Uusikaupunki

Uusikaupunki (Swedish: Nystad) is a city in Finland Proper in Western Finland.

Understand

Wooden houses along Nordenström street

Uusikaupunki was founded in 1617 and is the main town of the Vakka-Suomi region. In the 19th century it was an important ship building and shipping centre. The Empire style wooden old town was built according to a plan from 1856. Among the big employers nowadays are Finland's only car factory (which produces Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars) and a shipyard (building boats and small ships). The Vakka-Suomi countryside, including countryside parts of the Uusikaupunki municipality, is described in a separate guide.

• Tourist information (Matkailutoimisto), Rauhankatu 10 (by the church and market square), ☏ +358 440-515-209, +358 50-420-5333, +358 50-420-5425, matkailu@uusikaupunki.fi. M–F 09:00–15:00. 

Get in

The nearest major city is Turku, which has hourly buses to Uusikaupunki (1 hr 10 min, €11.30). A few buses on weekdays also from Rauma (1 hr, €11.10). No passenger service along the Uusikaupunki railway as of 2021.

• Guest harbour, Pakkahuoneentori 2 (in the centre), ☏ +358 44-712-3500, pakkahuone@karilla.fi. About Apr–Sep. Full service guest harbour. Bikes for hire. The adjacent square is an event venue in season: live music, dances, markets etc. Harbour fee €20, day fee €6 (6 hr); electricity +€3; off season each other night free; bikes €3/hr, €15/24 hr, €45/week. 

Get around

Ukikyyti connects the routes of passengers traveling in the same direction and at the same time, thus being able to serve as many customers as possible. Ukikyydi's service area covers the city centre of Uusikaupunki and its immediate surroundings.

The ride can be ordered within the service area between any addresses on weekdays from 07:00 to 21:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00. The ride is ordered and paid for with Matkahuolto's Routes and Tickets application. Alternatively, the ride can be ordered by calling 0800 133 733 M–F from 08:00 to 16:00, in which case payment will be made in the car with either cash or a debit card. The order can be placed for immediate need or even five days before the time of the trip.

You can get the ride from the location indicated by the app or customer service. If the trip is booked for several people, the price of the first passenger will be €2 and each additional passenger will be charged an additional €1. You can also get a car with a pram, wheelchair or rollator, for example.

By taxi

• Valopilkku (Taksi Helsinki). Taxis ordered by smart phone app. Pricing not told on the web. (updated Aug 2019)
• 02 Taksi. Smart phone app offers address based routing and gives price offers from different taxi companies. Pricing not told on the web. (updated Mar 2020)

See

Mills and water tower

• Wooden old town.
• Isokari lighthouse island, see cruises below.
• Katanpää fortress, built 1915–1917, see cruises below.
• 1 Bonk Museum, Siltakatu 2, ☏ +358 2 841-8404, bonk@bonkcentre.fi. A museum chronicling the bizarre story of Bonk Business Inc, a multinational corporation that pioneered anchovy power generation, advanced disinformation systems and localized black holes. There's one small catch – the company doesn't actually exist – but this firmly tongue-in-cheek museum doesn't let that get in the way of a good story. Advance reservations essential. Adult €5, student €3.5, child €2. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Automobile Museum, Autotehtaankatu 14 (next to the Valmet Automotive factory), ☏ +358 204 848-068, automuseoinfo@gmail.com. Aug-May daily 11:00–17:00, June–July: daily 10:00–18:00. Adult €10, student €8, child €5. (updated Jul 2024)
• 3 Kalanti Church (Kalannin kirkko), Pyhän Olavin tie 6. A gray stone church built in the 15th century. (updated Jul 2024)

Do

• Mary Ann (sailing ship cruises), ☏ +358 2 8451-5455, matkailu@uusikaupunki.fi. Midsummer to mid-August: Th Su 10:30–18:00, F 13:00–21:00 Isokari, W Sa 10:30–18:00 Katanpää; in July also "pirate cruises" F 10:00–12:30. Guided cruises to destinations in the archipelago with a brigantine built 1996 as a replica of a ship active in mid-19th century. Adult €48, child 4-12 €24, pirate cruises €25/13 (lunch included). (updated Aug 2015)
• Diana ("water bus" cruises), ☏ +358 44-515-2502, info@procruise.net. Midsummer to mid-August Tu–Sa 11:00–18:00, in autumn some bird watching cruises. Guided cruises to destinations in the archipelago (mainly Isokari or Katanpää). The standard cruises include dinner at the yachting club. Advance booking needed. €49 adult, €25 child fare for ages 4–12. (updated Aug 2015)
• Wreck cruises (Hylkyretket), ☏ +358 50 420 5425, matkailu@uusikaupunki.fi. Tu Th Sa. Cruise to wrecked ships in the neighbourhood, arranged by divers but without diving (technical means of viewing the wrecks used instead). Tailored cruises for groups of 8–12 persons. Advance booking needed. Adult €30, child €25. (updated Aug 2015)
• 1 Bothnian Sea National Park. The national park consists of a strip of some 100 km of outer archipelago off Uusikaupunki, Raumo and Pori. The bird sanctuary Preiviikinlahti Bay is reachable by road, but otherwise you need some kind of boat to reach the park. There are many businesses offering tours to the park, either by timetable or as charter services, also diving or seal watching tours. Among sights are the Isokari, Säppi and Kylmäpihlaja lighthouses and the coastal fort Katanpää. There are services such as jetties, cooking shelters and nature trails on some of the islands. There are several guest harbours in the inner archipelago. Stay away from islets with nesting birds. Free, except for transportation and guide service costs.  

Festivals and concerts

• Karjurock: . 3-day music festival in mid-July. (date needs fixing)
• Crusell week in July–August in honour of clarinettist and composer Bernhard Henrik Crusell. Many concerts.

Work

Port of Uusikaupunki (2007): a ship loaded with Porches

Since 1968, the automotive industrial manufacturer 1 Valmet Automotive has been one of the most important employers in the town.

Buy

• 1 Uusikaupunki Market Square (Uudenkaupungin tori), Alinenkatu 32 (in the town center). Tul toril market events on Saturdays starting at 10am, from July to September. 
• 2 Vakka-Suomen Panimo, Välttitie 2, ☏ +358 50 370 1276. Microbrewery with a shop for their products. their Prykmestar SavuKataja was chosen as beer of the year at 2009 Helsinki Beer Festival. 
• 3 K-Market Kalanti, Pankkitie 2. M–F 08:00–21:00, Sa 09:00–21:00, Su 10:00–18:00. A grocery store. 

Eat and drink

• 1 BlueTime, Pruukintie 3 (in Kalanti), ☏ +358 2 874-954. W–Th 11:00–21:00, F–Sa 11:00–02:00, Su 12:00–21:00. A bar restaurant. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Kirsta, Aittaranta 4–6, ☏ +358 40-779-8889. M–Th 11:00–20:00, F 11:00–22:00, Sa 12:00–22:00, Su 12:00–16:00; lunch M–F 11:00–15:00. Restaurant. Live (one-man) music in Saturday nights. €20–30; lunch €10. 
• 3 Luode, Sepänkatu 1, ☏ +358 40-158-0815, info@ravintolaluode.fi. Closed in summer and Su–M. Tu–Th 11:00–21:00, F 11;00–22:00, Sa 15:00–22:00; lunch M–F 11:00–14:00. Fine dining restaurant. Tasting menus with wine packages. Lunch €11; mains €20–25, tasting menus €50–95. 
• 4 Gasthaus Pooki, Ylinenkatu 21 (by the church and market square), ☏ +358 2 847-7100, info@gasthauspooki.fi. Tu–F 15:00–21:00, Sa 12:00–21:00, Su–M closed; Christmas buffet 14–22 Dec 14:00–19:00. A small restaurant with very good food. Also rooms with ensuite facilities. €16–32; Christmas buffet €28. 
• 5 Rosamunda, Koulukatu 5 (by the market square), ☏ +358 2 842-4833, maija.suominen100@gmail.com. Lunch M–Sa 11:00–15:00. Café. Lunch €8–11. 

Sleep

For lodging and camping farther from the centre, see Vakka-Suomi countryside.

Camping

• 1 Santtioranta, Kalalokkikuja 14 (by the shore north of the centre, 1.5 km from the church), ☏ +358 41-314-4890, santtioranta@karilla.fi. May–Sep; café Jun–Sep 08:00–22:00. Camping site. Café. Public beach. Cabins €40+€7.50/person, caravans €25+€4/person (children 0–12 €2), tents €20+€4/person (children 0–12 €2). 

Lodging

• 2 Hotelli Aittaranta, Aittaranta 2, ☏ +358 44-982-1720, info@hotelliaittaranta.fi. Café open M–F 07:00–17:00 (lunch 11:00–15:00), Sa–Su 08:00–14:00. Double/twin rooms, two with en suite sauna. Some rooms accessible by wheelchair. Also small apartments. Nightlife can be heard in weekends. Reception in Café Aitta in an adjacent building. €130; lunch €10. 
• 3 Hotelli Aquarius, Kullervontie 11 B, ☏ +358 2 841-3123, hotelli@hotelliaquarius.fi. Lunch M–F 10:30-14:00. Hotel. Sauna, gym, restaurants, night club. No breakfast in weekends. €120; lunch €9.80, children under 12 €5.20. 
• 4 Rantakadun Helmi, Rantakatu 21, ☏ +358 50-380-3791, timoholvitie@gmail.com. Apartment for 1–4 persons (71 m²) in a block of flats. Linen included. €200/two nights. 
• 5 Kirkkokadun Amanda and Olga, Kirkkokatu 14 B, ☏ +358 400-698-366. Small apartments (45/55 m²) in old houses in the wooden old town. Linen included. Probably not for the mobility impaired. €60 + €30/person. 
• Ruustinna, ☏ +358 44-271-2696, esa.pirkola@gmail.com. Apartments in the old town. 

Connect

• 1 Uusikaupunki Main Library (Uudenkaupungin pääkirjasto), Alinenkatu 36, ☏ +358 50-569-1121, kirjasto@uusikaupunki.fi. 
• 2 Kalanti Library (Kalannin kirjasto), Pankkitie 2, ☏ +358 50-420-5378, kalannin.kirjasto@uusikaupunki.fi. 

Go next

• Charter a yacht or other boat and sail to Hanko through the Archipelago Sea.