Summer holiday

When you’ve seen the rest of Finland and want to take it easy, it’s time to explore the Finnish west coast and its idyllic wooden towns. These include Uusikaupunki, Rauma, Reposaari in Pori, Kaskinen, Pietarsaari, Uusikaarlepyy, Kokkola – and of course Kristiinankaupunki.

“The hidden gem of the West Coast, Christinae Stadh represents an elegant wooden town that has been preserved in an unusual way for Finland and protected from the great scourge of Nordic cities: fire. Well-kept wooden houses, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, regularly line the street network, with a magnificent town hall at the centre.” Laura Kolbe

And that’s not all: we are the only Cittaslow town in Finland. Cittaslow emphasises a hustle-free life, respect for localism and humane and sustainable solutions. Read more here.

1. Visit the unique Lebell Merchant House, where you can see how a wealthy merchant family lived in the 18th century. Contact us in advance and we will arrange for the museum to be opened for you.
2. Sit down in the yard of the neighbouring Felén house and have a cup of coffee
3. On the north side of the market square there’s the big, yellow Wendelin house. The city library is in the ground floor while in the attic you’ll find the Maritime Museum, where you can see where all the ships built in Kristiinankaupunki sailed to as well as how was the life like onboard a wooden ship.
4. On the Rantakatu street #39 you’ll find the stylish Kunstkomero, where you’ll find local and international design products. Check the opening times in here.
5. On weekdays, lunch can be enjoyed in either the Jungman, Gastro or Crazy Cat restaurants.
6. As dessert we recommend the biggest sundaes in Finland in the Bockholmen Camping
7. There’s also a new café in town called “Piece of cake”. See their opening hours in here.
8. Book a dinner table at the Summer Restaurant Pavis
9. And borrow a bike from Krepelin and ride it to Pavis after you’ve taken a nap.

1. You can arrange your own Doerz experience by a local resident. Do this via the city’s tourist pages here. There, a local inhabitant hires you a kayak or a sup board, takes you by boat to the nearby archipelago, delivers you a picnic basket, takes you to an art exhibition or tells you the history of local 17th century witches.
2. Participate in a Ghost Walk. Our Ghost Walks are suitable for adults and individuals and is an exciting way to experience the local history. See details here.
3. You can add one or more of our experience packages to your Krepelin booking. Please inquire when booking.
4. City events, attractions, shopping and other experiences can be found here.
5. Take a trip to the city museum Carlsro some 5 kilometres north of the city centre to see how wealthy merchant family spent their summers in the 19th century.
6. Have more questions? The tourism office has all the answers. Contact details here.

“Christinae Stadh”, a hidden gem on the west coast, is an elegant wooden town that is unusually well preserved in Finland and protected from the great scourge of Nordic cities: fire. Well-kept wooden houses, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, regularly line the street grid, with a magnificent town hall at the centre.”

“Our own establishment, Hotel Krepelin, offers nostalgically elegant accommodation in Finland in a well-preserved former sea captain’s house from 1812. I rarely get a feeling in domestic destinations that this is almost like Europe – but now I did.”

“A beautiful old building and a friendly welcome. We’ll come here again.”