Things to see and do Rauma

It's Northern Europe's largest wooden town, covering 28 hectares with cobbled streets and over 600 wooden houses of various colors from the ^18th and ^19th centuries. Some of the old houses have been converted into museums. You can also push on to the market square. The square itself is home to stalls known as pystcaffe, literally meaning "standing coffee". To the south, admire the old town hall, built in 1776. The site has been listed by Unesco since 1991 as an "outstanding example of a Nordic town built of wood".

Kirsti's house is a humble sailor's dwelling, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and has become a museum. It shows how the inhabitants lived here from the 1800s to the 1970s. In the window recess, two tile hounds, whose significance goes beyond mere decoration, can be seen. Facing outwards, they indicated that the sailor was at sea, pointing inwards, this meant that the sailor was at home. The small enclosed courtyard includes the stable, the barn, the attic, the cellar and the well.

The centrally-located building, constructed in 1912, was converted into a museum in 1993. The Lönnström couple, notables of Swedish origin, had an interesting collection of art and period furniture. On site, the premises can be divided into two small museums: the Art Museum and the Home Museum.

Home Museum: this house became a museum in 1988. It is the home of the couple Teresia and Rafael Lönnström, with a fine collection of period objects and art.

Art Museum: showcases contemporary artists in painting, sculpture and more

This museum, located in the former maritime school that marked the city by training generations of sailors, is worth seeing! On the first floor: permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, the museum shop but also the navigation simulator Jenny II. The permanent exhibition highlights the importance of the sea in the construction and history of Rauma with many period photos of the port, life on the ships, objects... As for the second floor and the tower, there are temporary and art exhibitions.

This museum was the splendid residence of a rich shipowner of the last century, whose sons squandered their fortune travelling. Furnished in the style of the period (large tiled stoves for heating and beautiful furniture), it gives a slightly better understanding of the life of the Nordic bourgeoisie at the beginning of the 20th century. The office and dining room are particularly eloquent. One discovers many paintings of the commercial fleet on all the walls. The Russian flag was in use at a time when Finland was dependent on the Tsar.

Housed in a beautiful late 18th century mansion, the temporary exhibitions change every month and are varied with for example: Anna Eriksson, Kirsi Kuusisto, local or national artists... Every two years, the Baltic Biennial exhibits contemporary art from all the countries around the Baltic Sea, including Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. On the website you will find a list of upcoming exhibitions and events.

This former Franciscan monastery, built at the end of the 15th century and inaugurated in 1512, is a must see! After Luther's meeting with King Vasa of Sweden in 1538, the latter opted for the Reformation. The whole kingdom had to convert. The monks are thus driven out, but the church remains. In 1891, the church was restored and the medieval frescoes covered since the Reformation were discovered. In excellent condition, they give a very singular character to the place. Admire the medieval triptych, the altar imported from Germany, the 17th century chandelier and the organ at the end of the 18th century.