Porvoo Old Town, Porvoo, Finland

Porvoo was first mentioned in documents in the early 14th century, and Porvoo was given city rights around 1380, even though according to some sources the city was founded in 1346. Porvoo is famed for its old town (Gamla Stan in Swedish), a dense medieval street pattern with predominantly wooden houses. The town was mainly destroyed by fire in 1760 and current buildings were built after that.

Today Porvoo old town is a pictoresque tourist attraction. Many of the boutiques and services are located on Jokikatu and Välikatu Streets and around the church, but it's also worth looking a bit further. In the sidestreets and lanes it's easy to take a step back in time and forget the modern world. The small idyllic parks and sleepy cobbled streets among the houses entice the visitors to linger and reflect on the past.

The Old Town came close to being demolished in the 19th century by a new urban plan for the city. The plan was cancelled due to a popular resistance headed by Count Louis Sparre.

The red-coloured wooden storage buildings on the riverside are a proposed UNESCO world heritage site. Already by the early 19th century the authorities understood the value of the old town, and so with the need for growth a plan was made for a 'new town' built adjacent to the old town, following a grid plan but with houses also built in wood.

References:

Porvoo.fi

User Reviews

C Ford (12 months ago)
Pretty little town, with a lovely cathedral and beautiful views of the red-painted wooden huts in the town when seen from a walk around the nearby Castle Hill. It's a very worthwhile bus journey from Helsinki, taking about 45 minutes. So it makes a great half-day trip.

E Lukina (14 months ago)
Such a lovely old town with cozy narrow streets full of souvenir shops and cafés. Architecture is authentic but kept in a good condition. It can be windy on the river promenade.

shruti goyal (15 months ago)
Such a charming beautiful place right out of Hallmark series,to stroll around for few hours and conveniently located by bus from Helsinki - we took Omni bus and it was a smooth ride to and fro. Definitely a must if you are in Helsinki and have few hours to spare

TH3 TR/\V1R (2 years ago)
Porvoo old town is worth a visit for exploring traditional Finnish architecture. It's a small area with cafés, shops, restaurants, a church and close to the river. All the way in the back you'll find a nice park area to wall around in. All walkable distance, also from the main bus station and shopping mall.

Kajal (2 years ago)
Lovely little place to visit for a day trip from Helsinki! It’s got all the medieval feels - cobblestone streets, tiny boutique shops, colourful houses and artisanal outlets. We found a really good chocolate shop that had amazing variety. Beautiful to walk around and get a pint / hot chocolate with a meal.

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