Città Vecchia Raahe

Stepping into the old town of Raahe feels like a journey back to the 19th century. Old Town Raahe is one of the best-preserved wooden towns from the 1800s in Finland. It is not a museum area but a living neighborhood that tells the story of the city’s construction and way of life from centuries past to the present day. Old Town Raahe is home to 150 old residential houses and around 200 outbuildings.

One of the most popular summer activities is the guided themed walking tours. These tours offer fascinating stories about Raahe’s past as a center of maritime trade and commerce. Enjoy a coffee with cake or have lunch at the historically rich Trade House of Lang. As night falls, relax in unique accommodations such as the boutique hotel at Trade House of Lang, Willa Katariina, or Wanhakulma Guesthouse.

Old Town Raahe also boasts several museums. At the Packhouse Museum by the seashore, you can admire treasures brought back by sailors from distant lands and impressive 17th-century church sculptures by Mikael Balt. Opposite the Packhouse Museum, you will find the oldest surviving residential building in Raahe, the Sovelius House, where the upstairs hosts the Shipowner’s Home interior museum. In the heart of Old Town Raahe stands Old Pharmacy, where the scent of medicinal herbs from the past lingers. The Old Pharmacy houses one of Finland’s most extensive pharmacy museum collections, with the oldest artifacts dating back to the 18th century. A short walk from Old Town Raahe, you will also find the Crown Granary Museum, home to the world’s oldest surviving diving suit, known as The Old Gentleman.

At the center of Old Town Raahe lies Pekkatori Square, an internationally significant marketplace and the best-preserved square among Finland’s old wooden town markets. The statue of Count Per Brahe, the founder of Raahe—called Pekka by the locals—stands proudly in the middle of Pekkatori Square.

In Old Town Raahe, you will also find a famous landmark—Finland’s longest wall!