Heinola

Heinola (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈhei̯nolɑ]) is a town and a municipality of 17,694 inhabitants (31 December 2025) located in the eastern part of the Päijät-Häme region, Finland, near the borders of the South Savo region and the Kymenlaakso region. It is the third largest municipality in the region in terms of population after Lahti and Hollola. The neighbour municipalities of Heinola are Asikkala, Hartola, Iitti, Kouvola, Mäntyharju, Nastola, Pertunmaa and Sysmä. In the coat of arms of Heinola, the Tavastia's provincial animal, the Eurasian lynx, crosses a fess resembling an arch bridge; it refers to the Jyränkö Bridge (Jyrängönsilta) from 1932, which crosses Jyrängönvirta, the smaller part of the Kymi River. The coat of arms was designed by Gustaf von Numers and approved by the Heinola Town Council at its meeting on 23 September 1958. The coat of arms was approved for use by the Ministry of the Interior on 11 November of the same year. In June 2024, Heinola was included in The Times newspaper's list of 30 attractive summer destinations where people can vacation without the oppressive heat.