the church with in the foreground the WW II veterans monument
a grand view of the presidential residence on the island Luonnonmaa
where are all the tourists?
the church is all that remains from the Brigettine convent. It was renovated in 2012
the kiosk at the harbor
some of the wooden buildings along Mannerheim road
Naantali is a small town on Finland's southwestern coast. The area sports hundreds of islands and islets, mostly uninhabited.
This setting makes Naantali one of Finlands major tourist destinations.
It all started with the medieval
Brigittine monastery in
1438 and a settlement grew around it from trade and pilgrimage.
After the Reformation the convent's many valuables
were conviscated and the place was closed down after the last nun died in 1591.
Naantali fell into a deep and prolonged
depression.
The opening of a spa in 1863 started its new focus on tourism.
Across the harbor is Luonnonmaa Island with the
Kultaranta estate, since 1922 the official summer residence of the Finnish president. It's parks and gardens are open to the public.
We
made a quick visit to Naantali in July 2016 and found the place almost deserted.
souvenir shops along Mannerheim road
there is a lot of wishdom on display
the Finnish flag flies over the presidential estate
