municipality

Nykarleby
Nykarleby - Leif Sjoholm

Photo by Leif Sjöholm

A RIVER FLOWS idly through a town in the Ostrobothnia region. A historic railway marks the spot of the harbour. The town is called Nykarleby, and is the centre of the Nykarleby, or Uusikaarlepyy, municipality.

History

The Nykarleby district was formed in 1607 by connecting parts of Pedersöre and Vörå, and became an official municipality in 1620 through the initiative of King Gustav II Adolf. The growth of the new municipality, however, was slow. It only began to flourish in the late 1700s. (more…)

Kristinestad
Kristinestad

Studio Sara

KRISTINESTAD, or Kristiinankaupunki in Finnish, is located by the Gulf of Bothnia, and is a part of the Ostrobothnia region. It is a bilingual municipality where the majority of the population speak Swedish.

History

Count Peter Brahe founded Kristinestad on the Koppö island in the year 1649, having noticed its potential for a port. The Swedish Queen Christina signed the charter of the town, becoming the namesake of Kristinestad. The ‘Lilliputian’ new port grew slowly until it established itself as a trading hub in the 18th century. (more…)