Porvoo is an old merchant settlement, considered to be the second oldest city in Finland. Already in 1380 it received the rights to trade in the Baltic region, and almost all the furs harvested by Finnish and Saami hunters were sold further to Europe in this settlement.

The distance from Helsinki is only 50 km along the coast to the East. From Helsinki, the easiest way to get here is by bus from Kamppi bus station (Simonkatu 3, Helsinki, Finland-300 meters west of the central railway station). The bus service between Helsinki and Porvoo is very busy, with several buses per hour at 10-13 €. In addition, from the pier Linnanlaituri in Helsinki Market Square (Kauppatori) you can get to Porvoo by water: by modern boat Royal Line or by its analog built in 1912 – boat J.L. Runeberg. The cost of the ticket for either of them is 35 € (for children – 16 €).

Today Porvoo is a neat and cozy Scandinavian town with cobblestone streets, substantial houses on high stone foundations and an amazing atmosphere. The old town in Porvoo is a real attraction in itself, the narrow untidy streets with wooden gates and shutters in the windows, the town hall, the cathedral, the merchant barns and piers on the river bank – the sight of this picturesque picture makes you feel like you’re traveling back in time.

Especially interesting after the old part of the city is to walk through the “new” part, the buildings of the beginning of the 19th century.