Uusikaupunki
A wooden coastal town with a car factory, a sailing history and a museum of invented machines.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Uusikaupunki was founded in 1617 on the Gulf of Bothnia and grew on shipbuilding and sailing, and its centre is still largely wooden: low painted houses along a long harbour inlet that runs into the middle of the town, with a wooden church, sea captains' houses and a cultural history museum in one of them. Its modern economy runs on a car factory that has assembled vehicles under contract for foreign manufacturers since the 1960s. The oddest thing in the town is the Bonk museum, a private invention that displays elaborate machines and a corporate history that are entirely fictional, presented with a straight face throughout.
What you actually see
- The harbour inlet into the town - water running into the centre.
- Wooden houses and sea captains' homes - the old town along the water.
- The Bonk museum - elaborate machines from an invented company history.
- The car factory - the contract assembly plant the town runs on.
When to go
June to August for the fullest opening; museums close or reduce outside the summer. Half a day. The archipelago boats run in summer only.
Honest expectations
Museums keep short seasons and limited hours. The town is quiet and many places shut outside summer. The car factory is not open to visitors. Public transport connections are slow.
Nearby
Rauma is north; Turku lies south-east.
What to pack for Uusikaupunki
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
