Attractions - Finland

Attractions - Helsinki

Turku, Finland

The riverside city of Turku is the oldest in Finland and was once the country’s capital city. It boasts a beautiful medieval castle, the impressive Luostarinmaki Handicrafts Museum, a fine cathedral and stylish boat restaurants.

Begin your visit to Turku with a trip to its castle. The most notable historic building in the country and one of its most popular tourist attractions, the castle was founded in 1280. Check out the splendid dungeons and banqueting halls. The castle also houses an interesting museum with many rooms decorated in the style of a specific decade or century. The Luostarinmaki Handicrafts Museum is an open-air museum where the professional skills and lifestyles of the pre-industrial age are kept alive by craftsfolk working in the original workshops. There are thirty such workshops including a silversmith, watchmaker and cigar shop. In the summer, artisans dress in period costume and musicians perform. It is a not-to-be-missed experience. The Turku cathedral is the national shrine of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland. Dating to the 13th century, it is still used as a place of worship as well as housing a museum. Don’t miss the four museum ships anchored on the banks of the Aurajoki River in the city centre. The beautiful Sigyn in particular is well worth a visit. The Sibelius Museum at Piispankatu 17 is the most comprehensive musical museum in Finland exhibiting memorabilia of the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and showcasing more than 300 musical instruments from around the world. Visit two museums under one roof at Itainen Rantakatu 4-6. The Ars Nova is a museum of contemporary art and the Aboa Vetus an archaeology museum.

One of the most superb archipelagos in Europe opens up from the coast of Turku and stretches way out into the Baltic Sea. Take a boat from Turku and enjoy a day trip around the islands or, for a more unusual experience, take a dinner dance cruise in the evening. Enjoy a meal at one of the floating restaurants on the Aurajoki River or around the kauppatori (market square) back on dry land. Take in a performance of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra - one of the oldest in Europe - at the Concert Hall on Aninkaistenkatu 9 or go dancing in one of the city’s chic hotels.

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