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Porvoo

Finland travel guide

What to see in Porvoo

Finland’s second-oldest town: colourful wooden houses by the river, very close to Helsinki.

Updated 15 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from March to October
  • Typical food: Runeberg torte
Photo: Jae Lo Presti · CC BY-SA 4.0

Porvoo highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Old town

    Cobbled lanes and wooden houses, with craft and sweet shops.

  2. Red riverside storehouses

    The red storehouses on the riverbank, the town’s postcard view.

  3. Porvoo Cathedral

    Where the Diet met in 1809 that gave Finland its autonomy within the Russian Empire.

  4. Runeberg’s Home

    The home of the national poet, who wrote the words of the Finnish anthem.

  5. Old Bridge

    The best spot to see the storehouses reflected in the water.

Day trips from Porvoo

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Porvoo

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Porvoo are from March to October.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec with warnings
  • from December to February

    Intense cold

    In midwinter, temperatures in Lapland are usually well below zero, with very few hours of daylight.

    What to do: Thermal layers, a hat, gloves and snow boots; many places to stay rent out thermal suits. It’s the season of Father Christmas and the northern lights.

  • November

    Grey November

    In the south of the country November tends to be dark and damp, still without the snowy winter landscape.

    What to do: If you want snow and northern lights, head up to Lapland or go between December and March.

Traditions of Porvoo

  • 5 February Runeberg torte

    On the poet’s day people eat these almond tortes with raspberry jam, born in Porvoo.

Typical food of Porvoo

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Porvoo from your kitchen).

Runeberg torte
Photo: Picture: Ville KoistinenModified by -Majestic- · CC BY 2.5

Runeberg torte

A small cylindrical almond cake with rum and raspberry jam, once baked by the wife of the national poet J. L. Runeberg in Porvoo. It’s eaten every 5 February, his birthday.

  • Serves 10
  • 1 h

Ingredients

  • 100 g butter
  • 100 g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 100 g ground almonds
  • 100 g flour
  • 50 g crushed biscuits or cake crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 of cardamom
  • 100 ml cream
  • Rum or punsch liqueur (for soaking)
  • Raspberry jam and icing-sugar glaze

How to make it at home

  1. Beat the butter with the sugar and egg.
  2. Add the almonds, flour, biscuit crumbs, baking powder, cardamom and cream.
  3. Divide the mixture between small cylindrical moulds or deep muffin tins.
  4. Bake at 200 °C for about 15 minutes and soak them with rum diluted with water.
  5. Pipe a ring of icing on top and put a teaspoon of jam in the centre.

The trick: Better the next day: the rum spreads through.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a covered market (kauppahalli) or a lunch buffet (lounas). The dishes you can’t miss are in the Finland guide.

Frequently asked questions about Porvoo

What to see in Porvoo?

Old town, Red riverside storehouses, Porvoo Cathedral, Runeberg’s Home and Old Bridge.

What to see in Porvoo in one day?

Don’t miss Old town, Red riverside storehouses, Porvoo Cathedral, Runeberg’s Home and Old Bridge. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Porvoo?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Porvoo are from March to October.

What day trips can you take from Porvoo?

Porvoo from Helsinki.

What is the typical food of Porvoo?

Runeberg torte. A small cylindrical almond cake with rum and raspberry jam, once baked by the wife of the national poet J. L. Runeberg in Porvoo. It’s eaten every 5 February, his birthday.

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Guide reviewed 15 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.