The municipality bordered Hämeenlinna, Hattula, Hauho, Tuulos, Lammi, Janakkala and Renko.

Vanaja is a name commonly used about the excavation site of an Iron Age settlement in central Tavastia, Finland, opposite to the later Häme Castle in Varikonniemi.

It is possibly the "town of Vanai" mentioned once in a Novgorod chronicle that describes how it was destroyed by Novgorodian forces in 1311 CE.

[2] The men of Novgorod went in war over sea to the country of the Germans,[3] against the Finnish (Yem) people, with Prince Dmitri Romanovich and having crossed the sea they first occupied the Kupets ("Merchant") river,[4] they burned villages, and captured people and destroyed the cattle.

Excavations have so far covered only a small fraction of the area, and its nature as a town-like settlement or just an ordinary rural site has been disputed.

The medieval church of Vanaja is located about 3 km (2 mi) south-east of the Iron Age settlement, on a cape, that may have served as the local place of sacrifice.