Naantali: Old Town, Coastal Paths and Moominworld

Naantali combines a historic seaside old town with coastal paths, cultural sites and Moominworld. To plan your stay, you can first consider whether you are especially interested in wooden houses and churches, paths along the shore, an event or the themed attractions. The sights and paths offer different ways to explore these interests.

Old Town, wooden houses and coastal paths

Naantali’s Old Town lies by the sea and comprises hundreds of historic wooden houses. Cafés, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and a museum add to what’s on offer; the selection may change over time.

Aurinkopolku connects the route from Naantali Spa with the Old Town: the 1.8-kilometre coastal and cultural trail runs along the waterfront promenade to the heart of the Old Town. Eight information boards present Naantali’s history through text and images. This lets you combine a walk by the water with insights into the town’s history.

Another option for a walk along the shore is Rantaraitti. It runs from Kuparivuori along the waterfront of the Old Town to Taimo Beach and is about 3.5 kilometres long each way. The surface and access may change; check the latest information before your walk.

Medieval church and music

Naantali Church was built between 1460 and 1480 as the church of a Catholic Bridgettine convent. It is the only surviving part of the convent and the only monastery building still standing. After Turku Cathedral, it is Finland’s second-largest medieval stone church. This history of construction gives the church several historical connections: it represents both the medieval convent era and the city’s surviving sacred architecture.

Today, the church is also an important concert venue: several concerts are held there every year, and it is the main concert venue of the Naantali Music Festival. The festival takes place in early June; artists and ensembles perform in and around Naantali and in historic churches. Dates and programme vary from year to year.

The Humppi building of the Naantali Museum houses an archaeological exhibition on Naantali’s early history, as well as a scale model of the Bridgettine convent. Those interested in the church’s history will find another connection to the convent’s past there. The exhibitions may change.

Moominworld and Kultaranta

Moominworld includes the Moomin House, the Witch’s House, Snufkin’s Camp and Snork’s Inventors’ Park. Among the fairytale settings, the park offers theatre performances and a beach for swimming. The themed attractions may develop further; programmes and facilities may vary seasonally.

Kultaranta Garden is a 56-hectare park with flower beds, roses, formal gardens, pergolas, pavilions and ornamental ponds. Guided tours of the garden offer insights into life at Kultaranta and the summer traditions of Finnish presidents and their spouses in Naantali. Tours are seasonal; dates and booking arrangements may change. Check them before planning a visit.

Casa Haartman is also relevant when planning for specific access needs: the house is not accessible, has two floors and no lift. If accessibility is important to you, check the current description before travelling.

Other places in the municipality

Historic churches and museums can also be found around the municipality. The present wooden church in Merimasku was completed in 1726 and is Finland’s sixth-oldest wooden church still in continuous use. In Röölä, Rymättylä, the Dikseli Herring Heritage Museum presents the history of herring fishing and the traditional production of salted herring. Röölä was the home port of the Saukko herring-fishing fleet; the museum shows the entire herring-processing process, from the catch to salting. The adjacent Mill Museum reopened to visitors in 2016.

The medieval church in Rymättylä was built on a narrow strip of land between two sea bays. On the island of Palva, the people of Velkua built their wooden church in 1793. Merimasku is also home to Kollola Heritage House: a former crofter’s cottage on the Isotalo estate in the village of Järvensuu, purchased as an independent property in the 1920s. These places show different aspects of the municipality’s history, from church building to rural living and working conditions.

Plan your hotel stay

If you’re looking for a hotel in Naantali, you can first decide which themes you’d like your stay to focus on: the Old Town and medieval church, coastal paths, Moominworld or other places in the municipality. You can then compare hotel options based on your personal requirements.

Discover more destinations: Uusikaupunki, Raisio, Salo, Askainen, Korppoo, Lieto, Kimitoön, Rymättylä

See the regional travel overview: Varsinais-Suomi.