Kangasala

Kangasala is a town in Finland, located in the Pirkanmaa region. It lies to the east of the regional capital, Tampere. The population of Kangasala is approximately 34,000, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 428,000. It is the 34th most populous municipality in Finland. Kangasala was founded in 1865. The town covers an area of 870.86 km2 (336.24 sq mi) of which 212.83 km2 (82.17 sq mi) is water. The population density is 52.25 inhabitants per square kilometre (135.3/sq mi). Kangasala is known for its mansions, such as Liuksiala, where the Swedish queen Karin Månsdotter lived as a widow, and Wääksy. Kangasala has a long history of tourism due to its cultural aspect, especially its museums. The landscape includes ridges and lakes. For example, the lakes Roine, Längelmävesi and Vesijärvi are located in Kangasala. These lakes are mentioned in Topelius' poem. Lake Vesijärvi is known as the lake with the scenic view described in the poem. The municipality of Sahalahti was merged with Kangasala in 2005 and the municipality of Kuhmalahti in 2011.