Must See Finland - Rauma

Although the old town of Rauma was recently placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it is not a museum but a living town centre, with many artisans, lace makers and goldsmiths working in small studios, most of which were erected in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The old town is the largest wooden town preserved in the Nordic countries.There are several interesting house museums and a 15th-century Franciscan church, which used to be a Catholic monastery until Lutheran reformers kicked out the monks in 1538.

The market square is the heart of Old Rauma and a lively centre for commerce even today. This is where you come for refreshments: try a pystcaffe (a café) where you stand while drinking. If you find the voices around you even less comprehensible than other Finno-Ugric tongues, then you've encountered another feature of Rauma - its dialect, which is almost a separate language. Rauma is located on the south-west coast of Finland, just over four hours by bus from Helsinki.