,
Activities, sight
Come and be enchanted by the beauty and unique atmosphere of Naantali’s Old Town! Here you’ll find cafés, restaurants, the Naantali Museum, and charming little boutiques. In the narrow lanes, you can truly sense history with all your senses. The old wooden houses play an important role in Naantali’s history and add to its character.
Mannerheiminkatu is the main street of the Old Town, running through the colorful wooden quarter. Starting from the guest harbor, this pedestrian street offers:
We also recommend continuing your journey along the Path of Love to the rocky cliffs of Kuparivuori – where you’ll be rewarded with one of the most stunning viewpoints in Naantali!
“Now we will stop burning our cities and will build a wide street. It will be here and it will be called Isokatu (Great street), it will be this wide and fire safe and you have three days to deconstruct your houses and move them wherever you wish, but that street will be here.” Free translation of Governor-General Per Brahe in 1600’s Naantali
“Now we will stop burning our cities and will build a wide street. It will be here and it will be called Isokatu (Great street), it will be this wide and fire safe and you have three days to deconstruct your houses and move them wherever you wish, but that street will be here.”
Hattu, Isokarhu, Jeremias, Pusa, Humppi, Tymppi… Every house in the Old Town has its own name, most often originating from the burgher who had it built. Many of the names still in use today already appeared in records from the 16th–18th centuries. The oldest of the buildings date back to the 18th century, and many received their present appearance in the 19th century.
In 1810, it was decreed that every house had to display its name above the gate, and some of these nameplates are still visible today.