Fodor's Expert Review Porvoo Cathedral

At this 15th-century stone-and-wood cathedral, the diet of the first duchy of Finland was opened in 1809, making Finland semiautonomous as part of the Russian Empire. This is one of the oldest churches of its kind in Finland—it's survived being burned to the ground by both Danish and Russian armies on several occasions and more recently in 2006 by home-grown arsonists, after which it was impressively and lovingly restored. Inside, you can make out some of the original Catholic artwork, before the Protestant Reformation led to the whitewashing of its walls. Just outside the front gate are some of the best views of the surrounding town.