Kristinestad

Kristinestad (Kristiinankaupunki in Finnish) is a municipality in Finland. Population 7,836 (2003) with majority being Swedish speakers. The city was chartered in 1649 at Koppö island. This idyllic town with low wooden houses and narrow alleys is unlike any other place in the Nordic Countries although there are other cities in Finland with a similar wooden house architecture, e.g. Kaskö, Raumo and Borgå. Kristinestad has often been called the pearl of the southern part of the Gulf of Bothnia. The town covers an area of 687.64 km² (excluding sea) of which 9.37 km² is inland water. It has a shoreline of 370 km.