Turku (Swedish: Åbo) is Finland's oldest city, and used to be the country's largest until the mid-19th century. Believed to have been founded in the early 13th century, it is the cradle of modern Finnish culture and has extensively influenced Finnish history. Turku's fantastic culinary scene has earned it the nickname "the Paris of Finland" and the city has been called "Finland's gateway to the West". Bisecting Turku city centre, the River Aura is the heart and soul of the city: this is where Turku was born, and a large part of city life – muse…
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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. 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. 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.
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. The vast majority of the city's sights are within a kilometre or two from Kauppatori.
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.
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. 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, kaupunginteatteri@turku.fi.
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.
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.
Turku is generally a safe city. Turku faces some problems with street violence and organised crime, but common street sense should be enough in most cases. There are no no-go areas. On weekend nights drunken people may cause annoyance, especially after last call. Swimming in the river is forbidden for good reason: the river banks provide very little access to the shore; what was intended as a quick refreshing dip will result in an expensive rescue operation or worse. In emergencies, always call 112, which is the general emergency number for police affairs, fire, medical care and social services.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Turku typically sees ~25°C daytime highs and 14 rainy days.
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