Porvoo was founded in 1346, when Magnus Eriksson, the King of Sweden, visited Porvoo and granted it town rights. It got its name from a fortress by the river; Borg (Castle) and Å (River). It is a town famous for its medieval street pattern and wooden houses, as well as the stone and birch Cathedral (main image), which has been destroyed several time, in 1508, 1571, 1590, 1708 and in 2006, when Vandals (non-Germanic) burned the roof. The characteristic red storage buildings by the river have been nominated as UNESCO's World heritage Site.

The town prospered by being a trade junction between the north and south. From north, you got furs and from south, salt, among other items.

Nearby villages of Suomenkylä have two Bronze Age burial places, and Bronze Age artifacts have been found in other villages around Porvoo.

Sources:
Porvoo.fi
wikipedia/Porvoo
Images: Wikimedia Commons

Ahti Karjalainen