Welcome to Rauma!

Rauma is a beautiful, green maritime city on the west coast of Satakunta. Our city's culture is vibrant and the atmosphere ranges from rustic harbour landscapes into old wooden houses. Rauma has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the medieval wooden town of Old Rauma and a burial place Sammallahdenmäki from the Bronze Age. The people of Rauma are straightforward and when you get to know them, you'll never run out of stories. See city information, events and attractions on Rauma ja VisitRauma.

Take an imaginary journey through Rauma's history and present with a letter:

"You walk the streets of an old wooden town. By The Church of The Holy Cross there is a channel, in the bottom of it flows a stream, which six centuries ago was a large and deep river where ships carried merchandise and months old news, new ideas and new thinking for the joy of inhabitants of the town. And due to the sailing ships and commerce the small town got the priviledge rights from the king, and the town was founded.

You may also imagine the people looking how the church of the franciscan friers rise in the early 16th century and as you walk into the church and reach the choir part, you see the frescos on the roof as a whisper from Assisi. In the convent starts also a school and education. You can almost picture the friers fishing from the river in their leasure time.

Life goes on. But suddenly the plague rages in the town. The mayor’s daughter dies among so many. The mayor donates a votive painting to the church in the memory of his daughter. Expression of sorrow can be seen and felt in the painting. Art has heeling powers.

In the late 17th century small spark lights a big fire and the whole wooden town burns down. The only building left standing is the Church Of The Holy Cross and so the frescos on the ceiling. The town is slowly built again and life goes on.

The land rises due to the uplift and the harbour recedes. Wealth increases and sailing ships get bigger. Money flows in so people can start renovating their houses. The facades of the houses get a new boarding.

International influenses can be seen in the neorenaissance, jugend and national romantic features. You can find small details on the window frames, walk the medieval streets, sit on a park bench or stop for an espresso. The river gets cleaner and cleaner so even the trout has returned to spawn in the river.

Rauma is a continuum through time. Rauma is a state of mind, community and movement. Rauma offers history and a unique location and RaumArs residence a framework and support for your art project. The old wooden Arts house, just besides the library in the middle of the town, invites you to stay in Rauma.

Sincerely,
Hannu Raevuori, RaumArs Board Member and multidisciplinary cultural operator."