City of Porvoo in a Nutshell

Porvoo is a bilingual city in Eastern Uusimaa province, approximately 35 kilometers from Helsinki to the East. The City Center lies on the banks of Porvoo river, but outside the urban city area and suburbs a remarkable part of the city’s area consists of rural surroundings to the East, North and West. The Southern areas consist of Archipelago and Sea areas.

• City founded around year 1380
• Finland’s second oldest city
• First historical mentions of Porvoo municipality from year 1351
• The Archduchy of Finland’s Parliamentary Sessions were held in Porvoo in 1809
• Finland’s biggest harbour by volume, Sköldvik, is situated in Porvoo
• More than 60 percent speak Finnish, a little under 30 percent speak Swedish
• Over 51 000 inhabitants

• Finnish national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804-1877)
• Sculptor Walter Runeberg (1838-1920)
• Painter Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905)
• Sculptor Ville Vallgren (1855-1940) was born in Porvoo
• Swedish artist Louis Sparre (1863-1964) lived in Porvoo 1889-1908
• Musician Remu Aaltonen (born 1948) was a long-time Porvoo resident

A more extensive presentation of sights worth seeing can be found at the Visit Porvoo website.

The Cathedral of Porvoo is one of the most famous sights in the city.
Building was initiated in the 15th century.

The Archipelago of Porvoo spreads over a wide area from the Porvoo river delta.

The Porvoo river with its historical storing buildings, ships and boats is a sight in itself.
The Old City with its cobblestone streets spreads on the Eastern bank of the river.

There is plenty to see in the Old City, for instance the Town hall with its marketplace is a beautiful place.

The City Council is Porvoo’s highest body of political decision making. The Municipal Board is responsible for leading and developping the city in accordance with the Council’s goals, plans and decisions. Political decisions are also made in the city’s Delegations and Departments.

The Mayor and Concern Administration are the highest civil officials of the city.