Turku

Understand

Greater Turku (as defined here) includes a few surrounding towns and some countryside. Of these Raisio in the north-west is included here, while Kaarina and Naantali have their own articles, as has the Turku countryside in the north, including (west to east) Masku, Rusko, Paattinen (part of Turku) and Lieto.

Name The origin of the word "Turku" the old Old East Slavic word търгъ (tŭrgŭ), which means "marketplace". The Swedish name of the city is Åbo, the origin of which is unclear.

History

Turku is Finland’s oldest city and one of the oldest in the entire Nordic region. The city came into existence at Koroinen on the banks of river Aura, a few kilometres north from the current market square. It was a centre for trade in the 1150s, and in 1229, the bishopric was transferred there as well. The Aura River Valley had already been a prosperous and relatively densely populated area since the Iron Age. The year 1229 is, somewhat arbitrarily, regarded as the year in which the City of Turku was founded. The construction of Turku Castle began in the 1280s, the Dominican monastery of St. Olof was being built on Samppalinna Hill and Turku Cathedral was consecrated in the year 1300. From this point on, the city held an important position in the Swedish realm and it had staple town charter (the right to conduct foreign trade), assuring that trading was brisk. The German bourgeoisie of Turku held a major role in the early development of the city, and Turku had a community that was part of the Hanseatic League, which dominated trade along the coasts of Northern Europe. The tradition of declaring Christmas Peace has continued from the 14th century to these days (and is broadcast in several countries). During Swedish rule, Turku was the largest and most important city in what now is Finland, as well as a major city of the Swedish Empire. Queen Christina of Sweden founded Sweden's third university in Turku in 1640, following the old Uppsala University and the Academia Gustaviana in Tartu, Estonia. Turku was long the provincial capital of much of the eastern half of Sweden, was capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809–1812, and remains the seat of the archdiocese of Finland. Russia, after taking over Finland from Sweden 1809, moved the capital to Helsinki, which was closer to Saint Petersburg and farther from Stockholm. Turku remained Finland's largest city until the end of the 1840s, but its ambitions were dealt a death blow in 1827, when a raging fire destroyed most of the city. Turun palo (the "Great Fire of Turku") is still the largest urban fire in the histo

Getting there

Turku is well connected to the rest of the country by rail and road. From the west (Åland and Sweden), ferries are the main option, although there are flights for those in a hurry. The ferries take cars. There are a few flights also from across the Baltic Sea and from some more distant places. Turku is a good yachting destinations, for those on the Baltic Sea or ready to make the longer voyage.

By plane

Turku Airport (TKU)

1 Turku Airport (TKU IATA) (8 km north of the city centre). It is a compact airport with two terminals for check-in Typically, there are daily flights to Turku from Mariehamn, Stockholm and Copenhagen, and from a few locations further away, such as Gdańsk or Riga. These latter tend to change as budget airlines come and go. Domestic Finnair flights from Helsinki have been discontinued and replaced by coaches operated by Finnair. As of January 2023, Wizz Air flies to Turku from Gdańsk and Rome, SAS from Stockholm and Copenhagen (since April 2025), and Finnair from Mariehamn, with additional charter holiday flights operated by TUI and Tjäreborg, among others. Bus line 1 departs from the airport every 20 minutes and goes via the centre to the Port of Turku. Several hotels happen to be along the route. Tickets are available on board for €3/€1.50 by contactless card, or €4/€2 by cash. Children under 7 years old travel for free when accompanied by an adult, and after 23:00 the trips cost €1 more. Free transfers for two hours included, see Get around for details. The line operates from 05:20 to 00:45. The day's last bus waits as long as 15 minutes if necessary, to allow passengers to catch it. The last buses operate only to Kauppatori, not to the harbour.

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) If coming by air, a common option is to fly to the internationally well connected Helsinki Airport (HEL IATA). Turku is 166 km away from Helsinki and easily reached by train (transfer in Helsinki centre) or coach. By car, the voyage by the Finnish national road 1 (E18) takes around 1hr 40min. There is an almost hourly coach connection from Helsinki Airport to the Turku bus station. Coaches are operated by various companies, but tickets are sold on the Matkahuolto platform regardless of the operator. As of 2024, Finnair has discontinued their domestic flights to Turku, but they do sell plane tickets to Turku where you then transfer to Finnair buses at Helsinki Airport. Coach services operate around the clock, although there may be a gap of two hours between services in the small hours of the night. The trip takes between 2 hr 15 min and 2 hr 55 min, d

Getting around

The market square, Kauppatori (Swedish: Salutorget) is often considered the midpoint of the city, and most sights and restaurants, and most businesses in the centre, are within a kilometre from there. Nearly all buses pass by or have their terminus near Kauppatori, and reach every corner of the city, mostly with reasonable frequency. A bike is still the quickest way to get around and cycleways are generally good, but in the central business district you may have to cycle among cars or lead your bike.

By foot

The vast majority of the city's sights are within a kilometre or two from Kauppatori. The river Aura passes through the centre, and its banks are very popular, allowing for a pleasant stroll from, say, the national shrine of Finland, the Turku Cathedral, to the Turku Castle, which used to house Swedish Kings – or upstream to experience some countryside. Turku Touring, the official tourist agency of the city, offers different walking tours for visitors. There are also leaflets with self guided walking tours, such as Sculpture walk, ArchitecTour, Romantic Turku and Stepping it up. You can get a map from the main library (Linnankatu 2) or the tourist information. If you have a smartphone you can download a Citynomadi app and get a map there.

By bicycle The fastest and most flexible way of seeing Turku is on a bike. There are good bike paths mostly as needed, although at the very heart of the city you have to know the routes or sometimes join car traffic, or get off the bike unless sufficiently experienced; not all the best routes are obvious. Some routes in the centre are brushed and salted in winter: along the river, around the campuses and through the central business district. Elsewhere cycleways and roads are not always maintained sufficiently in the winter for easy (in the centre: safe) biking, but local hardcore cyclists are biking throughout the year. Main biking routes are well signposted. In the centre there are often temporary disruption of these routes (markets, roadworks etc.), and bicycle arrangements are then often neglected. This is more seldom a problem elsewhere. The map at kartta.turku.fi can show biking routes: open the layers menu in the upper left corner, choose Traffic, then Bicycle paths, and use the check boxes. Regional biking route 1 goes to the tip of the recreation island Ruissalo, route 2 to Naantali, route 4 to Naantali via Raisio centre, route 9 to Lieto along Hämeentie, route 10 to Piikkiö via Nummi, Varissuo and Littoinen, route 11 along Uudenmaantie via Kaarina and Piikkiö to Paimio, route 12 via Hirvensalo and S

See

The vast majority of the city's sights are within a kilometre or two from Kauppatori. Two sights in the city are considered above others (by Finnish visitors): the medieval castle, which is the symbol of Turku, and Turku cathedral, the national shrine of Finland, but there are several more modest pearls to find. Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova invites visitors to explore the medieval history and culture of Turku and to reflect upon thought-provoking contemporary art. Luostarinmäki is the only larger part of the city that survived the great fire of Turku in 1827. Nowadays it houses an open air living handicrafts museum, with local artisans working in traditional ways. The biological museum has dioramas showing Finnish fauna of different biotops. The museum of art has a collection from the time of national awakening in the 19th century, besides more modern works. The Museokortti card gives free entrance to most museums.

History and museums

1 Aboa Vetus et Ars Nova, Itäinen Rantakatu 4–6, ☏ +358 20-718-640, [email protected]. 11:00–19:00. Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova combines history and contemporary art; Aboa Vetus tells about the history of Turku and about archaeology, with a nice touch for children. Ars Nova is a museum of modern art. The permanent exhibition of Aboa Vetus illuminates the medieval life of Turku. The museum consists of the ruins of stone buildings exposed in archaeological excavations. Now you can actually step in and walk on the medieval streets of Turku, which used to be buried underground. The largest museum shop in Turku, Laurentius museum shop, is by the entrance. It sells jewellery, toys, cards, books and other souvenirs. The museum also houses M Kitchen and Café, the brunch of which is especially popular among Turku residents. In the summertime the Linnateatteri theatre company also performs comedy in the museums courtyard. €10/7/5.50, family ticket €24, children under 7 free. 2 Botanical Garden, Ruissalon puistotie 215, ☏ +358 2 276-1900, [email protected]. Indoor gardens daily 10:00–17:00, outdoor gardens daily 08:00–20:00. The Turku University Botanical Garden on the Island of Ruissalo is both a centre for scientific research and a public showcase for the fascinating world of plants. The outdoor and indoor gardens display over 5000 species and varieties of plants. In the greenhouses are a wide range of succulent plants and a collection of tropical species. Next to the modern greenhouse is the outdoor garden where the edible plants, roses, meadow flowers, rock plants and exotic trees and shrubs all flourish. Another distinguishi

Do

Turku is especially lively during the summer season, from the latter part of May to early September, as well as around the Advent and Christmas period in December. The banks of the river Aura are regarded Turku's summertime living room. The shores are the setting for many urban events and are also popular for picnic and relaxing.

Theatre and performing arts

For chamber music, check also the weekly concerts at the Wäinö Aaltonen and Sibelius museums. One-off performances can be harder to find, as information channels vary.

1 Turku City Theatre (Turun kaupunginteatteri), Itäinen Rantakatu 14 (by the Theatre Bridge), ☏ +358 2 262-0030, fax: +358 2 262-0065, [email protected]. The main theatre building on the banks of river Aura has gone through a thorough renovation. Turku City Theatre offers performances on four different stages. It offers serious drama, musicals and children's theatre, including visiting productions. €30–50/15–40. (updated Feb 2017) Turun konservatorio, Linnankatu 60. The music institute of Turku gives several concerts a week during the terms, ranging from children's first performances to concerts by graduating musicians and teachers, across most genres and at several venues. 2 Logomo, Köydenpunojankatu 14 (behind the train station), ☏ +358 29-1234-800, [email protected]. Logomo is in an old locomotive workshop, and was the main venue for the Capital of Culture year in 2011. It provides spaces for several exhibitions and major performance throughout the year. It also has a café and a shop, and serves as waiting room for Turku's central railway station. 3 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra (Turun filharmoninen orkesteri), Aninkaistenkatu 9 (by the Puutori square), ☏ +358 2 262-0804. Ticket office: M–F 11:00–17:00 and before events. Turku Concert Hall, built in 1952, was the first concert hall in Finland. It is mainly used by Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, which has a legacy from 1790! In 2026, a new concert hall will be inaugurated, near the City Theatre. Usually €21/9. (updated Jul 2018) 4 Swedish Theatre of Turku (Åbo Svenska Teater), Eerikinkatu 13 (by Kauppatori), ☏ +358 2 277-7377, [email protected]. This is Finland's oldest theatre. The beautiful theatre house reached its 175th anniversary in January 2014. The big scene reflects the age, with splendid decorations, the moderate size allowing quite an intimate experience. Here most performances are musicals or traditional drama. There are two smaller scenes, which also offer more experimental theatre and children's plays. 5 Linnateatteri, Linnankatu 31, ☏ +358 2 232-1215

Buy

There are plenty of opportunities to part with your cash in Turku. The city centre is full of major retail and independent shops. Shopping in Turku is generally more affordable than in Helsinki, but, as with the rest of Finland, it is by no means cheap by international standards. The numerous second-hand and antique stores represent a unique shopping alternative. If arriving in the night, there are grocery stores that are open 24 hr daily (except perhaps some holidays), including Citymarket Kupittaa and some K-market and Sale stores (in or near the centre). Some more grocery stores are open to 23:00 or 24:00, most close 21:00 or 22:00, often earlier in the weekend.

Money Getting cash is rarely a problem, as ATM's ("Otto") are common around the centre and they can be operated with international credit and debit cards (Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro). Currencies other than the euro are generally not accepted, but at least the Swedish krona is accepted on the ferries from Sweden, and the Stockmann department store accepts the krona, dollars and pounds. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, but know your PIN and be prepared to show your passport or ID card. Some stalls at Kauppatori accept only cash, and you may be out of luck with cards also at some small-business stalls at temporary markets. Most bank offices do not handle money exchange.

1 Forex Bank, Eerikinkatu 13 (by Kauppatori), ☏ +358 2 251-8620. M–F 10:00–17:30 Sa 09:30–17:00 Su closed. The most convenient place to change currencies in most situations, unless you can use ATMs. However, rates can be bad even for big currencies. As a rule, tipping is never necessary, although appreciated by some service personnel (see Finland#Tipping). Cloakrooms (narikka) in nightclubs, theatres and better restaurants often have non-negotiable fees (usually clearly signposted, €2 is standard), and – in the few hotels that employ them – hotel porters will expect around the same per bag.

Traditional shopping

2 Market Square (Kauppatori) (midpoint of the city; local bus hub). M–F 07:00–18:00, Sa 07:00–15:00; best in summer before 14:00, when most farmers leave. The centre point of Turku's commercial centre is, without a doubt, the market square, with its market and surrounding shopping centres, department stores and independent shops. The market square itself has been a popular shopping and meeting place and an authentic tourist attraction – locals dominate and many do some of their grocery shopping here. Have a coffee and watch the scene, or buy groceries from the stalls of many local producers

Eat

Turku and other parts of Finland Proper are home to the more western influenced Finnish cuisine, which has features especially from Sweden, Denmark and Germany. The long traditions of farming and fishing in the area have contributed to the local food culture. Fish, especially herring – the regional fish of Finland Proper – has been at the heart of the region's culinary traditions for centuries. It is eaten all year round salted, fried, grilled and smoked. In addition, perch, whitefish and pike are often used. You must also remember to try the famous raisin sausage, a regional speciality which you can buy for example from the Market Hall. Another regional speciality is the sweet malt bread from the archipelago: skärgårdslimpa. As a dessert enjoy a good cup of coffee together with pulla (cinnamon roll) or Piispanmunkki ("Bishops Doughnut"), as people here call the traditional North German pastry Berliner. Lunch offers, meals at kebab-pizzerias and fast food meals (including drinks and chips) usually cost €9–15. Simpler proper restaurant meals of some simple pasta, a soup or a salad, with water or a soft drink, are usually around €10–20. For meals with a high-grade steak and good wine, expect to pay at least €30–60. Proper restaurants are often open until 22:00, with the kitchen closing at 21:00. Some restaurants keep the bar open until later in the night. Fast food chains and some kebab-pizzerias, grills and other such places are open later at night, some as late as 03:00–05:00.

Lunch and brunch

Most restaurants have offers of €9–15 at lunch time, mostly at least in weekdays 11:00–14:00. There are also lunch restaurants or cafés serving meals only at lunch time, including student cafés and lunch restaurants for big workplaces, often having a very affordable price also for outsiders (Finnish students are state-sponsored and eat for €3!). For the student cafeterias some timing may be needed to avoid long queues (avoid 11:30–12:30). A few student restaurants serve cheap lunch also later or in the weekend. The department stores Wiklund and Stockman have family friendly cafés that can come handy.

1 Elvina Café, Yliopistonkatu 15 (near Kauppatori), ☏ +358 2 536-8502. M–F 09:00–18:00, Sa 11:00–15:00. In a 1920s building, seeking an atmosphere of that time. Lunch and café products. 2 Fontana Café, Aurakatu 1 (opposite the city hall and tourist office near Aura bridge). M–Th 10:00–22:00, F 10:00–23:00, Sa 11:00–00:00, Su 12:00–20:00 (brunch served 12:00–16:00). Fresh products from own bakery. Bar opens in the evening. Popular brunch in weekends. 3 Honkapirtt

Drink & nightlife

The minimum age required to enter bars, pubs and nightclubs differs; for legal reasons, one must be at least 18 to enter places that mainly serve alcohol, but many clubs and bars have higher age limits (mostly 20–24 years). Restaurants and bars have varying closing hours, but generally, the popular nightclubs and discos are open until 04:00, as in most Finnish cities. For dancing other than disco, there are a few dance restaurants and cruises, but the main venues for social dancing are the dance pavilions and, off season, a few other locations, where you will find sober and skilful dancers. see Social dancing above. Each of these venues usually have a dance once or twice a week.

Cafés

There are many cafés in Turku. The ones listed here are not representative, but mostly more odd ones. See also Lunch and brunch above.

1 Café Art, Läntinen Rantakatu 5 (in the centre by the river), ☏ +358 40-158-3383. M-F 10:00–19:00, Sa 10:00–17:00, Su 11:00–17:00. Special coffees along with delicious cakes. 2 Aschan, Eerikinkatu 15 (in Hansa Shopping Center). M-F 08:00–20:00, Sa 09:00–18:00, Su 12:00–18:00. Aschan is a café and lunch restaurant, until 2018 a popular confectory and café in Turku, now with franchises in Turku and Helsinki. It sells all kinds of coffee, drinks and sweet and salty bakeries, beard, pies and cakes. 3 Fabbes Café, Tehtaankatu 6, ☏ +358 50-535-3647, [email protected]. M–F 08:00–16:00; lunch 11:00–15:00, late lunch if anything left. Fabbes café is a cosy small café in the beautiful Biskopsgatan area (ÅA campus). 2–3 lunch options, one of which is vegan. Coffee included. They have a nice selection of pies (sweet and savoury), cakes, cinnamon rolls and home-made sweet treats, smoothies, etc. Nearly everything at Fabbe's is baked or produced in house, and you can tell the difference – nothing factory made and few additives. (You can check their web page for today's menu, but the latest news may be from a few years ago.) Breakfast €9, lunch €10–12 (late lunch €6), coffee with bun €4. (updated May 2026) 4 Gaggui, Humalistonkatu 15. Tu–F 10:00–19:00, Sa 10:00–18:00, Su 12:00–18:00. In this tiny café the cakes are the main thing. They are fantastic and made by hand on the site. Coffee is also top-notch and the service is super friendly. 5 Kirjakahvila (Book Café), Vanha Suurtori 1 (in the Brinkkala yard), ☏ +358 2 469-1396. M–F 11:00–19:00, often live acoustic music or other cultural events in the evening. At the historical Old Great Square, this is a culture café and a bookshop (books from small publishers, also foreign ones) run by volunteer

Sleep

Camping See also Naantali.

1 Ruissalo Camping, Saarontie 25 (bus 28), ☏ +358 2 262-5100, [email protected]. Camping and indoor accommodation at the outermost tip of the Ruissalo island. The well-equipped camping and caravan area has a beach, sauna, a convenience store and various other amenities, including hot showers and laundry facilities. The entertainment options include mini-golf, volleyball, badminton and basketball courts, fitness trail, playgrounds and a café-restaurant. Open June–August. €40/€160; tent €18+€5/2 per person.

Budget

2 Hostel Borea, River Aura, Linnankatu 72 (by the yard of Forum Marinum), ☏ +358 40-843-6611, [email protected]. s/s Bore on the River Aura has unique atmosphere. Built for the Turku–Stockholm route, many remember her as cruise ship in different waters, but now the former steamship is permanently moored on the banks of the River Aura and beside other functions houses an inexpensive hostel with 130 cabins. In most of the (small) cabins there is a private shower and toilet. The prices include linen, towels and breakfast, which is served in the buffet restaurant of the ship. Luggage storage, laundry facilities, and free Wi-Fi. Nearby you'll find the Turku Castle and Forum Marinum. Lots of narrow stairs, not suitable for the disabled. Single €51, twin €82. 3 Bridgettine Convent Guest House, Ursininkatu 15 A, ☏ +358 2 250-1910, fax: +358 2-250-3078, [email protected]. Check-in: 12:00–21:00. You'll receive a warm welcome and a friendly smile from the Catholic Sisters who run this guesthouse in a central but quiet location in Turku. The rooms are basic and clean, with en suite facilities and free Wi-Fi. Email can be read at a computer in the library. There is secure parking behind the guesthouse and a continental breakfast is included. Only cash is accepted (2025). Single €60, twin €80, triple €100. 4 Guesthouse Tapuli, Kaivokatu 14 (between the university and the Kupittaa park), ☏ +358 2 250-1600. Small guesthouse with cosy rooms with TV. No breakfast, kitchen is available for self service. Toilets and showers are by the corridor. Sauna is warm every day (included). There is also free Wi-Fi. Single €50, double €65. (updated Jan 2020) 5 Hotel Harriet, Käsityöläiskatu 11, ☏ +358 40-910-3333, fax: +358 2-231-1110. Modern hotel and hostel-quality rooms in the centre. €45/€139. 6 Hesehotelli, Läntinen Pitkäkatu 1 (next to Turku bus station), ☏ +358 45-634-3443. Check-in: M–W 07:30–03:30, Th 07:30–00:00, F Sa 24 hr and Sun 00:00–03:00 (following day). Hesehotel is owned by the burger chain Hesburger,

Go next

Archipelago Sea – Stretching all the way from Turku to Åland and on to Stockholm, Archipelago Sea forms the largest archipelago in the world by number of islands and includes a national park. Best way to visit is definitely by bike and camping gear – unless you know how to handle a yacht or kayak or can afford a one-week charter of a manned yacht. The Archipelago Trail is a tourist route of 125 or 250 km, using the roads and inter-island ferries to provide access to the archipelago without a boat of your own – and without backtracking. The route can be taken clockwise or counter clockwise, starting from Turku, and continuing through rural archipelago villages and astonishing Baltic Sea sceneries. Kurjenrahka National Park – Kurjenrahka is the largest and most diverse protected mire area in the region, the park includes also lakes and old growth forest. One of the best-known sights in the park is the old boundary mark of eight municipalities. Usually a day trip destination, hikes can be extended to last a couple of days. Beginning 2018 you can reach Kurjenrahka by local bus in summer. The other chartered towns of medieval Finland were: Porvoo (Borgå) – in Eastern Uusimaa, reachable by E18 or the King's Road. Rauma (Raumo) – with a UNESCO World Heritage listed old town, Rauma can be reached by coach from Turku in 1½ hr. Ulvila (Ulvsby) – by Pori in the north of the historic Turku and Pori province Naantali (Nådendal, Vallis Gratiæ) – with the summer residence of the President of Finland Kultaranta, the theme park Moomin World and a beautiful wooden old town, 20-min away by local bus. Vyborg (Viipuri, Viborg) – in its heyday the most metropolitan of Finnish cities; past Porvoo, now in Russia. Åland islands – If you have a day or two to spare there are overnight and day ferries to Sweden and the Åland Islands. Stockholm is 10 hours away, Mariehamn on the Åland islands about 5 hours. While the big ferries take you directly from Turku to the Åland mainland, you can also do some island hopping by taking a smaller ferry operated by Ålandstrafiken from Korpo or Kustavi in the Archipelago Sea.