← Paavo Nurmi Marathon·1 night

Rauma: The Largest Wooden Town in the Nordic Countries

A UNESCO-listed wooden old town 90 km up the coast, with a 15th-century monastery church and a bobbin-lace tradition.

Duration1 night
TransitCoach, about 1½ hours from Turku
DepartsTurku bus station

After the Paavo Nurmi Marathon: Rauma

The Route: Turku → Rauma → Turku → Turku Airport Logistics: One coach each way, about 1½ hours, running every one to three hours. Rauma has no passenger trains. One night in the town. Marathon Month: August Duration: 1 night

Turku bus station ──(about 1½ hrs coach)──> Rauma ──(about 1½ hrs coach)──> Turku ──(Föli 1 / 1A)──> Turku Airport (TKU)

Rauma is about 90 km from Turku, and the only public route there is the coach. Wikivoyage gives the journey as roughly an hour and a half, with departures every one to three hours except at night, so a missed coach can cost two hours. Look up the Matkahuolto timetable before you leave.

August in Rauma: the region averages about 20°C by day and 11°C at night, so a rain layer is worth packing. Rauma Lace Week is usually held at the end of July, so it will have finished by race weekend.

Night One: Old Rauma

Old Rauma is a UNESCO site. Wikivoyage calls it the largest uniform wooden town in the Nordic countries, with the oldest inhabited buildings dating to the 17th century. The streets are wide, the houses are tidy and the place feels quieter than some wooden towns elsewhere in Finland. All of that suits a runner who wants to move slowly.

The Church of the Holy Cross, a former Franciscan monastery from the 15th century, has medieval wall and ceiling paintings. Marela, a ship-owner's home from the early 1900s, and Kirsti's House, an 18th-century building that shows daily life in the 19th and 20th centuries, are both described in the same guide. The Rauma Maritime Museum and the Lönnström Art Museum add indoor options. Opening hours change at the end of summer, so check them locally.

Rauma is known for bobbin lace, and you can still buy it in the old town.

Wikivoyage lists most lodging as mid-range, with many of the better hotels holding their own restaurants. A summer-only hostel and a seaside campsite are open until the end of August, so check dates if you plan to use them after the race weekend.

Getting back to Turku

Take the coach to Turku, then Föli lines 1 or 1A for Turku Airport (TKU). Check the airport timetable, because the regular schedule changes in summer.