Reposaari

Reposaari (Swedish: Räfsö) is an island and village at the Bothnian Sea in Pori, Finland.

The island is located near the mouth of river Kokemäenjoki, 30 kilometres (19 miles) southwest of the Pori's city center. The population of Reposaari is 1,099 (2009). Since the 1956 the island has been connected with mainland by highway and railroad bridges.

The village of Reposaari is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pori. It uses a grid street plan that was designed in 1874. The buildings are mainly old wooden houses from late-19th or early-20th century. One of the oldest is a hotel built in 1838. It works today as a restaurant. Reposaari has also a school, kindergarten, library, marina, camping site and a hostel. The nearest hotel is located 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) away at Mäntyluoto.

Reposaari is defined as a "Nationally Important Built Cultural Environment" by the Finnish National Board of Antiquities.

Reposaari can be translated as "Fox Island". The Finnish name contains a translation error since the old Swedish name "Reffzöö" refers to word "ref" meaning reef, not "räf" which means fox.

Reposaari has been an important harbor place since the medieval times because of its deep and protected natural harbor. It was a stage for German Hansa merchants on their way up the Kokemäenjoki river. The Port of Pori was located at Reposaari from the 18th century to the early 1900s. In the 1870s, Reposaari was the largest Finnish port in exports. Today the old harbor area works as a fishing port. During the late-19th century, Reposaari was highly industrialized. Major employers were a dockyard (Reposaaren Konepaja) and a sawmill (Reposaaren saha). They were both closed in the 1970s.

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