Sunday 20 July 2014

Visiting Porvoo - Finland


On Saturday, Scott and I decided to do the touristy thing and take a little drive over to the picturesque city/town of Porvoo. (It's referred to as both; although I'm sure it is technically a city.) Situated about 40 minutes outside of Helsinki, Porvoo is an ideal location for those wanting to explore a little more of what Finland has to offer.


Porvoo is Finland's second oldest town and is comprised of the old town, the new town and the Empire quarter. Scott and I visited the old town which is made up of quaint cobbled streets, quirky little shops and stalls and more cafes/restaurants than you could possibly ever wish for. 


Situated by the river, wooden former warehouses have become one of the main attractions in Porvoo, due to their unique, brick-red colour. Most of the old town is made up of wooden houses, similarly painted in a mixture of brights and soft pastel colours. 


We couldn't resist stopping off for ice-cream down by the water front as it was a scorcher of a day! Scott opted for a vanilla cone, whilst I went for a yummy mint chocolate tub. 


At the top of a small hill sits Porvoo's historic cathedral which overlooks the wooden rooftops and cobbled streets below. There was a wedding taking place when we arrived so we took a few pictures, cheered along with everyone as the newlyweds emerged from the building and then swiftly left them to it. 


We headed waterside for a spot of lunch at one of the cafes. There's a number of places that offer the chance of eating aboard a boat, moored up along the banking. We decided to stay on dry land - mostly due to the fact that there were a scary number of seagulls circling said boats and I didn't really fancy being pooped on. 


Once we had eaten our late lunch, we headed back down the cobbled streets to explore the souvenir shops, before heading home. 


If you ever find yourself in Southern Finland, Porvoo is definitely worth a day trip as there is so much to see and take in, especially when the weather is nice during the Summer months. Make sure you wear sensible footwear if you are visiting the old town as those cobbled streets are tricky, even in flats. Most of all, make sure you pack a camera so you can capture the lovely scenery at its finest!
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16 comments

  1. Porvoo looks amazing!! I absolutely love the old fashioned cafes and all of the signs its just so cute in Finland. The ice cream there is amazing too very jealous! Weather looks fab there too :) xx
    www.sleek-chic.co.uk

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    1. It's such a lovely little place to visit. We went for the first time in February when it was covered in snow. It's nice to see it now with all of the flowers and sunshine. We're having some great weather just now... Hope it lasts!! Thanks for commenting lovely xxx

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  2. Lovely Post!!! Havent been to Porvoo yet.. Only been to Tampere..Helsinki and some other cities.. Next trip will def visit Porvoo :)!! xx
    http://www.chocochipchic.blogspot.com/

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    1. You should pay it a visit if you can, it's a lovely, little place. I haven't been to Tampere yet, but heard so many great things about it. Will need to try and get over some time. Thanks for your comment xxx

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  3. Porvoo looks lovely! Defo adding Finland to my list of places when I go travelling! xx

    rebeccaalicee.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. It's such a picturesque country, you should definitely try to visit xx

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  4. Porvoo is a very picturesque and nice old town. It is one of my favourite place in Finland!

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    1. Agreed, it's such a beautiful place! Thanks for commenting.

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  5. Wonderful photos! I was born in Porvoo and I appreciate the beauty of the town much more now that I don't live there anymore.

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    1. Thank you. It really is such a lovely place. I bet you enjoy your visits home!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed reading it :)

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  7. Looks gorgeous! I love Finland and want to go again sometime soon!

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    1. Thank you.. It's a beautiful country xxx

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  8. We always used to visit there for the sweet shop. It's such a lovely little place. Jaye. :-)

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    1. Porvoo is one of my favourites. Lovely place xx

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