Aulanko Nature Reserve is the finest natural area in the Hämeenlinna region — a forested promontory on Lake Vanajavesi, about four kilometres north of the city centre, where trails wind through old-growth forest, past a swan lake, and up to a granite observation tower with panoramic views across the Finnish lake district.
From the top of the tower on a clear day, the view extends over water and islands and forest with almost no sign of human habitation — one of those Finnish landscapes that makes the country's reputation for wilderness comprehensible even from a small inland city. The tower is free to climb and takes about twenty minutes to reach on foot from the car park at the reserve entrance.
The Aulanko Hotel sits within the reserve and offers the unusual option of staying inside a protected nature area. The walking trails are well-marked and passable year-round; in winter, they are used for cross-country skiing. The reserve also contains the ruins of Aulanko Castle, a medieval hill fort that pre-dates the romantic landscape by several centuries.