Huittinen

Huittinen’s residents live in a small-town atmosphere with a wide range of services and educational opportunities, where soothing nature is omnipresent. The town is at a highway crossroads, which allows for convenient travel in many directions.

In the rural town the gaze carries over the fields

Huittinen is a town of about 10,000 inhabitants in the province of Satakunta. Huittinen’s slogan can be translated as “Head over heels for Huittinen” (Hulluna Huittisiin, lit. “Crazy about Huittinen”), which reflects its very relaxed approach to life.

The natural environment of Huittinen is quite flat, especially the lowlands surrounding the Kokemäenjoki, Loimijoki, and several smaller rivers. South of the town lies Lake Kiltajärvi, formed behind the dam basin in Vampula. The even field landscape is adorned by forests, which are important recreational areas for residents.

The location of the town and the available transport connections are excellent. Those who prefer public transport are in luck - Huittinen is located at the crossroads of the highways from Pori to Helsinki and from Tampere to Turku, which means that public transport can take them in many directions. By car, a journey of just over 60 kilometers to Pori takes about 45 minutes and the trip to Tampere or Turku takes about an hour. In addition, the town’s minibus follows predetermined routes (Finnish: asiointiliikenne), making it easier for older people and those with reduced mobility to get around. For the residents of Lauttakylä, i.e. the town center, many services are conveniently within walking or cycling distance.

Dating back to the Stone Age

Current knowledge of Huittinen’s past has it that the area has been inhabited since the 4th century. However, humans have influenced this area much, much earlier. This is the place where one of Finland's most famous Stone Age objects, a deer head sculpture dating back more than 7,000 years, was discovered. What remains today to remind us of this area’s history are the Iron Age castle hill Räätikäsvuori in the village of Sampu, and the medieval stone church, which is classified as a nationally significant built cultural environment.

Study whatever and however you like in Huittinen

In Huittinen children have a choice of several primary schools. A new school will soon replace the old one in Lauttakylä, opening to students in the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. In addition, the town is home to both Pellonpuisto High School and Lauttakylä High School, where one can study entrepreneurship and take additional natural science and language courses. Alternatively, vocational training is available at Huittinen Vocational and Entrepreneurial College SASKY, where you can study for a bachelor's degree in business and information and communication technology. In addition, Sataedu offers training in logistics in Huittinen.

In addition to secondary education, it is possible to study in a polytechnic: Huittinen hosts one of the campuses of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. Musiiikkiopisto, which provides music education, and Sataopisto community college complement the region's educational offerings.

Huittinen’s SMEs as main employers

The majority of Huittinen’s jobs are in the service sector. Primary production is relatively low, although slightly more people are employed in this area than the national average. Significant industries include trade, food processing, the metal and technology industries, and construction. The city is characterized by a large number of SMEs and diverse food production for the domestic market. Huittinen is a very entrepreneur-friendly town, and in 2019 and 2020 it was chosen as the most active municipality in Satakunta.

You can check out the wide range of Huittinen's services on the My Huittinen -webpages.

Huittinen’s villages enrich the countryside

The town’s center is known as Lauttakylä, which many have chosen as their place of residence. In addition, Huittinen has several active village communities and sparsely populated villages of about 50-200 people, delighting both permanent residents and visitors. Modern agriculture is actively practiced in the countryside, so the people of Huittinen get to enjoy local food produced in the villages. The business-friendly atmosphere has also spawned a wide range of small businesses in the area.

There are many vibrant community associations in the villages of Huittinen, which organize different activities and take care of the vitality of the villages and the accessibility of services. Almost all the villages of Huittinen are only a 5-20 minute drive from the center, so it is easy to live in the countryside even for somebody who needs the town's services and enjoys its liveliness.

Spend your free time outdoors and dancing

Puurijärvi-Isosuo National Park offers an invigorating place for Huittinen’s residents to spend their free time. The park has a network of almost 30 kilometers of trails and is known for its diverse bird habitats. Huittinen is a great place to stay active for all ages. In addition to a variety of outdoor activities, residents enjoy ball games, gymnastics, dancing, horseback riding, athletics, swimming, kayaking and karate, among other things. Culture and craftsmanship have their place as well. The townspeople are united by sports, as Huittinen is represented by the LP-Vampula volleyball team, which plays at the league level.

Find out more about Huittinen on the city's own website.