Porvoo walking tour & city guide

The old town

The rust-red riverside storehouses are the town's symbol. Cobbled lanes climb to the medieval Porvoo Cathedral, and small shops sell chocolate, crafts and antiques.

Visiting tips

Porvoo is an easy day trip from Helsinki by bus or, in summer, by boat. Try a Runeberg cake, named after the national poet who lived here.

A day in Porvoo

Walk through the old town's cobbled streets, past colorful wooden houses, to the medieval cathedral. Photograph the red riverside storehouses from the bridge.

Try Runeberg torte, a pastry named after the national poet who lived here.

Why it is worth the trip

Porvoo, founded in the 14th century, is the second-oldest town in Finland and one of the best-preserved wooden towns in the Nordic countries. Its red ochre storehouses along the river were once used to store goods traded with Tallinn and Stockholm. The old town's steep lanes are full of small shops selling chocolate, ceramics and design. Porvoo is about 50 kilometers east of Helsinki, an easy day trip by bus, or in summer by a boat cruise along the coast.