nero stairs are beautifully illuminated in the evenings.

    The Harju Stairs in evening lighting
    Photo: Julia Kivelä

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  • Church park

    Kirkkopuisto, the Church park, is one of the oldest and most popular parks in Jyväskylä. True to its name, the centre of the park is the idyllic old City Church, bathing in austere yet beautiful illumination. Apart from the church, the edges of the footpaths crisscrossing the park are also illuminated to light the way of walkers. In Christmastime, Kirkkopuisto plays host to Jyväskylä’s atmospheric Christmas Lights Land.

    Jyväskylä City Church and Churchpark
    photo: Atacan Ergin

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  • Jyväskylä City Hall

    The Jyväskylä City Hall, a Neo-Renaissance style building designed by Karl Viktor Reinius, was completed in 1899. It is one of the few 19th century buildings in central Jyväskylä to be well preserved to this day. The City Hall’s breathtaking architecture is beautifully accented by its well-designed lighting, installed in 2012 when the building was last renovated.

    Jyväskylä Town Hall illuminated in the dark
    Photo: City of Jyväskylä / Kalevi Korhonen

  • Reimari

    The Reimari building is one of the most recent illuminated sites in Jyväskylä. Its walls are highlighted in blue, making the building truly stand out among its peers. Reimari can be found close to the Kirkkopuisto park on Kilpisenkatu street.

    An office building illuminated with blue lights
    Photo: Jiri Halttunen

  • Nikolainkulma

    The Nikolainkulma house lies at the intersection of the Asemakatu and Nikolainkatu streets. It was built in 1899, initially as Hotel Wahlgren. Alvar Aalto is known to have been a tenant in the building. Aalto’s first self-owned practice, the Office of Architectural and Monumental Art, was also located in the building from the fall of 1923. Today, the Nikolainkulma house is a place for conferences and galas. The house is beautifully illuminated, bringing out its unique architectural qualities even in the dark.

    An old wooden house in the city centre of Jyväskylä
    photo: Touho Häkkinen

  • Pedestrian Street and Compass Square

    You can find Jyväskylä’s most common meeting place, Compass Square, in the heart of Jyväskylä’s city center. Its name derives from the compass pattern paved into the street, which is illuminated in the evenings. On the same route, you can easily admire the busiest pedestrian street in Jyväskylä’s center, namely Kauppakatu. Along it, you can see other illuminated sites, such as the Sokos department store and the impressive lighting of the parking garage.

    An illuminated stone compass pattern.
    Photo: Atacan Ergin

  • Between Heaven and Earth

    In 2000, Harald Karsten completed the wind mobile called Between Heaven and Earth at the Jyväskylä court and police building. The sculpture, three stories tall, was completed during Karsten’s six-month tenure as an employment subsidy artist. He designed the sculpture to bring joy to both newlyweds and the convicted. Viewed with a knowledge of its background, it might also be considered an emblem of and monument to the artist’s own uncompromising nature. Yet another way to look at the work is as a tribute to people who have been subjected to the life cycle dictated by employment policy: a benefit waiting period, six months of work, another benefit waiting period…

  • The Last Cocktail mural

    The mural “The Last Cocktail”, created by Swiss artist Onur Dinc, can be found in central Jyväskylä. The mural stars a polar bear, and it is intended as a comment on the preservation of the environment. In the dark, the mural gains an entirely new complexion as ultraviolet illumination causes it to glow in the dark.

    A wall mural with a polar bear
    Photo: Atacan Ergin

  • Kinakuja Bridge

    The Kinakuja bridge can be found on the banks of the Tourujoki river, sheltered by nature. One end of the bridge is on the Tourula side, the other close to the Jyväskylä city centre. The illuminated Kinakuja bridge shimmers in its natural grove in the dark hours.

    Illuminated Kinakuja Bridge in Jyväskylä
    Photo: Atacan Ergin

  • Rantaraitti recreational route

    The Rantaraitti route is 13 kilometres in total length, divided into two sections by the Kuokkala bridge. The Rantaraitti is a very popular exercise route in Jyväskylä, and will take you through a diverse variety of landscapes as it meanders through a number of Jyväskylä neighbourhoods. The route itself is illuminated with street lighting. Several other illuminated sites lie along the route, and it allows you to take in the City of Light as a whole from a scenic distance away.

    Rantaraitti and Jyväsjärvi at night
    Photo: Atacan Ergin

  • Lutakonpuisto Park

    The Lutakonpuisto Park is beautifully illuminated in the night-time, and the rolling hills that make up its lawn area are brought into relief by the surrounding lights.

  • Kajo art installation

    The sculpture installation Kajo by Kari Alonen is located on the shore of Lake Jyväsjärvi. Alonen’s most recent interest has been incorporating stone and glass materials with light in his works of environmental art. His works are based on elaborate reflections of light from within seemingly minimalistic stone forms, ideal for viewing in an urban environment at twilight.

    Light artwork by the lake at dusk
    Photo: Jyväskylän kaupunki / Jiri Halttunen

  • Lutakonaukio Square

    The Lutakonaukio Square undergoes a transformation at evening-time, when the installed illumination comes into view, complementing the open space with impressive patterns of light.

    Aerial photo of Jyväskylä and Lutakko harbour in Jyväskylä.
    Photo: Julia Kivelä

  • Lutakko Harbour

    The Lutakko Harbour is particularly busy in summertime and is a popular leisure destination. When darkness falls, the atmosphere of the marina deepens further thanks to its beautifully designed illumination.

    Musta Magia is a restaurant ship located in the Lutakko harbour
    Photo: Ville Rutanen/Sonic Systems Oy

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  • “Keinuja” installation

    The art installation “Keinuja” (“Swings”) by Seppo Uuranmäki was originally set up for the Jyväsjärvi environmental art exhibition that took place from June 6 to 13 October 2002. The exhibition was carried out by the Jyväskylä Artists’ Association with the City of Jyväskylä Centre for Technical Services in order to enliven the Rantaraitti path around Lake Jyväsjärvi. The idea of combining art and environmental architecture along the Rantaraitti through an exhibition originated from the City of Jyväskylä public works of art team.

    Keinuja -art installation.
    Photo: City of Jyväskylä / Hanna-Kaisa Hämäläinen

  • The Kuokkala bridge

    The Kuokkala Bridge was completed in 1989. The bridge spans Lake Jyväsjärvi and connects the Lutakko area to Kuokkala. It is 480 metres long and 15 metres high. The Kuokkala Bridge is beautifully illuminated and already firmly established within Jyväskylä’s urban landscape. As an illuminated site, it is among the best; its lights reflect off the surface of Lake Jyväsjärvi with an enchanting effect.

    A person sitting on the pier and watching towards the Kuokkala-Bridge.
    Photo: Julia Kivelä

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  • “Rakastan” installation

    The installation “Rakastan” (“I love”) by Antti Maasola was completed at the Yrttisuo playground in Kuokkala in 1985. The sculpture is constructed of stainless steel. Afterwards, an illumination system designed by the artist himself was added to the work. Thanks to its elaborate LED-based lighting, the “Rakastan” sculpture looks its best in the dark.

    Illuminated art sculpture.
    Photo: Rami Saarikorpi

  • “Hyöky” sculpture

    The sculpture “Hyöky” (“Wave” or “Swell”) is located in Ylistönrinne, and is most easily viewed when crossing the Ylistö Bridge. The sculptor is Kimmo Schroderus, and the work was completed in 2006. “Hyöky” is made of stainless steel and is more than five metres high. In the evening-time, it is bathed in beautiful illumination, bringing out its artistic dimensions in wonderful fashion.

    Art formation.
    Photo: Juhana Konttinen

  • The Ylistö bridge

    Ylistö bridge is a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists that crosses Lake Jyväsjärvi from Mattilanniemi to Ylistönmäki The length of the bridge is 208 metres and it was completed in 1991. The Ylistö bridge is one of the finest illuminated sites in Jyväskylä and can be seen from as far as Lutakko Harbour.

    Illuminated bridge in Jyväskylä
    Photo: Atacan Ergin

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  • The AaltoAlvari courtyard

    One of the illuminated sites designed by Elisa Hillgen can be found in the courtyard of AaltoAlvari, Jyväskylä’s public pool. The light installation in the courtyard was completed in 2017. Coloured in hues of blue, it imitates the motion of waves and the ripples of water.

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  • "Yliopistoportti" University Gate -sculpture

    Pero Luostarinen won the art committee’s invitational competition, organized in 1984 in honor of the university’s 50th anniversary, with his work “Yliopistoportti” (University Gate). The University Gate complements its location with its upward-rising shape and blue color scheme. The color connects the work to the surrounding buildings, which feature the same blue in their details. The shape integrates the work with the trees growing around it. Placed at the intersection area near the entrance, the piece directs the flow of movement. The location has been central throughout the design process. Luostarinen has mentioned visiting the site in different seasons and altering his design with each visit. The sculpture itself changes with the seasons: in winter, it gains an additional element from the white snow, in summer, it blends into the green foliage, and in autumn, it glows in competition with the yellow maple leaves.

    Jyväskylä University Blue Gate
    Photo: City of Jyväskylä / Riikka Kaakkurivaara

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