Raahe (Brahestad) | Exploring Finland

Raahe is a town along the western coast of Finland, in the region of North Ostrobothnia. The town is also known by its Swedish name, Brahestad, from its founder – the Swedish statement and Governor General of Finland, Count Per Brahe the Younger. It is known for being one of only 10 remaining wooden towns in Finland, where the old town still consists of wooden buildings. The town has a population of around 23.600 inhabitants and is today unilingually Finnish speaking. Raahe was, however, once bilingual, also including Swedish speakers.

A Short History of Raahe

This was once an area belonging to the parish of Salo, today known as Saloinen. It was first in 1649 that Count Per Brahe the Younger gave the charters to the town of Salo. Brahe renamed the new town in 1652 after himself, making the town known as Brahestad.

The town was encircled by a fence and had two custom gates as well as a customs house at its harbor. In Raahe, trade mostly consisted of boards, butter, fur, and tar. By the 1850s the town was home to the largest sailing fleet in Finland and the port’s importance has been kept. It is today the sixth busiest port in Finland.

Industrialization later brought with it more heavy industries that focused on steel. Rautaruukki was founded just south of Raahe in 1960 and the steel mill was for two decades the largest industrial site in the Nordic countries. Rautaruukki was until 1994 owned by the Finnish Government. Since 2014, it has been a part of the Swedish company SSAB.

Things to Do and See

Walking along the wide streets of the old town, enjoying the tranquility at the marina or even stopping in the more modern center located just south of the old town. There is a lot to explore and it is easy to spend a few hours walking along the colorful wooden buildings. The more modern center is never far away with its shops and restaurants and even includes a large Prisma store.

Vanha Raahe

Vanha Raahe, or Old Raahe, is an old wooden town. Here you will find streets lined with wooden residential buildings. Their number is around 150 and has mostly been built after the fire of 1810 that destroyed a large part of the town. At the central square stands a statue of Per Brahe from 1888. Just a short short distance away is the local church and at the outskirts is the marina at the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Raahe Museum

The Raahe Museum was founded already in 1862 by Carl Robert Ehrström, making it the oldest museum of local history in Finland. The museum has for the last century been housed in the old customs house next to the harbor. The museum has a focus on the town’s historical seafarer traditions but also includes the local history and culture.

Raahen Kirkko

The large stone church is located in Vanha Raahe. Its predecessor was destroyed by a fire in 1908 and the current church was built in 1912. Its impressive tower reaches a height of 56 meters. The tower has even been used as a lighthouse due to its visibility from the sea.

How to Get to Raahe

• Flights: The nearest airport is Oulu Airport (OUL) to the northeast. The airport is served by airlines such as Finnair and Lufthansa and is the third busiest airport in Finland.
• Car: Raahe is located along the road E8 between Kalajoki and Oulu. This is also the western end of Road 88 with Vihanti and Siikalatva to the east.
• Train: No passenger trains stop in the town.

The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:

• Helsinki – 604 kilometers (6 h 40 min)
• Turku – 574 kilometers (6 h 40 min)
• Vaasa – 246 kilometers (3 h 10 min)
• Oulu – 75 kilometers (1 h)
• Joensuu – 400 kilometers (4 h 50 min)

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