Porvoo, the second oldest town in Finland, has been magnetizing people to fall in love with it. The strongest attraction would probably be from the medieval town’s signature red ochre painted riverside warehouses.
Initially, we were undecided about visiting Porvoo as we only found out about this wonderful heritage town after finalizing our travel itinerary (which mainly cover Helsinki and Lapland). However, we were so lucky that the earliest bus departs from Helsinki Bus Station at 5.40am with the return bus back to Helsinki at an almost hourly frequency. From the moment we discovered this town, we were trying so hard to squeeze it into our packed itinerary (which is almost impossible) until we came across this early bus which made our dreams come true.
Note: As our flight to Rovaniemi was scheduled at 2.00pm, we didn’t have any other choice but to visit Porvoo this early in the morning.
The bus journey took about an hour to reach Porvoo. To our surprise, the old town and the new town is separated by the main road (a three-lane road). Just by crossing the road, you will be transported to either the olden days or the modern era of Porvoo. The new town wasn’t what we came for. We were only here to explore the old town where the evidence of its long history can still be seen.
Our first steps on the medieval town began with this yellow stone building, Finland’s oldest departmental store named Simolin House.
Walking deeper into the town, we noticed that there are plenty of cafés, restaurants, souvenir shops and handicrafts shops. It was unfortunate that we were here too early as none of them were open yet hence we didn’t have any chance to check them out. From what we heard, there are some famous chocolate makers around here.
Next stop is this building which seems to have a strong element of either the Russians or the Swedish. It used to be the Old Town Hall but it is now the Porvoo Museum.
By following the trail, we got to see many historical buildings. You may be wondering which trail we are walking on and how did we get the information of the buildings in the town. Just stay with us and we promise to tell you everything we know especially the tips to visit this marvelous place.
After walking pass the Porvoo Cathedral, we noticed that the houses still kept their ancient design with people living in it. Lights were being switched off, locals were washing their car, driving out of their houses and walking their dogs. Please be reminded not to make too much noise and keep the area clean in order not to disturb the people here. Heritage places like this are meant to be protected by everyone. #enjoyrespectoldporvoo
An autumn visit is pretty cool because the cool dense air and the cobbled streets partially filled with autumn leaves left us an astounding experience. Well, it shows that we were almost at the end of the trail as we spotted the ultimate attraction which brought us here!
The fantastic autumn view of red warehouses was just right there waiting for us as we crossed the Old Bridge. Nevertheless, the views from the Old Bridge looking at both sides are pretty nice too!
Finally, here we are! We spent some time taking photos of all the different angles available to make sure that every beautiful view was captured for our memories. This is not the end of the blog post as we would love to share some tips (cheaper fares, route apps, etc.) which might guide you to explore Porvoo better.
Getting to Porvoo
Besides driving, the most convenient way to get here is by bus. The bus journey only takes about an hour from Helsinki and its frequency is almost every hour. The bus fare costs EUR9 per trip.
Tips: It is advisable to purchase the bus ticket online in advance because we noticed that the ticket only cost approximately EUR4 to EUR5 per trip with its online special offer. You can visit the bus operator’s official website here for more information.
If you are visiting during summer, there is another option which is the m/s J.L. Runeberg and Royal Line's m/s RoyalCat cruise operating almost daily between Helsinki and Porvoo.
Getting around Porvoo
By Foot: The best way to experience Porvoo is definitely by foot. Every street and amazing view is just within a short walking distance. If you are feeling tired, you can always look for a café, sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with a piece of pastry.
By Bicycle: If you would like to explore the town by cycling around, you can always rent a bicycle at the Porvoo City Tourist Information located at the Art Factory. A cycling map is available for your reference. Visit the official website of Porvoo here for more information.
Recommended Porvoo exploration routes
You can easily spend half a day exploring this medieval town of Old Porvoo. The moment you get down at Porvoo’s bus terminal, don’t forget to get a map and a copy of Porvoo City Guide at the terminal’s waiting area. The city guide has a recommended 2 km route marked on the adjacent map with some brief introduction about the town and its buildings.
Just in case the city guide is not available, we strongly recommend downloading the app, Nomadi, which has exactly the same function. With this app, you can just walk around and explore the town using your phone or tablet.
Note: Make sure to download this Porvoo route into the app before the trip.
This app works well without internet access. All you need is a working GPS on your phone/tablet and a downloaded route or map. In the downloaded route, it basically highlights the main attractions of the old town together with its brief introduction and history. Nonetheless, if you are planning to spend an entire day here, you can just skip this and explore the town at your own pace.
After visiting this astonishing old town of Porvoo, we felt blissful to be able to witness the magnificent sight of the red ochre painted riverside warehouses accompanied by the colorful autumn leaves. The only regret that we had is we couldn’t experience the town’s atmosphere when the cafés, restaurants and shops are open. Anyway, there is never a perfect trip and this is why there is sometimes a second visit to accomplish something that was left out during the first visit. Enjoy every travel moments, readers!
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