Located on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River is this beautiful small city, Turku. Declared once the official Christmas City of Finland & also designated the European Capital of Culture in 2011, this lovely & unique holiday destination would stay in your heart for ever. Turku, a wonder destination.
The River Aura is the heart and soul of this city, which happens to be the oldest city in Finland & also at one time the Capital city for hundreds of years. Talk of any European city from the Middle Ages & it would surely have a riverfront, a market square, a castle & a cathedral. And so does this wonder destination.
Those who love to walk, you would love to be here as all the attractions are in close proximity. The Old Great Square, as it is known as, has the Turku Castle, the Turku Cathedral, the Aura Riverfront, the Forum Marinum Maritime Museum, the Turku Port, the historic Market Square, the Turku Art Museum, Luostarinmaki Handicrafts Museum, Aboe Vetus & Ars Nova – Museum of History & Contemporary Arts, Turku Biological Museum, Turku Orthodox Church & St. Michael’s Church.
Another landmark is the Turku Market Hall built in 1896 by the famous Finnish Architect, Gustaf Nystrom which also has the distinction of being the second oldest market hall in Finland. You of course cannot miss visiting & enjoying ‘Vartiovuorenmaki’, a beautiful seven hectares park right in the heart of the city. Once done, just lie down in the park opposite the Cathedral or on the benches along the river, relaxing & soaking in the majestic beauty of the surroundings or reading a book & enjoying the chill & the sun.
Turku, a wonder destination – Visiting Loistokari
All said & done, the aura of Turku revolves around River Aura & this is where you got to be. Go for an Archipelago trip or sail to Naantali on an afternoon cruise with or without lunch. But then, one of your evenings should be reserved for this one & only super trip. An evening Dinner Cruise to Loistokari Island..aboard one of the oldest Steamship, s/s Ukkopekka. An unforgettable experience. Come let’s head there.
Turku, the city has been built on seven hills & hence the streets are up & down, giving you the feel of a hill station. Walking down the streets itself is a revelation as each building seems to be an Architectural masterpiece.
You must keep a day though for Naantali, a lovely city just 14 kms from Turku. See the beautiful landmarks, visit Kultaranta the summer residence of the President of Finland, Saaronniemi beach & in case your kids are traveling with you, Moomin World – the cartoon based kids theme park.
Turku seems to be a wonderful place to visit. This place needs to be visited during Christmas. I would love to know why it is known as the official Christmas city of Finland! The evening dinner cruise looks quite an elaborate and enjoyable experience.
That’s because the declaration of Christmas Peace was done in Turku way back when Turku was the Capital of Finland.
I would love to experience this on Chritstmas. The idea of slowly walking through different attractions is a good one. It’s a more absorbing experience. And that cruise sounds fun. Goa also has these short cruises and they have a lot of singing and dancing too.
Yes Turku is just the place for a relaxed walking holiday. And then fun on the river.
Wow I didn’t know that Turku is the official city of Christmas. I had plans to visit Finland last year but I couldn’t and I definitely did have the Santa Claus village on my list. But now I will add Turku as well and even though it will be extremely cold, maybe visit it during the Christmas time. This is such a beautiful place which I had never heard till now.
I haven’t been to Turku yet. I was only in the capital of Finland, Helsinki. But I would like to go back and visit all country. Turku, for sure, is worth a visit. Especially Turku Castle and Cathedral. Loistocari island seems a perfect place for a weekend gateway. It’s great that was live music during the cruise and good food. I add it to my Finland itinerary.
Yes Agnes you must visit Turku in your next visit. You’ll fall in love.