Travel guideHistorySightsNightlifeMap

Porvoo Travel Guide, Finland

Porvoo, Finland - Overview: Epicenter Of Trades And Traditions

Porvoo that stands today is a perfect harmonic merger of the present with the past. Different periodical strata can be perceived in the structure of Porvoo. The dynamic lifestyle of Porvoo fosters traditions and cultures. It also offers pleasant and humane surroundings.

Previously, the Porvoo castle was constructed and the town was called Borga. The Church and the Parish originated in 13th century. Porvoo, like other five towns, grew without any official orders and in due course of time, prospered through trade. European goods traveled to North the city and from North people brought furs and other goods to Porvoo. The most influential and the wealthiest townsmen were of German origin. They also constructed a centre for trade activities and local administration.

The medieval harbor was surrounded by riverside storehouses. Import of salt and other necessary goods took place into these storehouses only. Export rights were given in as early as the 16th century. In the 17th century, with the growth of mercantilism, timber, butter, dried fish and tar were the items, which were exported from the town via Helsinki.

The Russian czar, Nicholas-I, was the emperor of the town from 1825 to 1855. He always wanted to erase the structure of the flammable and dense old town built by the Swedish rulers and replace it with a fantastic Russian plan. Carl Ludwig Engel, the architect of the Senate square, was nominated as the designer of the new town. Finnish poet John Rune berg’s home is the most popular attraction of the town of Porvoo.

Demographics

The population of the town is about 50,000 and it occupies an area of almost 650 square kilometer. It is a bilingual town with one third of the population speaking Swedish. More than 50% of the citizens gain their livelihood from trade and one third from industries. The traditions, commercial life and industrial structure are based on the industrial branches of graphics, petrochemical industries and electro technical industries.

Epicenter of Commerce & Business

Originally grown as a trade center, it continues to be the epicenter of commerce and business. The size of retail trade is very large and it makes Porvoo a big municipal centre. Being an attractive tourist spot, much importance is given on tourism, which is considered very effective for service sector and retail trade. The town is especially famous for its riverside warehouses and narrow lanes.

In this way, the small town of Porvoo has continued to grow in all spheres of trade and commerce.

email to a friendAsk our travel experts a question about Porvoo