 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|||||
Old Rauma
The historic area of Old Rauma with its wooden houses is Rauma's lively centre and true heart. It is among the most beautiful Northern European centres of urban culture and architectural sites. Old Rauma has been selected by UNESCO for the World Heritage List, as an example of Nordic wooden town construction. The buildings in the area date mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries and form a myriad of shops, complemented by an idyllic backdrop of wooden houses and lush gardens, a marketplace, and many historically and culturally significant sights.
People still live, work, spend their leisure time, and trade in Old Rauma. The area has over 600 inhabitants. In total, there are 600 buildings. The narrow winding streets and alleyways and the irregularly shaped lots reflect their roots in the Middle Ages. There are nearly 200 shops in the area.
Maintaining Old Rauma as a unit, a coherent entity, is the result of many compromises. Currently a compromise is being sought to combine bicycle and pedestrian traffic with motor traffic. A new connection between Old Rauma and the rest of the town is also being researched. A good example of this is Anundila Square which will be renovated so that it will combine new and old buildings and modern street construction. This modern-looking square has heated streets, which are free of snow and ice in the winter.
Updated: 27.10.2005
 |
||
|
|
