Located about 50 km east of Helsinki, Porvoo is the second oldest city in Finland. Its long history is perfectly visible in the cobbled streets of the centre and the iconic red wooden warehouses. Today, Porvoo is home to many restaurants, cafés, shops and museums. From Helsinki, Porvoo can be reached from the capital by steamboat in summer. Although not exactly a coastal city, it is connected to the Gulf of Finland by the Porvoonjoki River, which runs through the city and sees Porvoo’s iconic red houses on its banks. They owe their colour to a visit by King Gustav III of Sweden, in which honour they were repainted.
Historically, Porvoo has been an important crossroads for trade and the red houses were once used as warehouses for goods and products, including exotic delicacies from faraway lands.
