Nature

Open green spaces form the backbone of a city and function as its lungs. The greenery that can today be appreciated in the city of Vaasa is the result of conscious city planning and forms part of our shared cultural heritage. Vaasa city´s first town plan dated 1855, succeeded in balancing the relationship between the street system, buildings and greenery to a commendable degree. C.A. Setterberg designed avenues in the city centre and parks along the city´s coast. Apart from making the city more attractive, the avenues were to have the function of separating the city districts, and prevent the rapid spread of fire from district to district in the event of another fire in the city.
Rantapuisto (Strand Park) is the area where the strict grid pattern of streets meets the irregular coastline. According to Setterberg´s plans, it was to be left in its natural state. The seafront promenade is still a favourite area amongst Vaasa´s residents, and has become a symbol of Vaasa as a naturally beautiful coastal city.

The Kvarken Archipelago was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in the summer 2006. The Kvarken Archipelago together with the High Coast in Sweden form a unique geological entity and a transboundary World Natural Heritage Site. The steep High Coast and the flat Kvarken Archipelago (the Low coast) are topographical opposites. Together they serve as a unique example of ongoing geological and biological processes and ecosystem development in time and space.