Naantali is a town in southwestern Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country at summer-time. The municipality has a population of 19,427 and is located in the region of Southwest Finland, 14 kilometres west of Turku.

Most of this area is located on the islands, but the majority of the population lives on the mainland. Most of the islands are covered with forest and farmland, while the mainland consists chiefly of residential areas.

Tourism and points of interest

This interesting divide between urban and rural is perhaps one reason as to why the city has been named the most popular tourist centre in the country in numerous surveys. Another factor affecting this is the proximity of both Turku, the region’s administrative centre and largest city, and of the archipelago.

There are some important points of interest in the city, such as the Moomin World theme park on the island of Kailo.

Naantali Spa Hotel, the largest spa in the Nordic countries, and the Naantali’s medieval convent stone church. The city’s popularity as a tourist venue is highlighted by the fact that the official summer residence of the President of Finland, the Kultaranta estate, is located on Luonnonmaa.

The archipelago sea boat traffic is handled by S/S Ukkopekka. Old steamship cruise Naantali-Turku-Naantali.

Naantali hosts an international music festival every June, and the traditional Sleepyhead Day carnival in July.

Naantali culture

• According to the saying, something can shine like the sun of Naantali . The saying comes from the Naantali customs room, built around 1750, whose gate at the corner of Tullikatu and Kaivokatu was decorated with a wooden, radiant sun. 

Food culture 

Naantali pitäjäruoiksi was named 1980’s cobbler salmon , gingerbread and apple filled with slices of sour bread, apple bread . 

Environment and nature 

The sea area in front of Naantali is a typical inland archipelago of the Archipelago Sea, where straits, ridges and islands of different sizes vary. The state of the sea area off Turku-Naantali has been systematically monitored since the late 1960s. 

The most significant nature site in Naantali is the nationally valuable nature reserve , the Tamminiemi nature reserve , most of which is hardwood-dominated dry grove forest .

One kilometer east of the center of Naantali is Lake Luolalanjärvi , which is a popular bird water .

In the south – western part of Naantali is the Pakinainen archipelago , a 571 – hectare , archipelago Natura 2000 and nature reserve. In the central parts of Naantali, Merimasku, is home to the Villivuori Nature Reserve, which is about 11 hectares in size . On the mountain wild nests in endangered Woodlark .

On the western shore of the island of Luonnonmaa is Naantali’s only Natural Monument protected under the Nature Conservation Act . It is an old and tall pine , which is provincially valuable nature site and presented in the Turku region in provincial . 

The title plant of the city of Naantali is hops and the title bird is a ladybug .

History

One of the oldest towns in Finland, Naantali was founded around the medieval Brigittine convent Vallis gratiae (or Nådendal Abbey), the church of which still dominates its skyline. The charter was signed by King Christopher of Sweden, the then ruler of Finland, in 1443. The convent got trading rights and other privileges, and the town around it began to grow. It also became an important destination for pilgrimage.

In the 16th century, as Catholicism gave way to Protestantism as the official religion of Finland, the convent was closed, and the town plunged into a depression. This lasted until the mid-18th century, when the town got a tollgate and a customs chamber. In the two centuries of economic stagnation before that the town had become famous for its knitted stockings, a craft carried on from the times of the convent.

The year 1863 saw the founding of the spa at Cape Kalevanniemi, which raised the town’s status as a holiday venue. In 1922, the Kultaranta estate on Luonnonmaa was made the official summer residence for the President of the Republic, after Finland had gained its independence five years earlier.