On the southern bank of the Kokemäki River, Pori serves as the capital of Finland’s Satakunta region. It is clustered with wooden houses that have been rebuilt numerous times following nine devastating city fires. Pori is home to the first Finnish-language theatre in the country and is famed for its annual Jazz Festival, which is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe.
Things to do in Pori
After exploring central Pori, head to the Käppärä Cemetery to admire the Juselius Mausoleum, built by Fritz Arthur Juselius for his young daughter in 1901. Designed in a Gothic Revival style, it features an Italian marble sarcophagus, a bronze door and beautiful frescoes by the Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
Pori is home to one of the oldest historical museums in Finland, the Satakunta Museum, which was established in 1888 and now houses more than 80,000 artefacts reflecting the region’s heritage. It is located adjacent to the Pori Art Museum, where you’ll find contemporary and modern artwork based on the collection of Maire Gullichsen. Occupying a 19th-century weigh house, it showcases works by Finnish artist Victor Westerholm, as well as Yoko Ono and Georges Rousse.
Also associated with Maire Gullichsen is the Villa Mairea, a rural retreat that was designed by the Modernist architect, Alvar Aalto, and completed in 1939. Its ground floor is now accessible to the public on guided tours that offer insight into the building’s inspiration. Villa Mairea forms part of the Noormarkku Works, one of Finland’s largest ironwork areas.
Getting around Pori
Pori is around 1.5 hours’ drive from Tampere and Tampere–Pirkkala Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Regular trains connect to the Pori railway station and buses travel throughout the city. The centre of Pori can easily be explored on foot.