Nokia is a Finnish city located in the province of Pirkanmaa. The
city has a population of 34,294 and covers an area of 347.83 km², of
which 59.53 km² are water bodies. The population density is 119
inhabitants / km². Nokia's neighboring municipalities are
Hämeenkyrö, Pirkkala, Sastamala, Tampere, Vesilahti and Ylöjärvi.
Nokia's coat of arms was designed by Gustaf von Numers and confirmed
in 1951. Nokia is the second largest municipality in Pirkanmaa after
Tampere.
Nokia is an industrial city and the starting point
for some Finnish brands, the most famous of which are the former
conglomerate and the current telecommunications company Nokia and
the clothing manufacturer Nanso.
Historical and Cultural Landmarks
Nokia Church (Nokian kirkko)
Completed in 1838 (originally for the Pirkkala parish), this is a
standout neoclassical landmark designed by the office of renowned
architect Carl Ludvig Engel. It features a circular plan inspired by the
Pantheon in Rome, with a dome covering the main hall. Renovations in
1904–1907 and a major update in 1973–1974 added a choir, expanded the
organ loft, and introduced symbolic color schemes: the floor represents
earth, the dome deepens to blue (symbolizing joy near God), yellow walls
evoke victory and Christ, and other elements reference biblical themes.
It includes a church museum with around 100 historical artifacts in the
basement. The church stands as a central historical and spiritual site
in the town.
Suoniemi Church
The oldest church in Nokia,
dedicated to the Apostle John. This wooden cross-shaped building was
completed and consecrated in 1803, with a separate bell tower added in
1820. It represents early ecclesiastical architecture in the area.
Siuro Church
Built in 1910 originally as a prayer house and later
consecrated as a church, this wooden Art Nouveau-style structure by
master builder Heikki Tiitola sits dramatically on a rocky hill
overlooking the lake, offering scenic views.
Tottijärvi Church
A wooden church completed in 1841 and consecrated in 1842. Its design
originated from the Office of the Intendant under Carl Ludvig Engel's
influence.
Hinttala – Local Heritage Museum
Located in the
city center, this charming open-air museum area recreates 19th-century
local life and culture with historic buildings, guided tours (especially
in summer), and exhibitions. A café operates in a beautiful historic
building during summer and Christmas seasons. Nearby, the Workers’ Home
Museum (Työläiskotimuseo) below Nokia Church shows early 20th-century
working-class living conditions.
Tehdassaari (Factory Island)
A key industrial heritage site tied to the original Nokia company. Once
home to pulp and rubber factories, the red-brick island now blends
history with modern culture, hosting art, music, circus performances,
and events. It symbolizes Nokia’s transformation from industrial roots
to a vibrant community space.
Ossi Somma’s Sculpture Park and
Related Sites (in Siuro)
This open-air park features works by local
sculptor Ossi Somma, starting with his 1967 commission “Fur Traders.” It
includes sculptures scattered across the grounds, his preserved studio
building (former school with a large classroom workspace), and a Wax
Museum in an outbuilding displaying additional pieces. The site offers a
quirky, artistic, and somewhat eerie atmosphere with scenic hilltop
views—popular for cultural enrichment and photography.
Natural
Landmarks and Outdoor Attractions
Nokia’s location amid lakes and
forests makes nature a major draw:
Hakavuori: A slate cliff in Siuro
providing panoramic views over Lake Kulovesi and the Nokianvirta River.
Ideal for short hikes near the Ruutana Nature Reserve.
Maatialanharju
Nature Trail: About 5 km long on the shore of Lake Vihnusjärvi. It
climbs a ridge with marked paths, diverse landscapes, and opportunities
for birdwatching or peaceful walks.
Laajanoja Nature Trail and
Ikävänmaa Trail: Easy paths highlighting local flora, fauna (including
habitats for endangered brown trout), and lakeside scenery.
Ruutana
Nature Reserve: 27-hectare area around Lake Ruutanajärvi with a 4 km
well-marked trail.
Beaches and swimming spots like Liukuslahden
uimaranta and Kennonnokan uimaranta offer relaxed lakeside recreation.
Other attractions include the Nokia River Golf courses, the Nokia
Swimming Hall, and modern spots like the Nanso Outlet or disc golf park,
though these are more recreational than landmark-oriented.
Location and Coordinates
Geographic coordinates: Approximately
61.48°N, 23.50°E (centered around 61°28′36″N 23°30′19″E).
It lies
about 15 km (9 mi) west of the city of Tampere.
Nokia is situated in
the southern part of Finland’s lake district, in a transitional zone of
the Finnish interior lowlands.
Topography and Terrain
Nokia
features relatively flat to gently rolling terrain, typical of southern
and central Finland. Glacial activity during the last Ice Age shaped the
landscape, leaving behind moraines, eskers, and numerous lakes and
rivers.
Elevation: Average around 107 meters (351 ft) above sea
level. The terrain ranges from a minimum of about 55 m (180 ft) near
river and lake levels to a maximum of roughly 190 m (623 ft) in the
surrounding hills.
The landscape includes low ridges, forested areas,
and open water bodies. It is not mountainous but has subtle relief with
drumlins and other glacial deposits.
Hydrology: Rivers and Lakes
The defining geographic feature of Nokia is the Nokianvirta River, a
short but significant waterway (about 8–9 km long) that flows through
the town.
It connects Lake Pyhäjärvi (to the east, near Tampere) to
Lake Kulovesi (part of a larger lake system feeding into the
Kokemäenjoki River watershed, which eventually drains toward the Gulf of
Bothnia).
The river and its banks have historically supported
industry (pulp mills, rubber, paper), and today they provide scenic and
recreational value, including views of old factory islands like
Tehtaansaari.
The area is rich in lakes and waterways, characteristic
of the Finnish Lakeland. Nearby larger lakes include Pyhäjärvi, and the
municipality encompasses significant water areas (about 59.6 km² of
water out of a total 347.8 km² municipal area).
Land Use and
Landscape
Land area: 288.3 km².
The municipality is heavily
forested, aligning with Finland being one of Europe’s most densely
forested countries (roughly 70-75% forest cover nationally). Expect
boreal forests dominated by pine, spruce, and birch.
There are also
agricultural fields, wetlands/marshes, and urban development
concentrated along the river and transport corridors.
Nature trails,
such as the Maatialanharju trail, offer access to varied terrain,
forests, and lakeside scenery.
Climate
Nokia has a humid
continental climate (Dfb), typical for southern/central Finland:
Moderated somewhat by the proximity to the Baltic Sea region and
numerous lakes, but still experiences cold, snowy winters and mild
summers.
Winters: Long and cold, with temperatures often below
freezing (potentially down to -20°C or lower).
Summers: Short and
relatively mild (15–22°C average highs).
Precipitation is fairly even
throughout the year, with snow cover in winter. The many lakes influence
local microclimates, creating humidity and moderating extremes.
Regional Context
Nokia sits within the broader Tampere sub-region and
the Finnish Lake Plateau. This part of Finland is characterized by:
A
patchwork of lakes, forests, and low hills.
Glacial legacy features
(eskers, terminal moraines like the Salpausselkä ridges farther south).
Drainage patterns generally oriented northeast-southwest due to ice
sheet movement.
It borders municipalities including Hämeenkyrö,
Pirkkala, Sastamala, Tampere, Vesilahti, and Ylöjärvi. Tampere-Pirkkala
Airport is about 16 km away.
Occasional Stone Age artefacts have been
found in the Nokia area, but permanent settlement was not
established until the Iron Age. Several Iron Age cemeteries, the
oldest of which date back to the beginning of the 5th century, have
been found along the shores of the water body from Kulovesi to
Pyhäjärvi. It has been concluded that the settlement has entered the
Nokia area along the Kokemäenjoki River from its downstream
direction. Siuro Castle Hill is one of the ancient castles along the
Kokemäenjoki River. Emäkoski was the center of medieval
Suur-Pirkkala.
During the Mallet War, at the turn of the year
1596–1597, Nokia was confronted by the blankets and nests led by
Klaus Fleming and the peasants led by Jaakko Ilka (Battle of Nokia).
A monument designed by Gabriel Engberg was erected on the
battlefield in 1933.
Emäkoski was inaugurated in the 18th
century, which created a lot more farmland in the area, but in the
middle of the 19th century the rapids themselves still used only
three small mills. Engineer Fredrik Idestam built a wood grinder,
Nokia's first industrial plant, on the edge of the rapids in 1868.
The wood grinder was transformed into a limited company in 1871,
when it was renamed Nokia Oy. The company began producing paper in
1880, and in 1885 Finland's first sulphite pulp mill was built in
connection with it. A sawmill, a mill and a brick factory also
operate in connection with the factories. A decisive step forward
for the factories was the completion of the Tampere-Pori railway in
1895; For Nokia Oy's own transports, the track had been opened until
Tampere as early as 1893. Industrial activity intensified further
when Suomen Gummitehdas Oy moved from Helsinki to Nokia in 1903.
Kumitehdas began producing car tires in 1932 and manufacturing
winter car tires in 1937, the first in the world. In 1921, Nokian
Kutomo Oy (now Nanso Group Oy) began operations. In 1941, SOK's
Nokia mill was completed.
The former Pitkäniemi manor was
opened in 1900 by a mental hospital, which operated under the name
of the Pitkäniemi care facility until 1932. In 1955, the hospital
was transferred from the state to the ownership of the Pohjois-Häme
mental hospital district formed by 28 municipalities. Today, it is
owned by the Pirkanmaa Hospital District as part of Tampere
University Hospital.
In 1922, the municipality of Pirkkala was divided into North and
South Pirkkala when the border crossed in Pyhäjärvi, over which
there was no road connection at that time. In 1937, Pohjois-Pirkkala
was divided when Pispala was annexed to Tampere and the remaining
part of the municipality was formed into a township.
Pohjois-Pirkkala changed its name to Nokia in 1938 and at the same
time Etelä-Pirkkala took back the name of the old mother, Pirkkala,
which it still has. The first town plan for the Nokia store was
approved in 1941. After the delay caused by the wars, the
development of the store gained momentum in the late 1940s. In 1940,
Nokia had 10,066 inhabitants, in 1950 it had a population of 15,376
and in 1960 it had a population of 18,410.
After the Winter
War, the Jaakkima Joint School was transferred to Nokia from the
territory ceded to the Soviet Union, which changed its name to the
Nokia Joint School. The school became the university’s leading
college in 1950. With the transition to the elementary school
system, the college became Nokia High School in 1976. The Emäkoski
Co-educational School, owned by the city, was founded in 1957, where
high school classes began in 1962. The Vocational School, originally
owned by Nokia Oy, was transferred to the then shop in 1956. Nokia
Workers' College began operations in 1945.
In the 1940s, a
whole new community emerged from scratch on Nokia's then western
border when Valmet Oy's Linnavuori plant was established. It was
decided to locate the plant in facilities to be mined inside the
mountain. Construction began in 1942 and production began in 1946.
The plant initially manufactured aircraft engines, but also played a
major role in war reparations supplies as a manufacturer of marine
and locomotive engines and compressors. Production of diesel engines
for tractors began in 1957, and later engines for machine tools and
boats, machine tools, aggregates and engine sprayers were added.
The Melo hydropower plant was completed in Nokianvirta in 1971,
using the entire waterfall height from Pyhäjärvi to Kulovesi
(approximately 19.5 meters). At the same time, the old power plant,
built a little higher and built in 1913, was demolished.
In
the 1970s, Nokia's area increased many times over when the then
municipalities of Tottijärvi and Suoniemi were incorporated.
After the last wars, Nokia was inhabited by settlers from Lake
Pyhäjärvi (Vpl).
Etymology of the name
The word nois
(plural nokiit, genitive nokia) has been claimed to mean sable fur,
which would indicate that Nokia was a key trading place where sable
furs were the most valuable commodity. Recent research, however, has
speculated that sabers would not have belonged to the Finnish fauna,
even in ancient times. Nokia would mean beaver. On the other hand,
it is thought to have originally meant black- or dark-furry animals,
which would explain its connection to the word soot - in comparison
to the watershed designation ferret.
The word nokia often
appears in the name of water bodies, so it may have meant a nesting
place for a fur animal.