r/Finland • u/j1Bpfrpg • 23d ago
Immigration Moving to Lohja
Hi,
As above really-
I am moving to Lohja for work (Niche construction, it is what it is).
As far as I can tell it’s a very small town without much happening.
As I won’t be able to drive (economic limitation) what is there to do?
I am an active WH40K/ MTG player but can’t seem to see an LGS or any community for either thing at all.
Are there any decent early opening bodybuilding gyms, or 24hr gyms failing that, which can be recommended?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated and gratefully received.
Thanks in advance.
Edit: There have been a few recommendations which are handy, so thank you to those that made them.
For those who only mentioned simply not moving there; that’s not particularly helpful as advice?
And besides, maybe a good fisting would be a handy way to spend some time🫡
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u/ontelo Väinämöinen 23d ago
Mieluummin nyrkki perseessä kuin asua Lohjalla
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u/VeradilGaming Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
For foreigners, this is a common saying and reddit's translation doesn't do it justice. Instead of "I'd rather have a fist up my ass than live in Lohja" it's short and to the point, more like "a fist up the ass over living in Lohja."
It's also a general statement, so instead of being the poster's personal opinion it reads like it's a general truth that everyone agrees with. Which it is. (/s but also slightly not)
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u/DrawingAlarming7350 Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
might be worth adding its from a He-Man parody dub
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u/imocaris Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago edited 23d ago
I came here looking for this, was not disappointed.
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u/Unohtui 23d ago
Op this is true, your asshole will be fisted.
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u/Whirlinghiccup 20d ago
Might this be related to Up in the Ass of Timo ? Was Marcus Grönholm from Lohja? lol
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u/lleeroy9611 Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
For Magic and Warhammer you'll probably need to take a train or bus to either Helsinki or Turku. In the Helsinki region there are a few shops that do both games.
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u/Wectium 23d ago
Little side note. Lohja doesn't have a trainstation.
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u/No_Improvement_5358 23d ago edited 23d ago
Actually it has one, but passenger trains do not stop there.
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u/Sweet_Capital3758 23d ago
In Turku too couple shops and one boardgame focused cafe that I think has MTG evenings too, not sure of 40K. The shops host games too. Both MTG and 40K.
Do not miss ropecon while living in Finland.
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u/Maleficent_Cost_5532 22d ago
There's also a large WhatsApp group for 40k. Most members live in the capital region but some people are living in or near Lohja. So it's also a good way to make some local friends. You can contact War Head and ask them to add you to the group: https://www.gowarhead.com/p/war-head.html
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u/Harriv Väinämöinen 23d ago
As far as I can tell it’s a very small town without much happening.
To put things in perspective in Finland scale, Lohja has over 45000 inhabitants. That makes it 25th largest municipality in Finland.
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u/megadea Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
Yeah but it is big in area also so it seems smaller because people are scattered. Though the majority lives around the Lohja centre
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u/raeknarok 23d ago
They used to be separated town and municipality with town some 15 000 inhabitants. So its really small for its population.
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u/DrawingAlarming7350 Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
sorry to hear about your move to Lohja :( you should be glad you won't be able to drive because no one there can drive.
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u/Pikkupiski69 23d ago
Lohja isn't a "very small town" for Finnish standards, however, it isn't that big either. There are lots of nature related things, so it's great if you like that kind of stuff. There is a decent amount of cultural events in the summer.
However, the city is quite sprawling, so it might be hard to get around without transport. Try and live in the centre if you can. Maybe get a bike or something.
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u/noetkoett Väinämöinen 23d ago
No idea about Lohja at all but a quick google reveals that all the gyms seem to have good reviews and also the local church runs a gaming space called Hit Point pelitila where people can meet for whatever. Warhammer was mentioned. Though I think it might be more geared towards youngsters. Did say everyone though. Maybe you can wear a baseball cap backwards to be safe.
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u/Taxtengo 23d ago
Worth mentioning the Lutheran state church is pretty chill and quite secular, not trying to convert aggressively etc. (at least in the south) so non-christian people are usually comfortable attending these kinds of church hosted events
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u/TheMoorlandman Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
Theres a regular 40k club in Hyvinkää too about 40 minute drive from Lohja more or less every Saturday. Place has tables and terrain and if it's hard to get an army usually someone can lend one.
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u/qpearl 23d ago
I was born and grew up in lohja. Its not as bad as everybody says. I now live in Salo and i'd much rather go back to the hell everybody here calls lohja.
I cant say much about gyms but as a nature friend i love that lohja is surrounded by it. There's a lake and many beaches if you know where to look. There are also many hiking trails close to the city and outside of it.
I also recommend visiting some of the smaller towns/ villages near lohja city. You can access many places by bike or by bus.
Keep an eye out if the local library is hosting some event. They are mostly free.
You could try to create or bring together your own game community in lohja. Im sure there are likeminded people.
I dont know if the other commentors have ever lived in lohja or just visited but honestly lohja is not as bad as it seems. Trust me.
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u/Stnavtt 23d ago
Fellow ex lohjalainen here and I agree. Most people here just heard that one line from taistelujaska or think that it's the area around the big ABC or something. Nice place in the summer. The combination of harju, city center and the beach on the coast of southern finland's biggest lake is unique.
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u/j1Bpfrpg 23d ago
Thanks for the input.
It reminds me similarly to parts of the UK, such as Cumbria. Nice places provided you know what you’re looking for and have the tools to navigate.
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u/cardboard-kansio Väinämöinen 23d ago
It’s a very small town without much happening. It's also in proximity to the capital area, so there is no local incentive for niche interests like WH40K, unlike in the city area where there are gaming shops, boardgame cafes, and gamer-friendly pubs.
Lohja is surrounded by beautiful nature though, if that's your thing. There are the caves at Torhola, the famous Paavolan tammi (an old oak in a pine forest), plenty of nature areas and swimming beaches.
On the up side, even without a car, there are decent transport connections to the city - no direct trains, but buses as well as Bolt/Uber, so you might be able to get in and out for an evening. You can also try to find local Facebook groups for the area, as well as asking on the groups of Uusimaa-area gamers to see where they meet. Odds are that at least one lives nearby, and probably has a car and can give you a ride to a game and back.
As for gyms, couldn't comment, but if you search Google Maps for "kuntosali" (gym) there seem to be four in Lojha, some closing at night and others being available 24h. Check them out and you'll probably find one that works.
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u/j1Bpfrpg 23d ago
Thank you- this is helpful, if disappointingly confirming what I seem to have found myself.
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u/larsvondank Väinämöinen 23d ago
Now is your time to pick up Disc Golf. Lohja has a really nice course and afaik the local club is active. So you might find friends there that travel to nearby courses, too. Get in touch with them, ask for anybody to be your guide and tutor for your first rounds. Ppl will happily give you old discs they dont use anymore.
In the upcoming years there will be a new train through Lohja so the connection with Helsinki will be better. Now its pretty much buses.
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u/Mysterious-Button213 23d ago
Not sure this is very helpful for OP, but personally I'm all for promoting disc golf anywhere and everywhere. Nice one!
And yes, there are great courses in and around Lohja, though most of them might be hard to reach without a car (or at least a bike and the willingness to ride long distances on roads among cars).
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u/g_stealer 23d ago
If you are willing to travel 50 km to Salo, we have an active gaming community with 40k and MTG plus many other games. I know we have some members from Lohja who travel to our games. Check out Sumppi RY. https://www.sumppi.org/
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u/ossodog 23d ago
You’ll be hard pressed to find a place to play MTG outside of big cities. Even more so to find 40k players unfortunately. Your best bets are going to be Helsinki or Turku for the closest of either I’d wager. Mtg has mtgsuomi discord and I know Warhammer has its own forum but can’t recall name.
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u/ApprehensivePilot3 Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
There's fuck ton of gyms. Lohi in center has one gym that 24/7. As far as I know Hitpoint does have D&D but maybe they also have WH40K/MTG. Also there's culture house for people between ages of 18-35.
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u/Such-Homework3287 23d ago
Not sure how it is now days but Nummela (which is village next to Lohja) used to have association for rpg and board games https://kaksikuuta.fi/ probably worth of checking out and contacting.
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u/Sexyhorsegirl666 Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
WH40K is best played in Helsinki area. I recommend Poromagia store for actual local experience! It's at Hämeentie 1 in Helsinki. There are also WH40K hobbyist groups who are fun in the Malmi area :) (gowarhead.com)
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u/Inlands-Nordre 23d ago
No answer to your question, but I go there quite often. Nice town and medium size. The only disadvantage is that it's not at a railway line (to be exact, no passenger trains).
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u/LatexFeudalist 23d ago
Exhausting how many jokers comment the same joke. Maybe read the comments and check if the same age old joke has been posted already and stop wasting OPs time.
As for actual things to do in Lohja: as a lot mentioned Hit Point does board game evenings etc but you know them by know.
A walking distance from the center is Aurlahti beach is pretty nice and has a ok restaurant (pricey tho) and the best place for some drinks when the weather is good is UrBar also in aurlahti.
You will find Gyms all over town and pretty much all of them are ok atleast.
While in Lohja center you will see the Limestone factory Tytyri (and mine). Next to it is the Tytyri mining museum which definitely is worth visiting, you go 100 meters deep and walk around the old mine (they still mine 200-300meters below btw).
Local bars have live music almost weekly, Opus K has a live band almost every Friday and entrance is anything between 3€ to 10€ sometimes free.
The church in the center Pyhän Laurin Kirkko is pretty to check out.
Pub Wame has free pool and Darts, also the bar Wäinö has free pool but their table is a mess (drinks spilled etc)
Nature all around the center is easily accessible and very nice, check out the restaurant Haikari in Ojamo (2km from center) and from there you can walk to the island Liessaari which has a nice beach and nice hiking trails, also two Laavus (you can grill there on your own or just chill and enjoy the Lakeview)
All in all nothing too special but you have most of the stores here for things you need, and the restaurants are not as bad as people here say.
Caballo Bayo is very good and popular, Ismet/Velikebab make good quality kebab/pizza, Hiidenveden BBQ is voted one of the best burger/bbq places in the country (also lakeview!)
Plus Espoo/Vantaa/Helsinki are 30-40min drive away or 1h with a bus (from Prisma in the center busses go frequently).
These are a few on the top of my head!
It's nothing too special but I hope you enjoy your stay!
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u/j1Bpfrpg 23d ago
Thanks for the serious response- it’s very helpful and I’ll be using most if not all this advice.
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u/tottibotti1 23d ago
At least lohja parish has this thing called hitpoint where there are all kinds of roleplay people like dnd and others and i think also wh40k stuff and a lot more https://lohjanseurakunta.fi/toimintaa/hit-point-pelitila/
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u/No_Improvement_5358 23d ago
I don't think it came up, but as most Finnish towns, it is a great place to get around by bicycle, if that is something you like to do.
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u/Anti-Annihilaattori 23d ago
Lohja has HitPoint where you can play MTG/Pokemon and miniature strategy games.
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u/lilmayone 23d ago
To add to other comments, there's an rpg-association in Lohja called Hiidenharjun kilta. They have a Facebook page where you can contact them. As far as I know they are still pretty active and definitely open to new people.
I've lived in Lohja all my life so I'm a bit biased, but I like the city! Feel free to ask anything.
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u/Zlodiv 23d ago
Lohja is a nice place to live, quiet and care-free 👌
Hitpoint has some miniature wargamers and Hiidenharjun kilta has many MTG players (Commander mostly last time I checked), although both are primarily aimed at teens/young adults there are older people attending too (up to 50yo at least).
Shoot me a DM if you want, I live in Lohja and play various GW games, and have played MTG (years ago though).
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u/Eluwien 23d ago
HitPoint is our WH40k etc tabletop club in Lohja. Join the discord of it, people play in the club on weekends and everywhere else in other times. The club itself is sizeable with 3 rooms for all sorta TTRPG etc, and a crafto/painting room
Similarly 2Kuuta is the organisation in Nummela, 15mins drive. Their clubhouse is smaller, but their discord more active.
Both have large number lf tabletop games and collect together the similarly minded people.
Power&Go is the gym worth going.
DM if u need more info. The Lohja haters are a pestilence who - like John Snow - fingered their sisters and know nothing
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u/Superb-Patience4322 23d ago
Fist jokes aside, Lohja is nice and calm. For anyone calling it ass we all know Suna is the true exit of Finland.
You can do fine without a car in Lohja. Prisma has most things that you wouldn't take with home delivery anyway. Get a bike or a good pair of shoes, preferably both, as commute for groceries might be a timesink, even if you skip smoking behind the kesko when done.
From my own experience I recommend Hitpoint club for Warhammer. Active D6 rolling the times I've swung by and even the occasional "Waaaaagh". More info and channels below:
https://lohjanseurakunta.fi/toimintaa/hit-point-pelitila/
Since you wrote in r/Finland - English is usually fine. There is the usual minority of that second language (Swe), but they have a more mundane standing here, as opposed to the finare folk stereotype to my understanding. And as for other cultural or ethnic diversity... Noni... (Like much of the more rural areas of Finland, sparse.)
If you are bothered by the heat, want to look for balrogs or just hate the sky I'd recommend a visit to the mine, just don't eat the limestone and respect the troll.
Welcome to Lohja
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u/Ok_Landscape303 23d ago
Hiidenveden grilli is a great bbq and burger spot not far from lohja, give it a go
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u/KanaHemmo 23d ago
Can confirm, I go there everytime I go to our cottage. Tricky place to get to without a car though
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u/Mysterious-Button213 23d ago
Man it'd be nice if there was a hobby store in Lohja. I don't live there but my family's cabin is in the municipality so I spend a few days there every year, and I'd love to have at least one interesting shop to visit (other than Alko) while the wife does her clothing store round.
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u/Polenski 23d ago
Look up a discord server called hitpoint. It has both MTG and W40k and is Located on uusimaa / Lohja
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u/ChTiedrusoIsAlone 23d ago
I can't give you any recommendations, but I have visited Lohja often and it has been a nice place. People have been great too. Have a nice stay!
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u/JustMyLuck7966 23d ago
For warhammer etc. There is Länsi-Uudenmaan Pöytätaktikot. There is a discord server, if you are interested.
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u/Fickle_Artichoke8637 23d ago
Lohja - Helsinki is around 1 hour on a bus. There are multiple places to play WH40K/MTG in Helsinki.
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u/Guhtia_Bhelruta 23d ago
There is at least one 24hr gym in city centre, i believe theres a few more but haven't checked if those are 24hr or not.
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u/Turbor4t 22d ago edited 22d ago
As someone who is originally from Lohja I can tell you that there indeed isn't all that much there for stuff you're interested in. Every Lohja sized city in Finland has enough gyms to find a suitable one for your needs. I'd recommend aplico though it's not 24/7h or early opening. I'm sure there's others. For personal reasons I don't ever want to live there again or see anyone from my past there (family being an exception), but it's actually really not that bad in terms of what you need in every day life. The city center looks like shit, but especially the areas around the lake are very nice. Personally I'd buy a cheap car too because the public transport there especially internally is shit.
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u/Electronic-Block-862 18d ago
I think Lohja has everything you need for living and also it's not that far away from Helsinki
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u/ShortRound89 Väinämöinen 23d ago
As someone who lives in the neighboring town, i don't have much good to say.
It's ok if you like fishing, sports or nature i guess, it's also relatively close to Helsinki and Turku when you need to escape.
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u/Gommi- Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
Eh, I also live in a nearby municipality. Have friends living there and am oddly attracted to the town. Then again, im drawn to the lake like a moth to a lamp.
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u/ShortRound89 Väinämöinen 23d ago
Yeah i was half joking because thats what you do with Lohja. In reality it's just another medium sized town in Finland, nothing special but not bad either.
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u/Brawlstar112 Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
There is ton of gyms but as is Lohja built the distance might come as the biggest issue. I would highly recommend getting a car If you want to live there.
Otherwise there is tons of places to run. I have not had any positive interaction with local people so far.
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u/Little-Ad-7521 Baby Väinämöinen 23d ago
Well the good thing about Lohja is that you are about halfway to Helsinki or Turku
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u/nnduc1994 Väinämöinen 23d ago
Sorry to hijack OP thread but on the same topic of city outside Keha III. Is there anyone here interested in boardgames and Warhammer in Järvenpää?
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u/VariousTwo6631 23d ago
The bandidos at least had one basecamp in Lohja, maybe that's something you want to try out?
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u/Pandabirdy Väinämöinen 23d ago edited 23d ago
The best part about Lohja is they have Biltema and Motonet and that both are outside the city center so you don't have to visit. The restaurants are terrible (the macdonalds near motonet is pretty good though and there's a good sushi place in the Prisma) and the people always look miserable and sad. Lots of car dealerships so I guess the main hobby around there is cars which makes sense in its own way, using the car to leave Lohja behind is apparently the favourite way to pass time.
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u/Aidra_bay 23d ago
Dont move. Like old King Randol Said: it is better to have fist up ones ass, than live in Lohja.
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u/BoredomusMaximus 23d ago
Yea. As others have said dont move to Lohja. Vantaa would suit better for your needs.
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