Uusikaupunki, or “New Town,” is a coastal place where Finnish history stays visible in everyday streets. The centre gathers a regular street plan, hundreds of wooden houses, a market square and the Pakkahuone harbour; beyond it, the municipality spreads through rural Vakka-Suomi and the Bothnian Sea archipelago. Statistics Finland counted 14,783 residents in the municipality on 31 December 2025, including the centre and surrounding rural and island areas.
From market dispute to peace treaty
The city was founded in 1617 after disputes over peasant markets at Männäinen, now part of Kalanti. King Gustav II Adolf established a town to legalise trade and give the region a commercial centre. Woodworking joined farming and fishing: rural households made furniture and wooden vessels, including vakka storage boxes that gave Vakka-Suomi its name. The harbour later connected local producers to wider markets. From the 1850s to the 1880s, Uusikaupunki had one of Finland’s largest merchant fleets.
On 30 August 1721, Sweden and Russia signed here the peace treaty that ended the Great Northern War. A monument in the market square marks the site of the negotiations. The Old Church, completed in 1629, is the town’s oldest surviving seventeenth-century building. These documented events give Uusikaupunki a clear place in regional and European history; there is no need to claim an invented Roman or ancient foundation.
A living wooden town
More than 40 blocks and over 600 timber houses form one of Finland’s largest Empire-style wooden districts. It is still a residential quarter, so courtyards and gardens belong to daily life as well as architectural heritage. Walk the grid before turning toward the bay, where nineteenth-century salt storehouses now house cafés and restaurants. Pakkahuone guest harbour keeps the sea at the centre of the visit.
Wahlberg’s House Museum, built for tobacco manufacturer Fredrik Wahlberg in the early 1870s, presents maritime history through a merchant household. Decorative stoves and painted ceilings survive inside; the upper floor introduces shipbuilding and commercial sailing. The municipal museum also operates the Sailor’s Home Museum, Naval Pilot Museum and Kalanti Regional Museum, whose opening periods vary. Bonk Museum is intentionally fictional: Alvar Gullichsen’s humorous industrial empire is an art concept rather than local factory history.
Industry and the archipelago
Industry remains part of the town’s identity. Yara’s fertilizer and nitric-acid plant was founded as Rikkihappo Oy in 1965 and has its own deep-water harbour. In September 2026, the city reported Yara’s reactor investment to expand future capacity. Valmet Automotive began as Saab-Valmet in 1968; the first Saab 96 left the factory in 1969. The factory later assembled vehicles for international brands. In 2026 its work shifted further: coach production with Carrus Delta began, with the first vehicles expected before year-end. This transition shows how a long manufacturing history continues to adapt.
During the open-water season, boats depart from Pakkahuone for Isokari lighthouse island, Katanpää fort island and nearby archipelago routes. Isokari’s lighthouse has guided sailors since 1833; Katanpää’s fort dates from the 1910s. These are seasonal day trips and depend on weather and bookings. Regional buses connect Uusikaupunki with Turku, while Ugi Vuki lists 13 local routes and on-demand services. Check Seutu+ for the date you plan to travel. The centre has accommodation, shops, cafés and restaurants; visitor information brings together museums, harbour services and excursions. Confirm museum hours and cruise departures before travelling.
Sources: Statistics Finland population structure; municipal language classification 2026; City history; city museum; wooden-house district; Isokari cruises; Katanpää; local buses; Yara; Yara investment; Valmet Automotive coach production.