Rauma
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Old Rauma

Nature formed an excellent harbour, which later on became the biggest on the west coast. Seamen and merchants built next to the natural harbour a town, which ended up as one of the cultural historic wonders of the world. In five and a half centuries Rauma developed into one of the most interesting tourist sites of the whole country. 

Old Rauma was included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO on the eve of the 550th anniversary of the town.

This unique part of the town is an unparalleled example of an old Nordic town of wood and it still is the largest uniform wooden town area in the Northern Countries. The area of Old Rauma is about 30 hectars and the number of existings buildings, both dwellings and shops, is about 600. There are about 750 inhabitants. The oldest inhabited buildings date back to the 17th century. The structure of the town has up to these days had a medieval charactre - narrow and winding roads and alleys as well as irregular lots.

Old Rauma with the lively and colourful market place as its pulsating centre is even today the centre of the whole town. There are nearly 200 different shops on the area.

Many of the most significant sights of Rauma also lie in Old Rauma. The Church of the Holy Cross, the former sanctuary of the Franciscan Monastery (from the 15th century), is still actively used by the congregation. The Rauma Museum in the Old Town Hall (1776) invites you to wonder maritime articles and 600 lace models. Marela, the house of ship-owning families and Kirsti, the seamen's home, are life-close museums. The Art Museum of Rauma is situated in one of the best preserved houses in an 18th-century building group. Kitukränn again is the narrowest street in Finland.

You can best reach the mystical spirit of Old Rauma by a self-made or a guided walking tour.

World Heritage Agreement

The basis of the World Heritage Agreement is the thought of the international responsibility in preserving the most valuable part of national cultural and natural heritage objects as a mutual world heritage of mankind. The general agreement enables international cooperation and assistance systems.

The world heritage comittee can accept nationally protected objects to the World Heritage List due to the criteria defined in the agreement. The nominated objects thus represent very valuable cultural- and natural heritage in a world-wide respect.

Old Rauma was nominated to the list as a unique example of an old Nordic wooden town. Within its historic limits this part of town has preserved its entirety, where dwelling, working, and social life are combined into an operating unity.