Old Rauma

Old Rauma (Finnish: Vanha Rauma, Swedish: Gamla Raumo) is the wooden centre of the town of Rauma, Finland. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991 because of its unique wooden architecture and its well-preserved medieval town layout. It is one of the only medieval towns in Finland.

The area of Old Rauma is about 0.3 km, with approximately six hundred buildings (counting both proper houses and smaller buildings like sheds) and about 800 people living in the area. The oldest buildings date from the 18th century, as two fires in 1640 and 1682 destroyed much of the town. However, the layout of the town center still retains much of its medieval structure. The wooden buildings are almost exclusively one story, although several older buildings also have cellars. The residential buildings are located along the main street, whereas the ancillary buildings (for example, grain houses and sheds) were constructed along narrow alleyways. Most buildings are currently inhabited and owned by private individuals, although along the two main streets and around the town square they are mainly outside in business use. In the 18th century, the town of Rauma expanded outside the Old Rauma proper, and the increased ship trading led to the modernization of the city.