Porvoo is the second oldest town in Finland and can be described as quaint, historic, and picturesque. The town is located only an hour way from Helsinki, making it the perfect day or half day trip. If you are considering visiting Porvoo, then your visit may end up looking a little like this…
Getting to Porvoo
The bus from Helsinki will drop you off right in the center of Porvoo. It is easy to walk from one side of Porvoo to the other in about 10 minutes. Booking a ticket is extremely easy and can be done from a smartphone. WiFi is everywhere in Finland so you shouldn’t have an issue connecting and buying a ticket at the bus station OR plan ahead and do it before departing. One roundtrip cost us 5€ but prices vary.
What to Do in Porvoo
The Porvoo River runs along the edges of town. There are several bridges that connect each side, including a modern pedestrian bridge.
To see the popular and historic red shore houses, you will need to cross one of the bridges to walk to the side that is opposite of Old Town.
These buildings were once used to store merchandise and delicacies from all over the world. Today, most of them are now homes, but still painted their appealing shade of red.
Many shops selling antiques and handmade crafts are located in Vanha Porvoo (Old Town Porvoo). We enjoyed taking our time and exploring many of the shops.
One of the best parts of Porvoo shopping are the chocolate shops and their free samples! We taste tested chocolate at Petris and Brunberg! Brunberg is loaded with free samples and will let you try almost anything in the store. The staff is also extremely helpful and friendly. Brunberg is right next to the Zum Beispiel Van in old town.
If you are like us, then you will work up quite an appetite while exploring! We felt lucky to find Anis Cafe. A vegetarian cafe featuring two main dishes per day with an excellent salad bar and fresh bread. The interior of the cafe feels as if you were invited to lunch at a very classy friends home. When the weather is nice we recommend sitting in the side garden. The food is delicious and you serve yourself so you can pile up and enjoy a meal with as much food as you need. The price per meal is 14€ which is actually less than most of the other restaurants you find in town, and I am not sure if the quality or taste will be as good as the Anis Cafe.
If you have extra time after exploring Porvoo, you can go biking or walking through the surrounding nature trails. There are also plenty of shaded park benches to relax on if you end up with extra time waiting for your bus back to Helsinki.
We recommend planning to stay in Porvoo at least five hours to take in everything there is to see and do. Porvoo is an easy and worthwhile day trip from Helsinki.
For other great trips from Helsinki – Check out our tips for traveling by ferry between Helsinki and Tallinn!
