Things to do in Kristinestad – 13 tips for a Finnish wooden house idyll

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Kristinestad is a charming little wooden town in Ostrobothnia, with historic houses, narrow alleys, museums and a strong market tradition. We spent a few nice summer days here with the camper and managed to experience everything from Kattpiskargränden and old merchant's houses to a bustling summer market. Here are our 13 best tips for things to see and do in Kristinestad.

Kristinestad, Finland

Kristinestad is an incredibly charming little wooden town that is well worth a visit. Known both for its well-preserved wooden houses and its annual markets, the surrounding villages are famous for their potato farming. As much as a third of all edible potatoes in Finland are grown here.

Kristinestad has also been a member of the international Cittaslow network for small towns since 2011. This is a network with roots in Italy and the Slow Food movement, which aims to promote the strengths of small towns.

As far as the language is concerned, Swedish is the majority language, and you can get by in Swedish pretty much everywhere. The only time we spoke English was at the market, where vendors also come from other areas.

Kristinestad is located in Ostrobothnia in Finland, about 10 kilometres north of Pori and about 10 kilometres south of Vaasa.

What can you do in Kristinestad?

What can you do in Kristinestad? This is an incredibly charming little town where it's easy to enjoy yourself. Plus, there's a lot to do. Here are our top tips.

1. Stroll among the wooden houses

When you come to Kristinestad, you'll want to take the opportunity to stroll through the charming wooden houses. This small town is one of the few cities in the Nordic region that hasn't burned down, so there are plenty of historic wooden houses.

2. Walk through Cat's Whiskers Alley.

One place that all tourists in Kristinestad want to check out is Cat Whip Alley. According to a sign at the alley, this is Finland's narrowest two-way street, and the sign further promises that no cats have been whipped here.

One explanation for the odd name could be that shipyard workers from Skaftung (which became 'kattong' when the Finnish-speaking workers had to pronounce it) used to hang out in a pub here. When the shipyard workers got loud, the townspeople threatened to whip the "kattongs" away ...

3. Fascinated by Ulrika Eleonora Church

Ulrika Eleonora Church, located in the centre of the city, was completed in 1700. This fine old wooden church has been restored and is still used for services and weddings.

Perhaps most fascinating here is the church's leaning tower. Whether the slope is due to wartime bombing that shook the ground or whether the slope has more natural causes we will leave unsaid, but slope it does!

Some of the town's important families are buried in the courtyard outside the church, as well as heroes from the war. The heroes' graves were all beautifully decorated with red flowers when we were here.

4. Look inside the Customs House

In the past, when Finland was part of Sweden, customs houses were used to charge a fee to anyone who came to the city to sell something. One of these old customs houses now stands next to Ulrika Eleonora Church, and is sometimes open to visitors.

Inside the customs house, there are a few different exhibitions on trade, customs houses and markets in the past. Interesting!

5. Experience the market in Kristinestad

Annual markets have been organised in Kristinestad since 1783. The market tradition is strong and several different markets are organised every year:

• Spring market (April)
• Summer market (July)
• Old-fashioned market day (first Saturday in September)
• Michaelmas market (September/October)

The largest of the markets is the summer market, which usually attracts around 60,000 visitors. We managed to catch this one, and we can say that it is a very nice and lively market, with lots of stalls. You'll find everything from clothes and accessories to crafts, toys, delicacies and sweets.

Did we do any shopping? Yes, Helena found two dresses and Peter hit on nice sheepskins that we have decorated the motorhome with!

6. Admire Kristinestad Church

If you want to take a look at another church, check out Kristinestad Church, which is also located in the centre of the city. This red brick church dates from 1897 and has a 47 metre high tower.

7. Take a selfie at Kvarnberget

On Kvarnberget in Kristinestad, there were once nine mills used to grind grain into flour. Today there is only one left, and it rises stately on the hill so you can see it from far away. During our visit, we actually had to queue for a short time to take a photo in front of the mill, so Kvarnberget seems to be a popular photo spot.

8. Visit Lebellska merchant's shop

The Lebellska Merchant's House is located in the centre of Kristinestad and shows how a rich merchant family lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. This home is incredibly beautiful, and well worth a visit.

You can peek into a large number of rooms, the most impressive of which is the house's 18th century baroque hall, which is the only one of its kind in Finland. Here you can see beautiful wallpaper, stunning old ceiling paintings and a green tiled stove that may be the oldest of its kind in Finland.

9. Learn about maritime history at the Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum in Kristinestad is located right next to the Market Square, in an attic that was previously used as a sailmaker's workshop. Here you can see lots of historical artefacts and learn about the time when many people spent much of their lives on the world's oceans. Whether it was ice fishing, scuba diving or sailing to exotic lands, you can get a glimpse of what it was like in the past.

10. See the city in miniature at Sjöfartsmagasinet

The Maritime Museum has an additional room, which is called the "Maritime Warehouse". We understood that this room is not always open, due to limited staff resources, but we were lucky enough to come here when it was open.

The warehouse contains a number of boats and other artefacts. What we found most interesting was a nice model of historic Kristinestad, with all the houses built in detailed miniatures.

11. Look for gossip mirrors, cats, hedgehogs and Christmas crosses

According to the city's local tourist office, there are some specialities in Kristinestad. Everywhere among the houses you can see gossip mirrorswhich are on the outside of some window panes, so that people can see what is happening on the street from the inside. There should also be plenty of cats in the city, both in the form of real animals sneaking around and in the form of souvenirs and window dressings.

Another animal to be seen is hedgehogs, and in addition to wildlife, there should be some cute little warning signs, made by a local artist. Last but not least, one can mention Christmas crosswhich is available throughout Ostrobothnia, but has its own variant in Kristinestad.

12. Eat well in Kristinestad

In central Kristinestad there are several restaurants and cafes where you can sit down between the sights. We ended up at Crazy Cat at Salutorget, where we had a beer and a pizza on the outdoor terrace. The food was quite okay, but above all it was nice to sit in the middle of the small town center and watch the people go by.

13. Visit Carlsro Museum

Carlsro Museum is a fascinating museum located in a large and beautiful villa from the 1860s, about five kilometres north of the centre of Kristinestad. The villa, which originally served as an exclusive summer villa, was later operated as a guesthouse.

Unfortunately, the business did not work as well as it should have, perhaps because Carlsro is a bit isolated in the countryside. But eventually, when Åke Weckström bought the villa, he turned it into a museum.

Åke collected artefacts from around the region and transported them to the villa by horse and cart. Today, the villa is owned by the municipality and all 11,000 objects collected by Åke are on display to the public. You can check out everything from furniture and kitchen utensils to pharmacy items and toys.

More to see and do in Kristinestad

There is of course even more to see and do in Kristinestad than our tips. Here are some more suggestions.

• Town Hall is a stately building completed in 1856 and now serves as the city's chancellery.
• Stone bridge leading into the city dates from 1854 and is probably the longest stone bridge in the Nordic region. The bridge is 300 metres long.
• Kilen's local history museum is located approximately thirty kilometers south of central Kristinestad and here are about 20 buildings from the villages in the area.
• Footpaths and nature trails are several, such as Tegelbruksbacken-Norrfjärden and Kanonviken and Björkskäret.

Where can you stay in Kristinestad, or park your campervan?

In Kristinestad there are a few different hotels to choose from, such as Alma, Leila, Krepelin and Kristina. It is also possible to rent a villa, cottage or apartment.

We traveled by camper and checked into Bockholmens camping, which has a good location with a relatively short bike ride into the city center. The campsite is nicely located by the water, with a beach and a simple small bar/restaurant.

And we have to mention the ice cream. When we lived here we bought what is still the biggest ice cream we've had in Finland. Of course we forgot to take a picture of it, so you'll just have to trust us...!

More things to see and do around Kristinestad

From Kristinestad it is relatively close to Pori, where you will find the lovely sand dunes at Ytterö (Yyteri). Here you will find even more tips and reports:

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• Things to do in Rauma