Porvoo
Population 51,000 / 60.2 degrees north
Porvoo, Finland
Porvoo is one of Finland’s six medieval cities and was first mentioned in history around the beginning of the 14th century. Porvoo old town is charming thanks to its 15th-century church and 18th and 19th century buildings, and is only 50km from Helsinki, making it a fantastic place to visit for the day.
Fun Facts About Porvoo
Latitude: 60.2 degrees north
Population: 50,000
Porvoo coat-of-arms
In this Travel Guide...
Map of Porvoo
Uniquely Porvoo
Here are some things that you must do and try in Porvoo
Historic Centre
Porvoo Old Town
Porvoo’s old town follows the dense medieval street pattern with wooden houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. Many of the houses now have craft boutiques, galleries and souvenir shops.
Food
Runeberg Torte
The Runeborg Torte is a Porvoo delicacy and was developed by a local pastry master. It’s an almond-rum cake and was supposedly the favourite breakfast place for poet JL Runeberg. Traditionally it’s eaten on his birthday, but in Porvoo you can get them at Helmi Tea & Coffee House.
Food
Brunberg
Brunberg is a well-known chocolate factory from Porvoo. They specialise in hand-made chocolates and liquorice treats.
Things to See & Do
Here’s an overview of some of the best things to see and do in Porvoo
Cathedral
Porvoo Cathedral
Porvoo Cathedral is from the 15th century and is one of the main icons of the town. This is where Tsar Alexander I convened the first Diet of Finland in 1809, giving Finland religious freedom.
Museum
Porvoo Museum
Porvoo Museum is located on the Town Hall Square. The town hall building has most of the collection, with artefacts relating to the history of the town.
Museum
Runeberg Museum
National poet JL Runeberg’s former home is now a preserved museum and well worth visiting.
Hikes, Day Trips & Experiences
Looking to go for a hike or take part in a unique experience? Here are our recommendations!
Village
Kotka
An hours drive from Porvoo is Kotka, a seaside village that celebrates the local swash-buckling history.
At the Maritime Centre, you can see icebreakers and learn about various notorious shipwrecks. The museum recounts Finland’s seafaring life. The headline attraction is the Tarmo, the wrold’s oldest icebreaker (1907), which was in use until 1970.
Road-Trips
Follow our road-trip guides for scenic trips around Porvoo
Self-Guided Walks
Porvoo on YouTube
Watch our YouTube videos featuring Porvoo
History of Porvoo
The area around Porvoo has been inhabited since the Stone Age and the river Porvoonjoki was an important route for commerce for the Finnish tribal Tavastians.
Porvoo was colonised by the Swedes in the 13th and 14th centuries after the Second Crusade against the Tavastians and conversion to Catholicism. Porvoo grew as an important trading town.
After Sweden had to cede Finland to Russia in 1809, the Diet of Porvoo in 1809 was a landmark in the history of Finland.
Porvoo Today
Today Porvoo is a bilingual city, with 64.1% of the population speaking Finnish and 28.3% of the population speaking Swedish.
Travel Information
Getting Here
Fly: Closest airport is Helsinki.
Drive: Porvoo is located on the E18 between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Buses travel between Porvoo and Helsinki every 30 minutes or so and the drive takes one hour.
Train: There are many trains connecting Turku to Helsinki and the journey only takes 2 hours. You can also take the train to Oulu and Tampere from here.
Ferry: It is possible to arrive on Porvoo from a cruise from Helsinki. The steamship JL Runeberg cruises from Helsinki’s Market Square to Porvoo’s passenger harbour in summer – the journey is 3.5 hours one way.
Getting Around
You can easily walk around Porvoo, though be wary of cobblestones and hills, especially in winter.
Shops
Places to Eat
Cafes & Bakeries
Cafe Postres is a lovely dessert cafe.
Helmi Tea & Coffee House is where you can try various cakes and sweets, including the Runeberg Torte.
Café Cabriole has a lunch buffet and cakes house in an art nouveau building.
Quick Bites
Reasonable Restaurants
Fryysarinranta has local delicacies, including Porvoo snails. It is in one of the old town red buildings.
High End & Unique Eats
Bosgård is a farm restaurant with organic foods.
Places to Stay
Hostels & Camping
Porvoon Retkeilymaja is a hostel close to the town centre in a wooden house.
B&Bs & Guesthouses
Ida Maria is a nice B&B in an wold wooden building on the main square.
Chains & Mid-Range
High End & Unique Properties
Hotel Runo is a modern boutique hotel in a historic art nouveau building, with art exhibits and an attic spa.
Hotelli Onni is opposite the cathedral and is a gold-coloured wooden building. Each room is unique.
Hotelli Parissin Ville is a plush place with modern luxury. Some rooms have mini saunas.
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