Naantali

Naantali (Swedish: Nådendal, Latin: Vallis Gratiæ) is a town near Turku in Western Finland. It is a very popular tourist destination in the summer. The municipality now includes much of the northern Archipelago Sea (former municipalities Merimasku, Rymättylä and Velkua).

The official summer residence of the President of Finland is located in Naantali.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. English is well understood.



Understand
Naantali is one of the six medieval towns in Finland (with Porvoo, Rauma, Turku, Ulvila and Vyborg). It originated in 1443 as a Bridgettine convent. The Latin name of the convent was Vallis Gratiae, The Valley of Mercy. In Swedish this was Nådens Dal which turned into Naantali in the mouths of the Finnish speaking laymen.

After the Lutheran reformation in 1530s the convent was laid down and the town faced hard times. The convent had taught handicraft skills to the locals and especially the women had learned to weave. During the years after abolishment of the convent, the town received significant income by selling long socks which had become a very popular men's garment those days. The church was repaired by governor general Per Brahe in 1660. The depression continued until the mid-18th century, when the town got a customs chamber and new vitality.

The customs chamber was marked with a large copper sun so that no one could say they didn't find the place where the customs fee must be paid. This led to a well known Finnish proverb that something "is shining like the Naantali's sun" (loistaa kuin Naantalin aurinko). Today the proverb has positive meaning.

In 1723 professor Peter Elfving came to conclusion that water from the Viluluoto spring can cure many illnesses, and finally in 1837 a spa was established at the spring. However, the location was awkwardly remote, and fairly soon the spa was relocated by the sea next to the church but its fame had spread. The era of tourism in Naantali had started.

Modern day Naantali does not live from tourism only. The town has a busy freight port, in fact one of the busiest in Finland. There is also some heavy industry. However, you have to stray away quite a bit from the tourist areas to notice those.



Get in
The main road to Naantali leads via Raisio outside Turku, which is just 17 km away. Passenger train service has been terminated

By bus
There are frequent buses from Turku (30 min; buses number 6, 7 and 7A; €3/1.50: local ticket with two hours free transfer as usual in the Föli area). The is at the border of the old town, walk through it to get to the church, the shore and the Moomin world.

By boat
From Turku a much slower and more expensive but far more scenic is the Ukkopekka steamship twice daily straight to the Naantali old town, not far from the Moomin World. The journey winds through the gorgeous archipelago and takes two hours each way (€20/25 one-way/return, operates June–Aug only).

From Sweden there are the daily ropax ferries of Finnlines, from Kapellskär (in Norrtälje), some of them via Långnäs (in Åland). This is the shortest and cheapest way directly across with a car (about €60 including driver, buffet meal included), but the ferry is considerably more bare-bones than those floating palaces that operate between Turku and Stockholm. Finnlines carry only passengers with a vehicle.

Naantali has a quite popular guest harbour, but the biggest sailing yachts cannot enter due to bridges (three routes, highest 16.5 m, shortest 11 m).

There are several guest harbours farther away in the archipelago, some of which have usable bus connections to the town.

By car
Naantali is situated at the western end of Turku's ring road, Highway 40. If you're driving from some other city than Turku, follow the signage towards Naantali when you are to cross the ring road. From the center of Turku, drive towards Pori on Highway 8 (E8) and take regional road 185 to Naantali.

In addition to the big ferries directly from Sweden, there is a connection with smaller ferries from north-eastern Åland via Brändö and Kustavi.

By bike
There are cycleways from Turku. From elsewhere you may have to use also normal roads, sometimes with options for more quiet ones. Naantali can be reached by the Archipelago Trail (choose the route via Rymättylä or Merimasku).

Get around

 * See Turku for information about fares and tickets

The town itself is not too big. The old wooden old town is well worth a walk. Most of the archipelago is reachable by bus or car. Naantali has its own local bus network which belongs to Turku-area Föli transport system. Public transport is sparse, though.

From late summer 2019 some local buses are flexible (tickets €3/1.50 as usual): call the driver and negotiate route and timetable. Line N1 serves the centre and some nearby areas weekdays 10:20–12:00, N7 the Luonnonmaa island, also to the centre, school days M W F 10:10–11:15 and 11:50–12:50 , N11 Rymättylä down to Röölä school days M W F 08:25–11:30 , N6 Merimasku according to timetable with only minor deviations in route ( or ). Check holiday and summer schedules.

By taxi

 * Taxidata, Taksi Länsi-Suomi, iTaksi: see Turku
 * Smartphone apps: 02 Taksi, Valopilkku

See


Naantali is very much a summer town, and many attractions are closed outside the June–August peak season.

Do






Buy
There are lots of small shops in the old town. Nearly all now feature Moomin products, but also traditional handicraft or similar souvenirs can be found in many of them.

Go next

 * Turku, Finland's former capital
 * The Archipelago Trail, taking you out around most of the Archipelago Sea