Welcome to the World’s first digi guided municipal park with edible wild plants! It was opened 10th of May, 2021 as part of the Lahti European Green Capital year of 2021.
Horta Park is the area within the fences of Radio and TV Museum park. The opening hours of the park are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on workdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. When the museum (on your right hand side after the gate) is open you can use lavatories there and buy coffee and other berages plus souveniers in the cafeteria. Note! Museum is closed on Mondays. Then the closest lavatory is the last doors of a long building next to the near by sporting field.
It is safe to collect wild herbs from the park and it is allowed (with reasonable amounts like a ”handful”) as no dogs are allowed to walk on the greens and they have not been sprayed with pestisides or such chemicals.
Instructions to use the QR code guiding for plants
If you have a modern mobile phone, all you have to do is point your camera towards the QR codes on the pillars. You will be suggested to tap a link on your screen and that will lead you to a web page introducing the plant next to the pillar. Please, refrain from picking many plants around the pillar so that you leave plants for recognizing to the others as well. Some plants have been newly planted in the park as they did grow there in the beginning. After recognizing the plant you can pick them elsewhere in the park, later in your neighbouring nature being sure what you pick.
There are 11 pillars alltogether in the park according to the map below where the star signs are. This info poster is where the blue star is. Unfortunately, the plant pages are not yet translated into English, but you can find the name of the plant in your own language using the scientific name on the pillar.
If you see trained guides with the Hortapuisto (Horta Park) logo in the park, you can ask them about the plants. And get some tastings if you join their tour. The guide will charge you 10€ for the walk and tastings.
Note! If you are in the neighbourhood in the beginning of August, you can come to Messilä Manor House near Lahti in Hollola to join the biggest edible wild plant event in the world: HORTA2021 HOLLOLLA. No entrance fee.