Thematic guided tours

Porvoo Tours offers guided tours in Porvoo, Loviisa and Sipoo with qualified tourist guides. Our guides are professionals qualified by the Finnish guide union. You can easily recognize our guides by the GUIDE-tag on their chests.

You can book a guide for a city tour, walking tour or to present sights and museums. The guide can join you on a archipelago cruise, a nature trip or a visit to the country side.

We also offer thematic guided tours both in Porvoo and Loviisa, at the same price as standard guided tours!
During a thematic guided tour we focus on a subject of your choosing, a smart way to learn more about something you find interesting.

Please note! One guide can guide a group of maximum 30 persons at a time. If your group is larger, please book more than one guide.

The Diet of Porvoo 1809

During this guided tour we learn about the political reasons that lead to the establishment of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland and the opening of the first Diet in Porvoo on the 28th of March 1809. We also learn about the citizens attitude towards Tsar Alexander I:s troops, the buildings associated with the Diet of Porvoo, the dance and the story of Tsar Alexander and the young Finnish lady, Miss Ulla Möllersvärd.

The fate of famous women

Our guide focuses especially on the women behind great men in Porvoo and their lives. Fredrika Runeberg was not only a wife and mother, but also a writer, and in addition to this, she dedicated her life to important social work. Albert Edelfelt's mother had a big influence on his life as an artist. Natalia Linsén was one of the first female photographers in Finland and Ulla Möllersvärd was Tsar Alexander’s maid and beloved.

The architecture of the wooden city – from the Middle Ages to this day

The theme for this guided tour is the architecture of the old wooden town, with it's buildings from the Middle Ages and it's more modern wooden architecture. We focus especially on the buildings in the empire town from the Russian era, on their architectural details and surroundings.

Runeberg – our national poet

During this guided tour we learn about Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, and his life and work in Porvoo. Johan Ludvig Runeberg lived in Porvoo from 1837 until his death 1877. He is most known as the author of the lyrics to Vårt land (Our Land, Maamme in Finnish) that became the Finnish National Anthem, and his poetry about life in rural Finland.

Blooming Porvoo

This guided tour focuses on Porvoo’s floral life, we get to admire the beautiful flower plantings and natural resources of Porvoo! The gardens of Old Porvoo have been blooming since the Swedish era, and people really got in to gardening in the 19th century. Especially roses were popular and people started to bring plants inside their houses.

The tales of Näsimäki cemetery

Located on Porvoo's western riverside is Näsinmäki cemetery, filled with thousands of stories. We focus on people who lived and worked in Porvoo in the 19th century, during the Russian regime. The Tsar let the Finnish people keep their old religion, but there is also an Orthodox church next to the cemetery and the members of it’s parish were also buried there.

In the footsteps of Albert Edelfelt

This guided tour takes us to the landscapes that our beloved artist Albert Edelfelt has immortalized in his works. Albert Edelfelt (21 July 1854 – 18 August 1905) was a Finnish painter noted for his naturalistic style and realist approach to art. He lived in the Grand Duchy of Finland and made Finnish culture visible abroad, before Finland gained full independence.

Famous writers in Porvoo

We see the residences and monuments of famous writers in Porvoo and learn about Finnish literature before and now. There are many famous writers who have lived and worked in this city and been inspired by it in their works. For example the author of the famous Moomin tales, Tove Jansson, spent her summers in Porvoo archipelago on a small island and Finland's national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg lived and worked in Porvoo for many years.

Smuggling – the time of prohibition

The prohibition in Finland was imposed in June 1919 and had the temperance movement and the prohibition objectors competing for support for the following decades. In the beginning, the temperance movement had a significant support, but slowly the objection against the prohibition started to become more and more common. The smuggling of alcoholic beverages started to increase and illegal spirits started to flow into Finland.

Tales of the old houses

We hear about the old houses in the old town of Porvoo; about the people who lived/lives in them, the people who built/designed them and interesting things that has taken place in them and more. All this while walking in the idyllic old town!

Finnish design was born in Porvoo

In 1897 the artist Louis Sparre founded a furniture factory named Iris, in Porvoo. The factory had a pottery department which was lead by A.W. Finch from Belgium. And this is where it all started. During this guided tour we get to hear about the Iris factory, Tove Jansson, the glass work of Sara Hopea, design for everyday life and more.

Nordic walking in Old Porvoo

A brisk nordic walking tour together with a guide in the old town of Porvoo! Our route takes us to the historical Linnamäki, that was the location of a wooden castle in the Middle Ages. We also pass the pine tree that Albert Edelfelt immortalized in his famous painting. We walk the alleys of the idyllic old town and along the river bank. We provide the Nordic walking sticks, please wear comfortable shoes.
Nordic walking sticks: 5€/person, guide fee for 2 hours

Russian Loviisa

The Queen's city is filled with Russian treasures! The Kazan Cathedral, the orthodox cemetery, the merchant families business palaces and tales. The Finnish war brought the Russian army to mother Svea's soldier barracks. On Svartholm fort, people lived in a ruthless castle prison but still continued to build the fort.

In the footsteps of Sibelius

The famous composer Jean Sibelius spent his childhood and youth in Loviisa. It was here his path to becoming a composer started, cheered on by his grandmother and his aunt Evelina. The community of socialites and spa guests was an excellent route to an international career. The time of Jean Sibelius has been preserved in the Loviisan cityscape and in countless stories.

The bather's walk

The famous spa era of Loviisa from 1865 to 1935 was one of the most fascinating eras in the city's history. During this guided tour we see buildings from the spa era and it is also possible to visit the Hagalund health wells and hear about different treatments and stories about the spa guests. This tour is also possible to do by bus.

Gardens and parks

If you find gardens and parks interesting, this is a tour for you! We walk through Loviisa city center and visit the parks and gardens of the city. During our walk we also visit one or two gardens near by the city center. The beautiful parks and blooming gardens will surely brighten your day!

Customer service

Porvoo Tours
Mon–Fri 09:00–16:00
porvootours (at) porvootours.fi
tel. 019 574 2200