Getting ashore
Confirm the berth and any transfer from the quay with the cruise line before you sail. Rauma is mainly visited by smaller luxury ships, and large liners call only rarely. One sample itinerary from 2021 allowed a call from 08:00 to 19:30, so a full day ashore is possible, though timings change. The old town, the museums and the lace shops fit into a single day if the ship’s timings allow. Visit Rauma, the tourist office at Savilankatu 8, is open from June to August, daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and is free to visit. Those hours were updated in July 2024, so confirm them before going.
Into town and transport
Rauma sits about 92 km north of Turku and 50 km south of Pori. The E8 coast road links it with Turku and Pori, and national road 12 runs inland towards Tampere. Passenger trains are due to reach the town in May 2027. Until then, visitors take a train to a nearby station and continue by coach. Coaches run every one to three hours, except overnight, and take about 1.5 hours from Turku, 2.5 hours from Tampere and 3.5 hours from Helsinki. The bus station is in the centre near the old town. Pori airport has domestic flights only, so Helsinki is the main international gateway.
For walkers and architecture fans
The town is small and easy to walk, especially Old Rauma, a UNESCO-listed wooden town described as the largest uniform wooden town in the Nordic countries. Its streets are wider and tidier than those of Porvoo, with a calmer feel. The Church of the Holy Cross is a 15th-century former Franciscan monastery with medieval paintings. Museums include the Maritime Museum, the Art Museum and the Marela merchant’s house, and Kirsti’s house shows a typical 18th-century home. Kordelin’s burial chapel, the water tower observation deck and the Kiikartorni viewing tower are also listed sights. Rauma received town status in 1442, but fires in 1640 and 1682 destroyed most of the downtown, and the Holy Trinity ruins, burned in 1640, now sit in a park. Shipbuilding in Rauma dates to the 16th century, and the Rauma Shipyard builds large cruise ferries, small cruise ships, icebreakers and patrol boats. By the late 19th century the town had Finland’s largest fleet, with 57 sailing boats.
For nature and outdoor fans
The archipelago is the main draw beyond the town. In summer, day trips head out to the islands, including the Kylmäpihlaja lighthouse hotel. Sammallahdenmäki, a Bronze Age burial site with 36 cairns, lies about 18 km away and is also UNESCO-listed. Winter ice walks on the archipelago are possible, but check the ice thickness with local people and never go alone. Many attractions, camping grounds and summer hostels open only in the warmer months, so a winter call will find fewer options.
For shoppers
The old town is known for traditional lace, second-hand goods and art, and the market in Old Rauma sells fresh and smoked fish. Lace Week in late July is the main event of the year. This nine-day festival has been held since 1971 and draws thousands of visitors. Festivo and the Blue Sea Film Festival take place in August, though some festival dates are still to be confirmed. The north of town has two hypermarkets, Prisma and Citymarket, for everyday shopping.
For eaters and drinkers
Local dishes reflect the seafaring past, including lapskoussi and topseilvellinki. Budget options are pizza and kebab places at about 4.50 to 8 euros a meal, and meal prices are quoted in euros, so plan in euros. Cafés in Old Rauma often have courtyard seating, and Café Sali is recommended for espresso drinks. Rauma is not a party town. Bars cluster in and west of Old Rauma and are busiest on Friday and Saturday nights.
Getting around and money
Taxi apps include Valopilkku, 02 Taksi and Taksinappi. Bicycles can be hired from Loft Hotel, and electric kick scooters from Joe Scooter and Swup. Rauma has no internet cafés, but free internet is available at the Rauma City Library on Alfredinkatu 1. The currency is the euro. The Olkiluoto nuclear plant in nearby Eurajoki has a visitor centre, and occasional bus tours run there from Rauma, though security may need advance registration. Most people speak standard Finnish, though the local dialect borrows many Swedish words, and anyone born after 1965 usually knows some English.
Accessibility & mobility
The pages read do not cover step-free access at the berth or the surfaces in the old town. Visitors with mobility needs should ask the cruise line about the shore arrangements before sailing.