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Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland

22 July 2023 / 4 Comments

Things to do in Kristinestad - 15 tips for a Finnish wooden house idyll

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What to do in Kristinestad, Finland? This small Ostrobothnian wooden house idyll offers charming alleys, great museums and lively markets a few times a year. Here are all our top tips for things to see and do in Kristinestad.

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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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland

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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland
Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland
Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland

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 ...

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - Kattpiskargränden

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!

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - Ulrika Eleonora kyrka

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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - Tullhuset

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

5. Admire the 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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland

6. Take a selfie on Kvarnberget Mountain

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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - Kvarnberget

7. Visit the Lebellska Merchant's House

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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - Lebellska köpmansgården

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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - Lebellska köpmansgården

8. 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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - sjöfartsmuseet
Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - sjöfartsmuseum

9. See the city in miniature at the Maritime Warehouse.

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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - sjöfartsmagasinet

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.

10. 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.

katter i fönster

11. Eat at the Crazy Cat restaurant

If you're in the mood for a bite to eat and want to sit on a nice outdoor terrace right at Salutorget, you can sit down at Crazy Cat. Here we had a beer and a pizza - which tasted good without standing out - and above all we had a nice time in the sun.

Crazy cat

12. Try a giant ice cream at Bockholmens camping.

Yes, we had an ice cream at Bockholmens camping and yes, we forgot to take a photo of it. You'll just have to take our word for it. The ice cream is the by far the largest we have eaten in Finland. If you want a lot of ice cream for a reasonable price, the ice cream kiosk at Bockholmens camping is the place to go. And yes, the ice cream is good too!

Bockholmens camping
The beach at Bockholmens camping

13. 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 (early April)
  • Summer market (third weekend after Midsummer)
  • Old-fashioned market day (first Saturday in September)
  • Michaelmas market (early 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.

Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - marknad
Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - sommarmarknad
Att göra i Kristinestad i Finland - sommarmarknad

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

Here's what happened in the campervan with the new sheep traps

14. Discover Kilen's local heritage centre

Kilens hembygdsgård is located about three miles south of the centre of Kristinestad. We missed this museum, but after reading up on it we realise that we should have made a visit here. There are around 20 buildings from the villages in the area and exhibitions focusing on schools, telephony and shipbuilding.

15. Take a trip to the 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.

Carlsro 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.

carlsro museum
carlsro museum
carlsro museum

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.

  • Fire brigade museum is only open at special times and by reservation (Närpesvägen 10).
  • Gallery Gottorp is an art gallery that also has historical exhibitions (Skrattnäsvägen 353).
  • Japanese garden is a visitors' garden with motifs from Japan, Norway and Italy (Björnövägen 175).
  • 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.
  • Footpaths and nature trails are several, such as Tegelbruksbacken-Norrfjärden and Kanonviken and Björkskäret.
Rådhuset
Kristinestad Town Hall

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.

Hotel Alma
Hotel Alma in Kristinestad

We travelled by motorhome and stayed at Bockholmens camping, which has a good location with a relatively short cycling distance to the city centre. The campsite is nicely situated by the water, with a beach, ice cream parlour and a small bar/food court.

Bockholmens camping

More things to see and do around Kristinestad

From Kristiinankaupunki, it's relatively close to Pori, where you'll find the lovely sand dunes at Ytterö (Yyteri). If you head north instead, you can explore Närpes, which includes a unique dialect and tomato farms.

All our top tips about Finland. Click on the image!

More tips for things to see and do in Kristinestad?

Have you visited Kristinestad in Finland? Do you have even more suggestions for what to see and do in Kristinestad? Let us know!

Facts about Kristinestad

  • Country: Finland
  • Landscape: Ostrobothnia
  • Population: just over 6000 (2021)
  • The name: Kristinestad in Swedish and Kristiinankaupunki in Finnish. The name (originally Christinestad) came about when Governor General Count Per Brahe the Younger named the town after his wife, Christina Catharina Stenbock.
  • Language: Over 54 % Swedish and over 41 % Finnish
  • Currency: Euro
  • Read more: You can find more information at tourist office website.

Travelling to Kristinestad

  • Car/caravan: The easiest way to get to Kristinestad is with your own vehicle, such as a car or camper van. Parking in the town is free of charge.
  • Flight/train: The nearest airports and railway stations are in Vaasa, Seinäjoki and Pori. From there you can take a bus or rent a car.

Getting around in Kristinestad

  • Go for a walk: Kristinestad is a relatively small town, and the town centre is easy and pleasant to walk around.
  • Cycling: You can also cycle in the city centre. For example, it is easy to cycle from the campsite into the city centre.
  • Car/caravan: You can drive into town and park in a reasonably central location, then walk around.

History of Kristinestad

  • 1303: The villages of Lappfjärd and Tjöck, which are part of Kristinestad, were mentioned in a letter from King Birger Magnusson.
  • 1649: The city was founded in this year, on the Koppö peninsula on Stadsfjärden.
  • 1651: From this year onwards, the town was called Christinestad. The town plan was drawn in the Renaissance grid pattern by the surveyor Claes Claesson, on the initiative of Per Brahe.
  • 19th century: The city experienced its heyday, with an active merchant fleet. The shipbuilding industry was also important for livelihoods.
  • 1973: The current municipality of Kristinestad was formed when Lappfjärd, Sideby and Tjöck merged with the town.

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22 July 2023 6:00
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  1. Paul Heikki Kurkiala says:

    Hello!
    One thing you may have missed about Kristinestad is that one of Finland's best sea trout rivers, the Lappfjärd river, runs about 2 kilometres through the municipality all the way to its mouth in the sea. Especially the spring fishing in May attracts long-distance anglers from the southern and central parts of Finland. Also during the summer, trout fishing can be very rewarding after the river has risen from more abundant rainfall. Higher up the river, grayling fishing is very good throughout the summer. The Lauhanvuori National Park is located at the river's source, about 5 kilometres from Kristinestad, and includes open springs, clear trout streams, vast marshes and untouched bog forests. The very rare forest wild reindeer lives here in the wild.

    Closer to the city, in Lappfjärd, are the Bötombergs, which rise more than 120 metres above sea level. Here you can hike, swim in a small lake and visit Varggrottan, where remains of human life have been found from before the Ice Age. Unique at these latitudes. The area is also home to the very, very rare Siberian creeper, which climbs high up along the spruce trees and is a real sight to behold with its white flowers in June.

    Lots to see and experience, then.

    22 July 2023 - 20:36

    Reply

  2. Leena Mukari says:

    In Finnish? Easier to understand for most people. More tourists to the city?

    23 July 2023 - 19:13

    Reply

    • Frido says:

      This blog is probably aimed at a Swedish audience and that's not a bad thing. Nice of Freedomtravel to pay attention to these Finnish small towns (and even larger cities) that travellers from Sweden may not even have heard of. I would think that info in Finnish is really enough, yes usually even we Finnish Swedes have to settle for info only in Finnish, so I can hardly help but draw a little on the mouth over your comment.

      24 July 2023 - 18:28

      Reply

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