Pori

Pori (Swedish Björneborg) is a coastal city of 83,000 people (2021) in Western Finland. It was founded in 1558, making it one of the oldest cities in Finland.

Pori is a traditional industrial city, with its former wealth and prominence showing in the Neo-Renaissance buildings in the centre and in several beautiful red-bricked industrial facilities alongside the Kokemäenjoki river. Pori is most famous for the excellent Yyteri beach and the annual international jazz festival in July.

Understand


The town of Pori was founded in 1558 by the Swedish king Gustav Vasa, as a strategic centre for trade and commerce. The town grew quickly in the following centuries, becoming an important regional centre for industry, culture, and education.

During the Finnish War of 1808-1809, Pori was occupied by Russian forces, and the town suffered significant damage during the conflict. However, in the following decades, Pori began to recover and rebuild, with new industries and businesses being established in the area.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Pori experienced a period of rapid growth and modernization, as new transportation links and infrastructure were built. The construction of the Tampere–Pori railway line in the 1890s brought improved transportation and communication to the city, while the electrification of the area in the 1920s paved the way for new industries and businesses to be established.

After the war, the city continued to grow and modernize, with the establishment of several new industries, including manufacturing, shipping, and tourism.

The city has suffered heavily during the economic downturns, especially in the early 1990s, earning a reputation as a somewhat gritty place. Things are looking brighter again as of 2020, with lots of students coming to the city and the city centre being revamped.

Although the city is officially unilingual, there is a Swedish school and some cultural activities in Swedish thanks to the resulting community.



Get in
Pori is on E8 along the west coast and at the end of highways 2 from Helsinki and 11 from Tampere.

By plane


If you fly in from abroad, you will most likely end up at Helsinki Airport. Instead of waiting for a connecting flight, it may be quicker to continue by bus or train (the transfers should be smooth). Also Turku and Tampere  have some international flights.

By bus
There are coach connections from Helsinki (3–4 hr), Turku, Tampere (2 hr), Rauma (1 hr), Oulu, Vaasa and Seinäjoki. Ordinary tickets from Helsinki cost about €30–40, but there may be cheaper offers on the net, especially if you buy well in advance. Coming via Tallinn, there may be a coach connection with arranged transfer from the port, mostly via Kamppi. Coming via Stockholm, there may be direct coaches from Turku harbour.

By train


All the passenger trains go via Tampere. A one-way adult ticket from Tampere costs around €15, from Helsinki around €40. Tampere–Pori takes 1½ hr, Helsinki–Pori 3½ hr.

By car
Drive highway 2 from Helsinki (3½–4 hr), highway 8 from Turku or from Vaasa (both about 2 hr), or road 11 from Tampere (about 1½ hr). When coming from Helsinki, the advantage of driving on roads 3 and 12 is that most of the route is on motorways. If you want to come by a route which has more rural feeling and interesting places to stop, drive along roads 3, 132, 54, 283, 284, 230 and 2.

Get around
Central Pori is small enough to be relatively easily explored on foot or, in the summer, on a bicycle. Most of the attractions are within a short walking distance from each other. The few destinations further away, such as the Sigrid Jusélius Mausoleum (about 3 km from the city centre) and the Yyteri sand beaches (about 15 km away) can be reached by bus. Information about local buses can be found at Porinlinjat (web page in Finnish only). You can use the Kyyti likel route planner to seek local bus routes between given locations and addresses.

The cheapest way to purchase tickets is through Kyyti Likel's mobile app. 10 tickets bought from the app cost €25 and each is valid for 2 hours. The app is available for Android and iOS.

The Pori bus station is at the central square. The bus connections are quite good.

By electric kick scooter
American Bird, Finnish Joe Scooter and Finnish Swup rent electric kick scooters for use in the centre and in suburbs.

By bike
The Pori city bike service is maintained by Rolan Oy. The Rolanbike app, which can be downloaded to your phone, gives you easy access to the locations of the stops on the map, as well as instructions on how to use the bikes.

By taxi
Taxis can be booked using 02 Taksi or Valopilkku smartphone app or calling Satakunnan aluetaksi.


 * Smartphone apps: Taksinappi, Uber
 * Smartphone apps: Taksinappi, Uber
 * Smartphone apps: Taksinappi, Uber
 * Smartphone apps: Taksinappi, Uber
 * Smartphone apps: Taksinappi, Uber

Sports




Buy

 * Outlet stores Tactic board games, Karjarannantie 2 km west of the city. Open M–F 08:00–16:00. Bakeries/cafes Mäkilän leipomo: Raja-Hiltantie 3 M-F 07:00–15:00; Jauhopojat Uusikoivistontie 73 open M–F –17:00, Sa 08:00–13:00.
 * Outlet stores Tactic board games, Karjarannantie 2 km west of the city. Open M–F 08:00–16:00. Bakeries/cafes Mäkilän leipomo: Raja-Hiltantie 3 M-F 07:00–15:00; Jauhopojat Uusikoivistontie 73 open M–F –17:00, Sa 08:00–13:00.
 * Outlet stores Tactic board games, Karjarannantie 2 km west of the city. Open M–F 08:00–16:00. Bakeries/cafes Mäkilän leipomo: Raja-Hiltantie 3 M-F 07:00–15:00; Jauhopojat Uusikoivistontie 73 open M–F –17:00, Sa 08:00–13:00.
 * Outlet stores Tactic board games, Karjarannantie 2 km west of the city. Open M–F 08:00–16:00. Bakeries/cafes Mäkilän leipomo: Raja-Hiltantie 3 M-F 07:00–15:00; Jauhopojat Uusikoivistontie 73 open M–F –17:00, Sa 08:00–13:00.
 * Outlet stores Tactic board games, Karjarannantie 2 km west of the city. Open M–F 08:00–16:00. Bakeries/cafes Mäkilän leipomo: Raja-Hiltantie 3 M-F 07:00–15:00; Jauhopojat Uusikoivistontie 73 open M–F –17:00, Sa 08:00–13:00.

Eat
There are Kebab and pizza restaurants at almost every corner of the town, often open until early in the morning. Normal restaurants can be found as well. There is a list of lunch offers for each day.



Drink
The city centre is full with bars and nightclubs. They are situated at or near the main street Yrjönkatu. The age limit is usually 18 years, but to some clubs it's 20. The latter limit is the restaurant's own, and you may be able to get the bouncer to let you in. Bartenders often ask younger customers to present their identification card. If you are in Pori at the summer, go to Eteläranta, there are many nice bars and much to do.

Stay safe
In emergencies, call 112.



Go next

 * Lavia — A rural village and former municipality, today part of Pori.
 * Ulvila — neighbouring medieval town.
 * Rauma — Finland's third oldest town, with a beautiful wooden old town, less than a hour away by car or bus.