I got the chance to see Southern Finland for the first time in December last year during Christmas and fell in love with Finland. I spent most of my time in Helsinki, but one day I took a one hour bus ride to Porvoo, a medieval town filled with cute, colorful streets. Porvoo is the second oldest city in Finland. And if only the cobblestone streets could speak, they would tell you tales of many Finnish artists who’ve called Porvoo their home. I fell in love with Porvoo as soon as I saw it. And not just because Porvoo is pretty – even though it is, very pretty indeed. It’s one of those places that you find on those ’10 most beautiful villages’ kind of lists, alongside a plethora of stereotypical descriptions – picture-perfect, candy-coloured houses, picturesque, cute as a button, quaint cobbled backstreets, and so on. Fact is, Porvoo really is that. It is picture-perfect. The medieval town and riverside have a happy, holiday-ish vibe which is unique in Finland. That is my favourite part about Porvoo. The time seemed to tick even slower in Porvoo. Wandering around in the enchanting town is easy to get lost back in time and feel the easy-going and historical atmosphere. 去年十二月我迎着冰雪的芬兰之旅,去寻找冬天里冻出来的美景。无雪的北欧冬天不知道会是怎样一幅萧瑟的画面,而我是幸运的,赫尔辛基以银装素裹等待着我的到来,没有雪的冬天,又怎能算是一个完整的冬天呢。我在赫尔辛基有几天的时间,就去波尔沃(Porvoo)这个童话般的小镇走走,体验了芬兰的另一面。波尔沃中世纪小镇有着完全不同于赫尔辛基的精神。 踏入古镇,首先会想到的是,我重新定义“景色如画”这个词。波尔沃是一座有着200多年历史的古,具有北欧威尼斯之称,处处美景如画。如果没有身着现代装束的居民和游人熙来攘往,我会以为整个古镇还被尘封在600多年前的某一天里。当初我为何选择去波尔沃完全是被网路照片那一整排河边红色小屋给深深被吸引了,所以决定前往追寻。我查找了一下交通方式,其实从赫尔辛基搭巴士过来还满方便的,在时间充裕的情况下,决定来个波尔沃 一日遊,享受一下芬兰第二古镇的魅力。从赫尔辛基到波尔沃车程大约只需55分钟。在赫尔辛基市中心的长途汽车站即可乘车前往,长途汽车车身上通常标有 Porvoo 字样。 波尔沃小镇上的观光客並不多,尤其是冬季。一到冬季添了些许神奇的魔力。如果说夏日的波尔沃明媚灿烂的酷似油画,那么冬日的波尔沃则更像是冰雪中的童话世界,同一个地方,相反的季节,风格迥然。 冬天的 Porvoo 河面都结了冰,红色小屋一整排在河岸边依旧吸引人的目光。 波尔沃的名字来源于流经城镇的一条河的名字“Porvoonjoki”,沿着这条河,有一整排的红色木质房屋,是世界文化遗产的热门候选景点,也是旅游者争相留影的著名景点。 It might be hard to appreciate the beauty of the town while you’re walking its streets. So, why not walk towards the bridge over the Porvoonjoki river to appreciate the views. Or perhaps walk onto the hill opposite the red houses on the banks of the river to get to an even better view. The contrasting view of Porvoo in winter is rather magical. Blanketed with snow, old Porvoo looked like a colorful page of a fairy tale book. 被冬季结冰的河,倒映着红色的木屋,加上霭霭白雪,我举起相机来,镜头里到处都是美丽的风景图片。 The famous red shore houses, Porvoo’s most recognizable landmark, former storehouses that were painted bright red to honour a visit of the Swedish King in the 18th century. These red coloured wooden storage houses are a proposed UNESCO world heritage site. 在18世纪时期,为了迎接瑞典的国王古斯塔夫三世,当地人将位于波尔沃河边的房子都刷了红色,而后来这些房子一直被保留着,成为了这座城市的一道风景,也是艺术家眼中的艺术品。无论夏季还是冬季,这些红房子都有不一样的色彩。真难以想象能保存的这样完好,应该说保存的这样完美。 One day is not enough to discover this historical town. Living in the red shore houses, indulging in some winter activities, Nordic walk on the ice surface and stepping into the green forest are some of the must do activities during the season of winter. I don’t mind living in these wooden houses to blend into the Finnish culture and have a taste of their life on this coastal town for at least a week. This 15th century cathedral sits on top a tiny hill in Porvoo, and can be from any good vantage point. Originally a church, it was built in the 15th century, with some parts dating back to the 13th century making it one of the oldest churches in Finland. 教堂一直都是欧洲建筑不可缺少的,中世纪的欧洲总被打上强烈的宗教烙印,因此,在这样的小镇,总有一座有故事的教堂。这座十四世纪教堂见证了战争,1809年沙皇亚历山大在这里宣布芬兰获得自由,所以这座教堂对于当地有着很大的意义。教堂在多次的战乱中被破坏,所幸的是被修复的很好。 I love following the paths to inner courtyards. They take you downhill all the way to the river, in between the iconic red warehouses of the shore. 由于该镇始建于十三世纪,所以现在还仍然保存着不少中世纪的小木屋和一些狭窄的街道。街道弯弯曲曲,整洁幽静,低矮的木屋结构简洁,色彩艳丽。 I couldn’t hold back my excitement as I wandered around the colourful streets with the snow falling around me. I can only imagine the stories that are held within the walls of a town that was founded nearly 800 years ago. Every corner I turned and every street I laid my eyes on was magic. 我手拿旅游手册,沿着弯曲的街道,踩着已被历史的风雨洗刷和游人踩踏的越来越圆滑的鹅卵石铺就的小路,走入狭窄的小巷,浏览着古老的低矮的木屋,我仿佛置身在中世纪的城市中。那些红色和黄色色调的房子,与阴影中蓝调积雪共同构成了三原色的纯美世界。没有一丝污染,就像还没有进入工业社会前的样子。俨然一幅北欧中世纪的田园风光。 冬季的广场只有空的椅子与白雪相伴,有一种遗世的孤寂感。漫步在街道上,没有过度华丽的奢华,小巧的店家散发出文创艺术者的氛围。这样的感觉给人很舒服自在,我也好喜欢这种寂静感。 走在波尔沃的老街区,两边都是瑞典帝国时期修建的房屋,全部问木板结构,涂着漂亮的颜色,如今这些房屋都归私人所有,不少都改成了店铺或餐馆。 The best way to explore this old town is by taking a leisurely walk around it. Walking aimlessly, discovering the little joy of life, sitting in a cafe for hours , glance through my hazy bus window, reading a book sitting on the bank of the river would be the ideal way to soak into a town like Porvoo. 寒冷的冬天街道上遊遊客不多,但是打开店家大门进入后会发现,原来人们都在室内喝咖啡或是购物閒聊。这种很日常的习惯看在身为观光客的我的眼中,不自觉的羡慕起这样的日常,平静、不庸碌的生活。街道两旁皆是鳞次栉比的室内设计、服装、珠宝、纪念品、美食和当地设计品商店,就像一个个小小天堂,等待着好奇的顾客驻足入内。 As I was wandering around, I spotted small boutiques, antique stores, craft stores, second-hand stores, and souvenir shops offering everything from postcards to Christmas decorations to antiques. I’d recommend just popping into shops as you see them! Porvoo in the winter time is a breath of fresh air. The illuminated river is a kaleidoscope of colour depending on the mood of sky. I arrived during the day when it was incredible sunny below zero degrees and the river was a vibrant blue and as I left when the sun began to set, it was a reflection of a deep pink tone The unhurried pace of life, integrated age old cultural practices, traditional lifestyle and laid back attitude of any town or city lures me more than a concrete jungle of any place in the world. I am fascinated by the old-world charm of those towns that have a string of folklore and enriching history. Seeing the second oldest town of Finland called Porvoo was overwhelming. It had everything that I was conspiring to discover.
在积雪覆蓋着的波尔沃古镇里,处处皆是美丽的木建筑、历史悠久的名胜景点、温馨的店铺、一流的餐厅和迷人的咖啡馆。这一切,都给游客的感官体验带来了极致享受。我真的很喜欢这种古朴的北欧小镇。我觉得没有语言能真正描述这里的生活,所以你需要经历它才能知道它。
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