Welcome to Porvoo, Borgå in Swedish, the second oldest city in Finland. Porvoo was established in 1346 by the Swedish King Magnus Eriksson.
We will visit together the medieval part of Porvoo-Borgå for one hour. I will be in Porvoo and you will be at home enjoying a cold or a warm drink in good company. During the whole tour you can ask me to move the camera in any direction and questions. I will be your eyes and ears on the ground.
You will see why Porvoo was an important trading post as far back as the 13th century.
The red riverside storehouse formed a medieval harbor where salt and other products were imported. Today they have become the symbol of Porvoo and they are the most photographed attraction in the country.
We will pass the old bridge and walk along the narrow cobblestoned streets; you will appreciate the charming contrast of past and present.
The Diet, an important event that further down the line led to Finland’s independence, took place in Porvoo from March to July in 1809. The four Estates gathered to swear their oaths of allegiance, to the new Grand Prince of Finland, the Tsar Alexander 1st.
The town has become a magnet for many artists who have lived and worked here.
Finnish national poet J.L. Runeberg, painter Albert Edelfelt, sculptor Ville Vallgren…to mentioned only few of them, have been inspired by Porvoo’s charm.
The town is alive with the work of current artists and writers.
Today the town has a population of around 44,000, with two-thirds of them speaking Finnish as their native language and one-third speaking Swedish.
We can count in total 16 Finnish speaking schools and 14 Swedish speaking schools.
Visits on demand, Minimum 2 persons per visit, 20€/pers.
