Kristiinankaupunki

Kristiinankaupunki, Kristinestad in Swedish, was founded in 1649 on the Ostrobothnian coast and grew on tar, shipbuilding and sailing, and it kept its wooden town when most others burned: a grid of low houses in ochre, red and grey along narrow streets, with a wooden church, customs houses at the old town boundaries and an alley so narrow it is called the cat's tail. It is bilingual and largely Swedish-speaking. The old sea captains' houses along the main streets are still lived in, several museums occupy others, and the harbour and shoreline are a short walk from the centre. Out of the summer season the town is very quiet.

What you actually see

• A 1649 wooden town grid - low painted houses along narrow streets.
• Customs houses at the old boundaries - the tollgates of the trading town.
• The cat's tail alley - the narrowest lane in the grid.
• Sea captains' houses - the merchant homes along the main streets.

When to go

June to August, when museums and cafes are open; the rest of the year the town largely shuts. Half a day. Bus connections along the coast are slow.

Honest expectations

It closes down outside the short summer season. Museums keep very limited hours. Houses are private homes, so respect that. Public transport along this coast is infrequent.

Nearby

Pori is south; Vaasa lies north.