Rauma (Finland)

...Since then I have visit Rauma only once, few years ago. I have never like city, well it wooden build and awww...too small and there really is not much to do.

Rauma or Raumo (like Swedish call it) is the third oldest town in Finland. And here I was sitting in bus going to visit my old school friend. I took bus from Tampere; travelling time was about 3 hours. It's lot in hot summer day. But I had good book with me and I have always ...
...sights. On my way to Rauma I start thinking what I actually now about this town.

History:

In school I always hate history, but good this is that I actually remember nearly everything what my teachers teach (try to teach) to me like that Rauma is considered to have been founded in 1442. On 17 April of that year, the knight Karl Knutsson validated the right to trade of Rauma's townsmen with his seal. This was done in ... more

I remember when I was in school and our first ever school trip (out of city) was in Rauma, it was one day trip but I was so exciting to get out of city. Since then I have visit Rauma only once, few years ago. I have never like city, well it wooden build and awww...too small and there really is not much to do.

Rauma or Raumo (like Swedish call it) is the third oldest town in Finland. And here I was sitting in bus going to visit my old school friend. I took bus from Tampere; travelling time was about 3 hours. It's lot in hot summer day. But I had good book with me and I have always love travel by bus, because you can see more small towns and beautiful sights. On my way to Rauma I start thinking what I actually now about this town.

History:

In school I always hate history, but good this is that I actually remember nearly everything what my teachers teach (try to teach) to me like that Rauma is considered to have been founded in 1442. On 17 April of that year, the knight Karl Knutsson validated the right to trade of Rauma's townsmen with his seal. This was done in the name of King Kristoffer, who had just been elected king of the union. I remember teachers say something about Rauma become the commercial and ecclesiastical centre of the region because of its monastery. Franciscans had settled in Rauma no later than the early 15th century as the Vregdenborg castle in River-Eura was abandoned. And then the sea.

Rauma and sea traffic are inseparable. Local traditions refer to longstanding trade relations with countries on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The sea and natural harbour brought Rauma the status of a trade centre to which many roads lead. The town developed gradually in the late Middle Ages. As early as the mid-1300s Rauma's first church, the Church of the Holy Trinity, had been built. The monastery of the Franciscan friary was probably founded in the same century. Those days the townspeople were extremely active. They retained the rights they had been granted and sought fresh verification of these when the monarch changed. These rights were utilised in industrial and commercial activity. Rauma was by this time already a notable seaport that supplied centres of consumption in the south with goods. Rauma's townsmen and shippers sailed their ships to Stockholm, Germany and the Baltics and even to the North Sea in their export of timber, wooden dishes, butter, hides, dried pike and seal oil. Salt, cloth, wine (awww…), spices and corn were imported to Rauma.
But in the 16th century, the Plague raged twice through Rauma wiping out the majority of the town's population. It has been calculated that there were 500-600 people living in Rauma in the late 16th century. With a statute issued in 1636, Rauma lost its right for international seafaring for 130 years. Goods could be delivered to only Stockholm and Turku.
Like Turku, Rauma have hade, the great fires. Two fires nearly destroyed the town completely. The old Church of the Holy Trinity burnt to the ground, and the monastery church, the Church of the Holy Cross, was brought into use as the town parish church.
Rauma has been war ground as well. The Crimean War brought foreign ships to Rauma in the summer of 1855. The town was bombed twice, and the storerooms in the harbour and the timber storage area were torched. After the war, commerce and industry were quickly revived and Rauma again developed into an important seaport
The end of the 19th century was a time of great investment. Rauma was the only town in Finland to build its own full-gauge railway. It was 47 kilometres long. The town invested a lot of money to establish a teacher's college in Rauma. Both of these big projects of the 1890s integrated the town with the rest of Finland and boosted economic and spiritual life in the area.
Rauma was pre-eminent in ocean-going shipping in Finland at the end of the century, with steamboats already beginning to dominate the high seas and industrialisation making its way to Rauma.
Finland evolved from an agricultural country to an industrial state in a few decades, and the seafaring and educational town of Rauma turned into an industrial town. The biggest change did not take place until after the Second World War. Industrial life in Rauma expanded and diversified, and the population grew rapidly.
I think me falling sleep because I soon hear driver using microphone, "Rauma, Rauma, final stop". Here I am. But where actually I was...

Geography:

Rauma town located in Southern Finland. It's about 242 km north from Helsinki, 145km west from Tampere and 49 km from Pori and 94 km from Turku.

I step out of bus and outside of nice cooling air-conditions, hot air wipes my body. I saw blue ski no clouds. During the summer temperature can raise high as +30 C and at winter time it drop -10 c, or lower.
And then I saw my friend. She was waving me from her car.

Language:

Soon as I get in my friends car she start speaking, asking how did my bus trip goes etc. what are plans are..etc.

Ouh my word, if I taught that Turku language was hard…I was wrong. Rauma has a dialect of its own as well and is often said to be a language of its own. Rauman giäl "Rauman kieli" or the language of Rauma is characterized by a slightly more guttural intonation than standard Finnish. That's not all they spoke that language so fast that I struggle to understand it. Give me dictionary!!! Even I have use to listen my friend speaking she really was in her "land" now.

Travelling around Town and to get to town:

By Bus: Rauma is well connected to other cities by bus and most tourists like me arrive this way the Long-distance Bus Station is located in the city centre. Buses goes quite often except during the night and destinations include Helsinki (3, 5 h), Turku (1, 5 h), Tampere (2, 5 h), but there is other ways to get in there as well.

By Plane: Closest airport is in Pori (POR) but there is another airport near by as well and it's in Turku (TKU) which may have slightly better connections abroad.

By Train:
Well this mite be bit difficult because there is no passenger rail traffic directly to Rauma but alternative route is take train to Kokemaki where you'll change to a bus (included in the price) for the rest of the way. Train from Helsinki to Rauma takes about 4 hrs.

By Car:
Excellent roads and very easy connections. Lot of one way roads!!!

In town central you can travel with bus or by bike or call taxi. But remember as everywhere else in Finland taxis are rather expensive. Also, since Rauma is a small town, walking around the city, and especially the Old Town, is easy.
But best way if I could say is by Boat: Hear now, you need to be very rich or have wonderful rich friends because here is no commercial passenger traffic by sea. Many tourists, especially Finns, arrive in Rauma with their private yachts. There are a few guest harbours around Rauma or alternative way…buy one of those kids air boat and park it next to huge yacht and open bottle sparking and enjoy the day on your deck, maybe your "neighbour" invite you over. Good luck!

Culture Signs:

After unpacking my stuff we head to town central. I walk to Old Town. The Old Rauma is the largest uniform wooden town in the Nordic Countries, and it was included on the UNESCO Wold Heritare List of the 550th anniversary of the city. 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. In Old Town I felt that I step hundred years back and I could really see how people live in those days. 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. I love these small boutiques; you found lots of small and beautiful items in there and lovely small cafeterias. We sit down one of those when we met my friend's mates. I felt my self bit outsider...but then I order more drink and start thinking about other culture signs in Rauma.

One of my favourite places in Rauma is Church of the Holy Cross. Church is actually originally a Franciscan monastery, now a Lutheran church, built in the 15th century. Medieval wall and ceiling paintings. The oldest inhabited buildings date back even to the 17th century. Beautiful small church.

The archipelago is not very extensive, although sailing south will get you to Turku archipelago, largest archipelago of the Baltic Sea. However, in summer when the weather is fine, the islands provide a nice day trip. One of these islands is Kylmäpihlaja, an island with a lighthouse that operates as a hotel. In peak tourist season, there are regular boat connections to each of these islands. In most winters, it is also possible to walk, ski or skate over the frozen sea.
One of most visit place in Rauma is Kirsti's house, a typical building in Old Rauma built in the 18th century. It presents the living conditions and life of the 19th and 20th century. Inhabitants have included sailors, bobbin lace makers, a blacksmith and a fire-fighter. You can found Kirsti's House in address Pohjankatu 3.
And if you want to know how ship-owner live visit Marela. Address is Kauppakatu 24. It's a beautiful museum presenting the home of a ship-owner from the turn of the 20th century, at the culmination of Rauma seafaring skill.
Enough museums, want to more music. Well now you have come right place. But you need to be here during midsummer night when RMJ, Midsummer by Sea of Rauma, is an established summer festival for twentysomethings, which is by Finnish standards a large outdoor festival with a predominantly Finnish line up. This festival takes place during Finnish midsummer festival close to summer solstice, typically around 24th June. Expect to see many of 18 to 25-year-olds, Finnish rock and electronic music. Sleeping in a tent is a viable option. Best to acquire tickets in advance and note that in the one or two days immediately before and after midsummer, pre-bookings on buses and trains are often a necessity, and on the Midsummer Day itself, it is impossible to travel by public transport as there is none. Also on the first and last days of the festival as people arrive/depart, traffic in Rauma is heavy, and long queues tend to form. So pack your tent with you and enjoy biggest festival in country.
There is Jazz festival for jazz lovers (not me), that took place at august.
And if you still want to something exotic Rauma Lace Week is perhaps the best time to visit Rauma. The usual time for Lace Week is at the end of July. One of the nights is themed the Night of Black Lace, which starts as a cultural happening and usually degrades very quickly into a massive (on local scale) bar-crawling exercise. Sound fun!!! Must try that some day. Friend of mine as invite me next summer for this cultural happening. Maybe we'll meet there while crawling out of bar's.

Sport:

I don't think that you can speak Rauma with out thinking ice-hockey. Rauma's ice hockey team Lukko, is in Finland's top league. And their enemy comes from Pori (Porin Ässät). I love ice-hockey so it always sure way to get fight when I start speaking my home team Ilves, especially in enemy ground. Lol. But it's fun!

Otanlahti Beach, awww… I love this beach. Its fairly long stretch of sandy beach located a few kilometres out of town. Beach volleyball and swimming are popular. Also, this is where the annual RMJ festival is held.

There is also 18-hole golf course in town.

Food:

Even this was only two days trip and mainly idea was just enjoy summer in beach we had to eat as well. Unfortunally there is no world-class restaurants but good choices are Delicio and Wanha teatteri (Old Theatre)
Try local foods like I did, thanks for my friend. These local foods are borne of the seafaring past: lapskoussi (mashed potatoes and salted meat) and topseilvellinki for dessert (raisin soup, usually served with pancakes).I eat that first one and it was nice, not super but nice.

There are lots of pizzerias and kebab places in town if you are not fancy raisin soup.

Drinking:

Here we go again. After relaxing day in old town we start looking if there was anything to do in evening and my friend had surprise for me. You know where ever you are you NEED to try local drinks. Some times like this it's much easier to do after few (or more). Rauma has its own drink, Puksprööt, made of juniper-rowan liqueur and white wine, and served with a tar-infused rope.
A common perception among young Raumans is that there is absolutely nothing to do in Rauma. This perception is shared to such a degree that if a Rauman teenager asks another if there's anything happening in Rauma, the other one starts outright laughing. Really there is no night life, except during RMJ. Rauma is not a happening party town. There are a couple of night club options and a number of seedy bars, and each usually has their own clientele where everybody knows each other. It might be difficult to find a place that fits you in Rauma, and if you do, it might be difficult to get to know the people who already know each other. We found our self with my friends mates owned bar in Old Rauma. Bars and clubs are concentrated in Old Rauma and west of Old Rauma. Main party days are Friday and Saturday, Wednesday coming as third.

Remember that the legal drinking age in Finland is 18 for mild alcoholic drinks (up to 20%/40-proof) and 20 for stronger drinks than that.

Sleeping:

As I already said all you need is tent (and maybe that air boat) and hot summer night. Poroholma Camping area is open in summer 15 May - 31 August. It's a nice camping ground located by the seaside in Otanlahti. You can sleep in a hostel dormitory, cabin, your campervan or your tent. (TENT!! TENT!!!) Also has a guest harbour if you're arriving by boat.
After long night you mite want to book your self some of hotels located in town central. I was lucky and got bed in my friend place, but I would love to sleep in tent on the sandy beach.

But I was came end of my relaxing mini break I pack my rug sack and jump in bus. I had nice two days but I was so happy to go back home.

Thank you for reading this!
 

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