Rauma
From World travel guide
Rauma is a town in Southern Finland. The wooden houses in the center of the old town are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Rauma is the third oldest city in Finland, and currently houses approximately 40,000 inhabitants. It is a historic seafaring city but in the 20th century its main industry became paper milling. In recent years, significant employment has also been contributed by the nearby Olkiluoto area which houses two of Finland's nuclear power plants and is currently constructing a third.
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Understand
Rauma has a lot of seafaring history. During past centuries it also developed a reputation for high quality lace. Both of these traditions are actively being marketed by the tourism industry, though in day to day life they are no longer mainstream. Folk culture, tourism and older people try to preserve much of Rauma tradition, but as everywhere, Finland is gradually becoming homogenized due to the influence of mass media. Younger generations in Rauma these days hardly differ from those in most other Finnish cities.
Talk
The locals are mainly Finnish speaking. As in most of Finland, you'll find that teenagers and twentysomethings almost always know at least some English. Rauma has a dialect of its own which is often said to be a language of its own. Rauman giäl ("Rauman kieli", or the language or Rauma) is characterized by a slightly more guttural intonation than standard Finnish. Its most extreme form is, however, mostly reserved only for traditional folk events or touristic marketing. The day to day language of Rauma inhabitants is mostly standard Finnish mixed with some Rauma idioms, words and pronunciation. If you know Finnish, you'll understand practically everything; it's only the occasional word here or there that might leave you confused.
Get in
Rauma has no airport, and there is no notable passenger traffic by sea. There is no passenger rail traffic. (There is a railway station, but it is for cargo only.) Tourist traffic is therefore almost solely by road. There are easy road connections to Pori (north, 60km), Turku (south, 90km) and Tampere via Huittinen (east, 150km). There are no roads going west since that way lies the sea. There are decent bus connections in each direction, going every 1-3 hours except during the night.
Get around
Bringing your own car or bicycle would be convenient. The bus system is extremely limited and services only the handful of most important routes. You'll find the main bus stop near the old town, at Savila. This is not the same as the intercity bus terminal which services the buses that go in and out of Rauma; there are a couple of blocks between the two bus stations.
See
- Old Rauma (Vanha Rauma), [1]. Old Rauma is the largest uniform wooden town in the Nordic Countries, and it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List on the eve of the 550th anniversary of the city. The oldest inhabited buildings date back even to the 17th century.
There are a few other museums showing for example how the local people lived 150 years ago. Probably as a result of flourishing lace trade, almost all the old town's houses have beautiful wooden panels, some of them carved.
The water tower has a beautiful manufactured waterfall on its grounds, and the view from the observation level up on the water tower is likewise beautiful. Rauma souvenirs are sold at the water tower. There is a small entrance fee.
Do
Buy
In Old Rauma you can still find plenty of traditional lace on sale and at the main square you will find the seafarers' museum containing some impressive stuff.
Eat
Drink
A common perception among young Raumans is that there is absolutely nothing to do in Rauma. This perception is shared to such a degree that if a Rauman teenager asks another if there's anything happening in Rauma, the other one starts outright laughing. As usual, teenagers have somewhat of an extremist view and also are not fully aware of all their options -- still, there is some truth to their opinions. Rauma is not a happening party town. There are a couple of night club options and a number of seedy bars, and each usually has their own clientele where everybody knows each other. It might be difficult to find a place that fits you in Rauma, and if you do, it might be difficult to get to know the people who already know each other.
Sleep
There are two Best Western hotels in Rauma. If you are traveling with camping gear or a mobile home, you might want to consider the Poroholma camping grounds, on the seashore within the city.
Get out
External links
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