Grand history meets modern life in Loviisa, the most cherished small town in Finland. In an era where we have everything, there are still places that cherish community and its people, over material growth. The community stands proud with our wooden building heritage, it is rare to find a town with so many historic wooden houses. It is not a museum area, it is very much alive and vivid.

Small town, great experiences! The story of Loviisa is the story of how to turn a negative way of thinking into a positive and pleasant one. So pleasant, in fact, that every year some 15.000 people want to be a part of the charm of the small town at the Loviisa Historic Houses event. The key is to be able to adapt to changes brought on by for example, the end of shipping with sailing vessels, or the end of being a border town of Sweden and Russia When the battle for a new nuclear power plant was lost time and again. One can lose hope for less! But hey! Through adversity to the stars. Loviisa has made the most of what each era has had to offer. We have the world's cosiest "living room" right on the shore, where the old salt warehouses have been converted into popular restaurants, and the remarkable ship M. aux Österstjernan is waiting to hoist the sails. We have grand memories of an era as a Swedish border town, in shape of fortifications, buildings and traditions. We also have the historic Lower Town, one of the most unified urban areas in the country dating from the 18th century. When a nuclear power plant was built in the 1970’s, a farsighted town architect saved the area from demolition at the very last minute. The area symbolizes the importance of the minuscule but at the same time portraying a grand past as a maritime city. Here lies a sprawl of small seamen's cottages interspersed with impressive wooden villas where the commanders lived. In August each year, some forty historic houses in the town and in the neighbouring villages open their doors to visitors. The streets are swept clean, the facades are freshened up, and the inhabitants arrange their walkways and courtyards into flea markets and cafés. During one weekend in August, the town has been teeming with people for over ten years. Some years ago, some enthusiasts/driving spirits came up with the concept of open houses and traditional renovation. Now even the most negative scepticals have given up: Loviisa is a fantastic environment to live in. It is peaceful and quiet, with social connections for those who wish. It is close to the sea, it is affordable and only 50 minutes by motorway to Helsinki. We also both Finnish and Swedish without difficulty, two of our country's official languages. But that's not all, despite gloomy reports of a downturn in the economy, we in Loviisa believe in the future. We are tolerant and we fiercely stand up for new Finns threatened with deportation, who have taken root here. In 2023, a housing fair that presents new concepts of wooden house construction will be held here and the campaign for a train connection from Helsinki via Loviisa to St. Petersburg is in full swing. Old and new, setbacks and successes. The story of Loviisa is the story of grand times followed by some setbacks, and the capability of finding a sustainable way of thinking. A way that takes all the traditional and good into consideration and looks expectantly into the future. Contact Nina Wiklund, +358-50 5229764, loviisanwanhattalot@gmail.com

European heritage is something we should find pride in. Something we must try preserve, in our every day lives and and share as knowledge to future generations. In order to preserve we must try maintain skills that are slowly disappearing. Coming together, sharing stories, in a community is vital in order to maintain and share information.