Porvoo

The small town of Porvoo, not far from the Finnish capital Helsinki, sits between forests and water on the Porvoonjoki river and is one of the prettiest towns in Finland.

The riverside setting, the colorful wooden houses and the narrow cobbled lanes with their pretty cafés and small shops give Porvoo an atmosphere of its own. The town works both as a day trip from Helsinki and as a vacation base for exploring the surrounding area and the capital.

About Porvoo

Porvoo was founded about 800 years ago and is Finland's second-oldest town after Turku. It lies 50 kilometers east of Helsinki and is also known as a summer town, since that's when the place shows its particular charm.

The narrow lanes are always busy. People sit in the small, cozy cafés or browse the pretty interior design shops, always on the lookout for the special pieces this area is known for.

Porvoo is not directly on the coast, but the Porvoonjoki river connects it to the Gulf of Finland. In summer, the steamboat trips on the river from Helsinki to Porvoo, or the other way around, are popular.

Porvoo's long history is easiest to see on a walk through the town's historic quarter. Small wonder that Porvoo has been home and inspiration to various Finnish artists for centuries.

By the way: both Finnish and Swedish are spoken in Porvoo.

The best sights in Porvoo

If you're traveling to Porvoo in Finland, the following sights belong on your to-do list.

The historic quarter

Porvoo's historic quarter is like a very particular kind of open-air museum. As you walk the original cobblestones through the narrow lanes, you can admire the town's original architecture along the way. It isn't actually a museum, of course: about 800 Finns really do live and work here.

What makes the historic quarter special are its red-painted wooden houses along the river, known as the landmark of Porvoo. They owe their red color to King Gustav III, in whose honor they were painted at the time. Porvoo was an important trading center back then, and the red wooden houses served as warehouses for goods such as exotic specialties from faraway countries.

Porvoo Cathedral

One of Porvoo's best-known buildings is the cathedral with its imposing bell tower in the middle of the old town. It was built in the 14th century and has had to survive five fires since. The last fire, in 2006, was arson. After two years of renovation, the church reopened to the public in 2008.

Holm House

Built in 1763, Holm House is in the center of Porvoo and gives visitors a glimpse into the life of a well-to-do merchant family at the end of the 18th century. The ground floor has changing exhibitions and a museum shop.

The Runeberg Museum

Johan Ludvig Runeberg was Finland's national poet and lived in Porvoo with his wife and two sons. Their home has been turned into a museum where you can see the family's artworks, the fox-fur room with Runeberg's hunting weapons, and cabinets full of fine porcelain. It's especially lovely here in summer, when the garden air smells of fruit trees and roses.

Food and drink in Porvoo

Porvoo is considered one of the best addresses in southern Finland when it comes to delicacies. Finns knew this as early as the 19th century, when they traveled from the capital specifically to visit Porvoo's cafés and restaurants.

In Porvoo, modern cooking meets Finnish tradition, so guests can look forward to Scandinavian and Finnish dishes as well as international flavors on their plates. Alongside local specialties and organic produce, a lot of care goes into carefully selected beers and wines.

If you need a break while strolling through Porvoo's old town, the pleasant Café Fanny is a good bet. The coffee and pastries are excellent.

A popular restaurant is Porvoon Paahtimo, in a fine spot by the river, with a very good selection of wine and beer.

The culinary highlight is the SMAKU gourmet festival, held in Porvoo every August. Participating restaurants offer small specialty bites for little money, so you can happily eat your way through Porvoo's old town.

Things to do in Porvoo

Beyond the tourist attractions, Porvoo offers its visitors some worthwhile activities.

The Old Station

For fans of art and good food, a visit to the Old Station is a must. The building houses a hardware store, an upholstery workshop, an art gallery and a summer café.

Browsing the warehouse next door is worth it too: you can buy local handicrafts as well as organic baked goods and treats.

The archipelago

The archipelago is the island-dotted sea off the coast of Finland, made up of thousands of small islands, skerries and rocks. Along the rugged Baltic coast you'll find long sandy beaches and coves.

On a tour along the coast, a visit to the 150-year-old Söderskär lighthouse in the Porvoo archipelago near Helsinki is well worth it.

Boat trips on the Porvoonjoki river

Boat trips on the Porvoonjoki river are very popular. You can take a themed cruise on the steam ferry, for example, or travel by boat from Porvoo to Helsinki or the other way around.

Virvik recreation area

The Virvik recreation area is close to Porvoo's town center and has some fine hiking trails through varied terrain. There is also a golf course on a manor estate, a small marina, a beach for swimming in the sea and a nature trail.

Virvik has both easy trails and more demanding ones, such as the route to the Holken lean-to. The way there includes steep climbs and descents over rocky ground that gets slippery in the rain.

Around Porvoo

The countryside around Porvoo has some lovely destinations for day trips too, so there's something to suit every taste.

Nature trails, hiking with something to learn

The Ekudden nature trail is only 3 kilometers from Porvoo's town center and is about 1.5 kilometers long. Allow 1 to 2 hours for the walk, because there is so much to see along the way.

The one-kilometer Gammelbacka nature trail lies in a forest between Gammelbacka and Hamar and connects to the tree-species trail. Information boards explain the local trees and plants.

Just a few kilometers south of Porvoo's town center is the Sikosaari nature trail. The path leads through rocky pine forest and along the shoreline reeds. At the edge of the reeds there is a viewing platform for birdwatching.

The Malmgård brewery

The Malmgård brewery sits in beautiful countryside and is housed in a cowshed. Brewmaster Tuomas Markkula has been brewing his beer here since 2009, using organically grown Finnish oat malt from the estate's own fields. Even the water comes from Malmgård's own spring.

Several different beers are brewed and can be tasted on site. In summer, a café serves spelt pancakes with coffee or beer on the terrace.

Malmgård Manor

Malmgård Manor is the estate of the Creutz family and shows visitors, quite impressively, how wealthy Finns lived here over the past centuries. Guided tours are offered, and they're especially memorable when a family member leads them.

Although the interiors, not least the ballroom with its lavish wall and ceiling paintings, practically beg to be photographed, photos are off-limits. The two-story building was constructed between 1882 and 1885 and shows elements of the northern French Renaissance. It was built mostly of exposed brick.

The giant's kettles of Askola

The twenty cylindrical giant's kettles (also called glacial potholes) lie in the municipality of Askola in the eastern part of the southern Finnish province of Uusimaa. They were formed toward the end of the last ice age by swirling meltwater and stones.

The largest kettle is 4.2 meters wide and a full 10.3 meters deep. If you're feeling brave, you can climb down into the kettles on steep ladders.

The kettle area consists of natural forest and meadow and is open year-round. Since the pothole site itself is a steep rock slope, stairs with railings have been built for safety. A visit with a wheelchair or stroller is unfortunately not possible. There is an entrance fee.

Getting to Porvoo

• Plane: Fly from Germany to Helsinki in Finland, then continue by taxi, bus or rental car to Porvoo.

• Car: With your own car, take the ferry from Travemünde to Helsinki. From there it's only 50 kilometers to Porvoo.

Where to stay in Porvoo

Depending on budget and preferences, visitors to Porvoo stay in one of the many hotels, an apartment, a bed & breakfast or a cozy vacation home.

Conclusion

Whether as a day trip or as a vacation base, Porvoo is one of the prettiest towns in southern Finland, close to Helsinki.

Its sights are few but no less interesting for it, such as the historic quarter with its red wooden houses and the old town. Add the lovely setting on the Porvoonjoki river and everything you can do there, and Porvoo in Finland is definitely worth a trip.

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