Hämeenlinna - the center of the province of Southern Finland, 95 km from Helsinki, received city status in 1639. The city is known for its castle-fortress Häme, built in the second half of the 13th century. On its territory there is a prison museum, a historical museum and an artillery museum. Another local attraction is Aulankovuori Hill, with a 33 m high observation tower built in 1907. From the tower you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the lake and the Vanajavesi valley. Hämeenlinna is the birthplace of the outstanding composer Jean Sibelius, whose life is told by a private museum opened in the house where the composer was born in 1865. Even in the city you can visit the Hämeenlinna Museum of Art, the Museum in the Palander House, which tells about the life of people in the last century, the Art Exhibition Center in the Hovinkartano mansion. Also of interest are the Hämeenlinna Church, built in 1798 in the likeness of the Roman pantheon, and the Vanaja Church, one of the smallest medieval churches in the country, built in the 15th century.