Old Porvoo

Old Porvoo is the historic core of Porvoo, a town on the Porvoonjoki river in eastern Uusimaa, Finland, about 50 kilometres east of Helsinki. Porvoo was already a trading town in the 14th century, and the old quarter on the hill below the cathedral still follows an irregular medieval street plan with narrow cobbled lanes, which is unusual in Finland, where many old towns burned or were replanned. Most buildings visible today are wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, painted in ochre, pink, and pale yellow, with low doorways, courtyards and small shops. Along the river stand the red-painted wooden warehouses that once held goods brought by sea and river trade, and which have become one of the most photographed views in Finland. The Porvoo Museum, in the Old Town Hall from 1764 and the neighbouring Holm House, shows collections of local furniture, art, and everyday objects, and tells of the town's trade, the Diet of 1809, and the life of its merchant families. Porvoo Cathedral crowns the hill above, and the old town was also home to the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, whose house is a museum a short walk away. The town centre has been protected for conservation, with owners required to follow rules for repairs and colours, and it remains a living neighbourhood with galleries, cafes, craft shops, and restaurants. Visitors typically spend two to four hours exploring on foot, and the area is easy to combine with a river boat trip or a bus ride from Helsinki that takes about an hour.