Note: Javascript is disabled in your browser.
To see the gallery in all its glory, you'll need to enable Javascript.
Introducing Porvoo
An enduringly popular day or overnight trip from Helsinki, Porvoo (Swedish: Borgå), 50km east of Helsinki, is the second-oldest town in Finland after Turku. Officially it has been a town since 1346, but even before that Porvoo was an important trading centre.
Advertisement
There are three distinct sections to the city: the Old Town, the new town and the 19th-century Empire quarter, built Russian style under the rule of Tsar Nicholas I. The Old Town, with its tightly clustered wooden houses, cobbled streets and riverfront setting, is one of the most picturesque in Finland. During the day, its craft shops are bustling with visitors; if you can stay the night, you'll have it more or less to yourself. The old painted buildings are spectacular in the setting sun.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Advertisement
