Turku has approximately 175 000 inhabitants, and was the most important city in Finland until 1812, when the Russians moved the capital to Helsinki (closer to Russia and further from Sweden). Turku remained Finland's main city for a while after, but its ambitions were dealt a death blow in 1827, when a raging fire destroyed most of the city.
Today's Turku remains the third largest city in Finland, after the Greater Helsinki metropolitan area and Tampere. Some of the main draws of Turku are its history and historical significance and the great natural beauty of the neighboring archipelago. Turku is at its best during the summertime, and hosts a great number of festivals, including rock festivals, chamber music festivals and a renaissance faire.
Get in
By plane
Turku Airport is a small facility 8 km north of the city. There are domestic flights to Helsinki, useful mostly for onward connections, and international flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen.
By train
Significant train connections are to Tampere and high-speed Pendolino trains to Helsinki. The travel time is approximately 2 hours.
By boat
Perhaps the most scenic way to get to Turku is by taking a passenger ferry across the Baltic, from Stockholm in Sweden. The two biggest ferry lines are Viking Line and
Silja Line. Each one has a morning and an evening departure from Stockholm. For a scenic view, a morning departure is advisable. Evening departures provide adequate night club activities on board if you want to cut loose before arriving in Turku.
The steamer S/S Ukkopekka also offers cruises to/from nearby Naantali, the home of Moomin World.
By car
The Finnish road and bus network is generally very flexible and provides many ways of getting to Turku. Most significantly the stretch between Turku and Helsinki has been undergoing considerable renovation in recent years, and there is now a motorway for nearly the entire distance. Travel time by car should be 1.5 to 2 hours, and by bus about 2.5 hours. Salo is about 2/3rds of the way from Helsinki to Turku. You can also approach Turku from an easterly route from the Tampere region (about the same distance from Tampere as from Helsinki) and from Rauma in the north, about 90km away.
Get around
By foot
Like most Finnish cities, Turku does not have a huge city centre. The vast majority of the city's sights are within 0-2 miles of the "Kauppatori", the market square that serves as the heart of the city. The River Aura passes through the center of the city, and its banks are very popular for walking along on, allowing for a pleasant stroll from, say, the city centre to the Turku Castle.
By bus
Turku has an excellent public transportation system, and its buses can reach nearly every corner of the city. Almost every bus is centered on the Kauppatori market square, and bus lines radiate outwards from it. There are no significant 'circle lines', so usually if you need to transfer, you will need to take one bus to the Kauppatori, then transfer there to the bus taking you to your final destination. A single ticket is 2,50 €, and its valid for unlimited transfers within two hours of the ticket's purchase. If you intend to take the bus more than twice a day, it becomes economical to ask the bus driver for a 24 hour ticket, priced 5,50 €. There are no 48 hour tickets, but the tourist office sells Turku Cards (of 24h and 48h varieties) which, in addition to providing free admission to most sights, also provides you free bus rides for the validity period. Some of the more important bus lines are the number 1, which goes from Kauppatori to the airport to Kauppatori to the passenger harbor (and Turku Castle) and then all over again, and the numbers 50-54 which will take you to the spa hotel Caribia. Buses generally go in two directions from Kauppatori, so check and make sure that you are taking the correct numbered bus in the correct direction as well.
By taxi
Taxis are generally well available. There are generally three crunch times when they might be slightly problematic, and those are the morning and evening ferry departure times (particularly during summer), around 8 am and 8 pm, and the bar closing times (particularly on weekends), around 3:30-4:30am. A normal taxi will carry about 4 people and a moderate amount of luggage. For significant amounts of luggage, you may want to order a "farmari" taxi, an estate/wagon car which has a roomier luggage compartment. There is also a third common type of taxi available, the "tilataksi", a van which will comfortably carry about 8 people. Taxis charge a base cost of 4-7 euro depending on time of day (in sundays the base cost is higher regardless of the time of day), and 1-2 euro per mile, depending on amount of passengers (more passengers, higher mileage charge). Quick 1-2 mile trips will cost in the 8-13 euro vicinity. There is a central dispatch for all Turku taxis at phone number 02-10041, and bookings can be made in advance, though more than one day in advance is overkill and unnecessary. Advance bookings less than 30m before desired departure time are not accepted -- in that case, just phone the dispatch when you are ready to go. Outside the worst rush hours, a taxi should take no more than 5 minutes to arrive. If you are out late at night, plan ahead! During weekend bar closing hours, wait times in excess of 1 hour are not unheard of! Flagging taxis on the street is rare and may not work; calling the central dispatch is the commonly accepted method, however you can regognize a free taxi in dark, since the taxi sign in the top of the will have its light on if the taxi is free.
By Bike
The city tourist office can suggest cycling routes and publishes an excellent free bike route map of the city and surrounding towns. You can rent bike from there for 10 € per day or 50 € per week; Hostel Turku is another of several places to offer this.
Other
There is no subway, tram or train line for transit within the city. Bringing a car, owned or rental, is not a bad idea, but parking may be a problem at times in the very center of the city. During the summertime, there are multiple boats at the banks of the River Aura who make trips into the archipelago. The tourist office rents bicycles.
See
Tours of the strong hold are given hourly in English. They give a good account of the castle's history.
Do
Eat
For proper restaurant meals, expect to pay 10-30 euro - lower end with some simple pasta or soup with water or a soft drink, and the higher end with a high-grade steak meal with good wine. For fast food or pizzeria meals, you will generally need to pay under 10 euro. Burger meals are around 5-8 euro (including drink and fries), kebabs and pizzas are about the same.
Generally, proper restaurants are open until 10-11pm, on weekends maybe an hour longer. There are no proper restaurants open in Turku after midnight. Fast food chains, pizzerias and other such places are open later at night, some as late as 3-5am.
Budget
Hesburger is the dominant burger chain in Turku, and you will find several of these in downtown. Pizzerias are frequently kebab-pizzerias, offering both Turkish kebab and Italian pizza dishes on their menu. You will also find a lot of these downtown. Unfortunately, the restaurants offering the finest kebabs are not located in the core downtown.
Mid-range
Splurge
Restaurant quality food is readily found in Turku. Most famous are the restaurant boats on the banks of the River Aura. Some of them close for the winter, but others remain open throughout the year. Other famous restaurants include:
Please note that it is difficult to find a restaurant late in the evening. During weekdays, restaurants often close around 9-11pm, and even during weekends they are usually only open an hour longer. In some estabilishments, the bar may remain open for drinks even though the kitchen has closed and no food is available. After 1am, there are no restaurants open, so if you are out late at night, the only food available is fast food and kebab-pizzerias.
Drink
Restaurants and bars have varying closing hours, but generally, the popular night spots are open until 4am. Last call always occurs half an hour before closing, and is indicated by the bar staff turning the lights off for a few seconds, then turning them back on. They may repeat this a few times in quick succession to make sure the patrons get it. It's generally smart to leave about ten minutes before last call, to avoid being caught in the rush of everybody trying to leave at once, especially if you are planning to get back to your night spot by a taxi.
Night clubs tend to have guarded coat rooms where you can leave any of your outer garments in exchange for a ticket. Using the coat service is generally considered mandatory even if this is not explicitly pointed out. There is usually a small change fee, an euro or two, for this service. Do not lose the ticket; the bar staff will often not want to hash out ticket confusions during closing time when things are at their most chaotic. If you lose the ticket, you may be told to come back tomorrow to get your things.
The legal drinking age in Finland is 18 for mild alcoholic drinks (up to 20%/40-proof) and 20 for stronger drinks than that, but the minimum age required to enter bars/pubs/nightclubs differs, generally from 18 to 25.
Cafes
Nightclubs
Pubs and Bars
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Get out
Cruises on the Baltic Sea:
Viking Line,
Silja Line.
Take the bus to Naantali to see the presidential summer residence Kultaranta and the Moomin world.
Turku (IPA: , Swedish: ), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 175,354 (as of 2006). Located () at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwest of the country, it is the capital city of both the region of Finland Proper and the province of Western Finland, as well as being the centre of the country's third largest urban area, with around 300,000 inhabitants. Turku has one of the largest Finland-Swedish populations in the country. Due to its location, the Port of Turku is one of the busiest seaports in Finland with around 3.7 million passengers per year.
Turku has a cultural identity as Finland's historical centre, as it was the largest city in the country. It was also the capital from 1809 to 1812 after which time Helsinki was made the capital. It also hosted the country's first university, The Royal Academy of Turku.
History
Turku has a long history as Finland's largest city and administrative centre, but has, over the last two centuries, given up both titles to Helsinki. To this day, the city's identity stems from its status as the oldest city in Finland and the country's former capital. Originally, the word 'Finland' referred only to the area around Turku (hence the title, 'Finland Proper' for the region).
Although archaeological findings, dating back to the Stone Age, have been discovered, Turku did not become a significant location until the late 13th century. Its name originated from an Old East Slavic word, tǔrgǔ, meaning "market place". The Cathedral of Turku was consecrated in 1300, and together with Turku Castle and the Dominican monastery (founded in 1249), the city became the most important location in medieval Finland.
During the Middle Ages, Turku was the seat of the Bishop of Turku (a title later upgraded to 'Archbishop of Turku'), covering all of Finland until the 17th century, and the only city in Finland to trade with the Hanseatic League. Even if Turku had no official capital status, both the Dukes and Governors-General of Finland usually had their Finnish residences there. In 1640, the first university in Finland, The Royal Academy of Turku, was founded in Turku. Turku was also the meeting place of the States of Finland in 1676.
After the Finnish War, which ended when Sweden ceded Finland to Imperial Russia at the Treaty of Hamina in 1809, the capital was changed from Turku to Helsinki, as Emperor Alexander I felt that Turku was too far from Russia and too aligned with Sweden to serve as the capital of the Grand Duchy. The change officially took place in 1812. The government offices that remained in Turku were finally moved to the new capital after the Great Fire of Turku, which almost completely destroyed the city in 1827. After the fire, a new and safer city plan was drawn up by German architect Carl Ludvig Engel, who had also designed the new capital, Helsinki. Turku remained the largest city in Finland for another twenty years.
In 1918, a new university, the Åbo Akademi — the only Swedish-language university in Finland — was founded in Turku. Two years later, the Finnish-language University of Turku was founded alongside it. These two universities are the second and third to be founded in Finland.
20th-century Turku has been called "Finland's gateway to the West" by historians such as Jarmo Virmavirta. The city enjoyed good connections with other Western European countries and cities, especially since the 1940s with Stockholm across the Gulf of Bothnia. In the 1960s, Turku became the first Western city to sign a twinning agreement with Leningrad in the Soviet Union, leading to greater inter-cultural exchange and providing a new meaning to the city's 'gateway' function. After the fall of Communism in Russia, many prominent Soviets came to Turku to study Western business practices, among whom was Vladimir Putin, then Leningrad's deputy mayor .
In the 1960s and 1970s, Turku displayed unprecedented rates of growth, resulting in the construction of many new densely-inhabited suburbs such as Varissuo and Runosmäki, and the annexation of many neighbouring municipalities (eg. Maaria and Paattinen). The city's growth has led to problems with unemployment in the new populous suburbs on the one hand, and with the provision of public services (such as education) in more remote parts on the other.
Geography
Located at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwestern corner of Finland, Turku covers an area of 245 km² (94 sq mi) of land, spread over both sides of the river. The eastern side, where the Cathedral of Turku is located, is popularly referred to as täl pual jokke ('this side of the river'), while the western side is referred to as tois pual jokke ('the other side of the river'). The city centre is located close to the river mouth, on both sides of the river, though development has recently been expanding westward.
There are nine bridges over the Aura river in Turku. The first bridge in the city area, known as Pennisilta, was built in 1414, and has since been demolished. The oldest of the current bridges is Auransilta, which was constructed in 1904. The newest bridge is Teatterisilta ('theatre bridge'), a pedestrian-only bridge built in 1997. One of the best-known landmarks of Turku is the Föri, a small ferry that transports pedestrians and bicycles across the river.
With a population of approximately 300,000, the Turku sub-region (LAU 1) is the third largest urban region in Finland, after Greater Helsinki and the area around Tampere. The region includes, in addition to the city itself the following municipalities: Askainen, Kaarina, Lemu, Masku, Merimasku, Mynämäki, Naantali, Nousiainen, Paimio, Piikkiö, Raisio, Rusko, Rymättylä, Sauvo, Vahto, and Velkua.
Subdivisions
The city is divided into 78 districts and nine wards that do not function as local government units. There are, however, some projects that are based on the district divisions, particularly in the eastern part of the city, where unemployment is rife in certain areas. The largest populated districts are Varissuo and Runosmäki. By area, however, Kakskerta and Paattinen, formed from former municipalities that were annexed to the city proper in the mid-20th century, constitute the largest districts.
As many of the small neighbouring municipalities from the north and south of the city were annexed during the mid-20th century, Turku is today shaped like an elongated pear. The city centre and most of the suburban areas lie in the middle, separated from the less densely populated rural areas to the north by the Turku bypass that forms part of European route E18. Islands such as Ruissalo, Hirvensalo and Kakskerta, forming the southern part of the city, are also sparsely populated and mostly contain summer residences, with the exception of some districts in Hirvensalo which are currently growing into upper-middle-class suburbs.
Climate
Lying by the Baltic Sea and sheltered by the islands of the Archipelago Sea, Turku has a hemiboreal climate. Like much of southern Finland, the city experiences warm summers, with temperatures ranging up to 30°C (86°F), and relatively cold winters with frequent snowfall. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 17°C (62°F), while the coldest is January. The average year-round temperature is 5°C (41°F).
Precipitation in Turku averages 633 mm (25 inches) a year. The rainiest month of the year is August, when the city receives on average 85 mm (3.4 inches) of rainfall. In March, the driest month of the year, the figure is only 29 mm (1.1 inches). The average air pressure at sea level is 1012 millibars, with little variance throughout the year.
Operational since 1955, the city's weather station is located at an altitude of 47 metres (154 feet) at Turku Airport.
Government and politics
Being both a regional and provincial capital, Turku is an important administrative centre, hosting the seat of the Archbishop of Finland and a Court of Appeal. Mikko Pukkinen, the former city manager of Seinäjoki, has been the city manager of Turku since 2006.
The city council and city board have long been dominated by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), with approximately equal representation. Currently, the council has 67 members, with 19 from Kokoomus and 18 from SDP. The other major parties in the council are the Left Alliance (10 seats) and the Green League (9). The current chair of the city government is Aleksi Randell from Kokoomus.
Olavi Mäenpää, chairman of the far-right organisation Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset (SKS) and a prominent figure in Turku's municipal politics, has provoked some controversy in the local media. In the last municipal elections in 2004, he received more votes than any other candidate in Turku, probably in large part due to protest votes. SKS is, however, a marginal force in the city's administration, having only two seats in the council.
Transportation
For a city of its size, Turku has a good public transportation network of bus routes. It is managed and supervised by the City of Turku Public Transport Office, and is operated mainly by private companies. All the major districts are served by buses every ten to fifteen minutes during the day, some even more frequently.
Regional buses are operated by private companies, most importantly TLO, with very frequent services especially to the neighbouring cities of Naantali, Raisio, and Kaarina. TLO has been accused, however, of abusing its near-monopoly status by setting high fares.
Rail traffic to and from Turku is handled by the Finnish national carrier, VR. As with most other Finnish cities, railways were an important method of transportation in the first half of the 20th century, but have since seen a sharp fall in popularity. As a result, the number of services has fallen and only the railways towards Tampere and Helsinki are now in use. The railway stations currently used for passenger traffic are the Turku Central railway station in Pohjola, and two smaller stations in Kupittaa and the Port of Turku.
There is no local rail traffic at the moment, as the city's tram services were discontinued in 1972, and the various local railway lines to neighbouring towns and municipalities were all abolished during the late 20th century. However, there are plans for a light rail line in the Turku region in the near future. This system would more ably serve major suburbs of the city such as Varissuo and Runosmäki, as well as the neighbouring cities.
Turku Airport is located eight kilometres to the north of the city centre, partly in the neighbouring municipality of Rusko.
There are also daily ferry services from the Port of Turku to Sweden and Åland, operated by Silja Line, Viking Line and SeaWind Line. These are somewhat of a Finnish cultural tradition (see ruotsinlaiva), and people often travel long distances across Finland to Turku just to take a cruise across the Gulf of Bothnia.
The archipelago sea boat traffic is handled by S/S Ukkopekka. Old steamship cruise Turku-Naantali-Turku.
People
At the end of 2004 the Turku region (including the economic districts of Turku and Åboland) had a population of 319,632, out of which 174,824 people lived in the city of Turku. The city's population density is 718 inhabitants per square kilometre.
89.4% of Turku's population speak Finnish as their native language, while 5.2% speak Swedish. The next most widely spoken languages are Russian (1.3%), Arabic (0.6%), Albanian (0.5%), and Kurdish (0.4%). 95.8% of the population are Finnish citizens, and the most sizeable minorities are from Russia, Estonia, Iraq, and Iran. Like all other Finnish cities, Turku does not collect information about the ethnic and religious makeup of its population.
Throughout its history, Turku has always welcomed new influences: it was through Turku that the Swedish crown occupied what is today known as Finland. In the Middle Ages, it hosted German merchants, while engaging in trade with the Hanseatic League. Even today, the city has retained its tendency towards hospitality – it has a higher proportion of immigrants than any other Finnish city. Recently, however, the increased numbers of immigrants, particularly in the city's eastern suburbs, has led to the outbreak of some xenophobic sentiment (as shown by the growing support for the nationalist Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset party), but ethnically motivated crimes are rare in Turku.
Famous people from the city of Turku include Paavo Nurmi, Mauno Koivisto, Saku Koivu and the 18th century botanist, Herman Spöring. The Turku region has also brought forth many prominent personalities, including the marshal, Carl Gustaf Mannerheim.
Economy
Turku is the central economic hub of southwestern Finland, and the capital of the Turku economic district. As of 2003, the district's per capita income was €24,022, higher than the national average of €23,780.
The city's economy is centred around the Port of Turku and other service-oriented industries. 86 per cent of the city's workforce are employed in the services sector. The city is also a renowned high-tech centre — the Turku Science Park area in Kupittaa hosts over 300 companies from the fields of biotechnology and information technology, as well as several institutions of higher learning that work in closely with the business sector. One of the examples of high information technology in Turku area is OpenSpark a Finlands largest WiFi community which Turku is also using. This cooperative element is seen as a particularly important factor with regards to the city's expected future economic development, as outlined in the Turku Strategy that is published annually by the city council. Turku, with its good transportation network and close proximity to the Archipelago Sea, is also an important centre for tourism, frequently hosting various conventions and exhibitions.
As of 2004, the city's unemployment rate is 13.1%, well above the national average of 8.9%. The problem of unemployment is particularly troublesome in the districts of Pansio, Lauste, and Varissuo, where it hovers at around 23%.
The city collects an 18 per cent income tax (council tax) from its inhabitants, in addition to the progressively graduated taxation practised by the Finnish state. The total amount received through council tax in 2004 was projected at €400 million, a reduction of 1.0 per cent from the previous year. Taxes collected from corporations amounted to €39 million in 2004.
See also: Economy of Finland
Education
Turku has a longer educational history than any other Finnish city — the first school in the city, the Cathedral School, was founded along with the Cathedral of Turku in the late 13th century. The first university in Finland, the "The Royal Academy of Turku" (now University of Helsinki), was established in the city in 1640. In 1820, the first school in Finland, conforming to the Bell-Lancaster method, was founded in Turku with the aim of making primary education more inclusive to the lower classes.
Nowadays, the University of Turku is the second largest university in Finland, as measured by student enrolment, and one of the oldest as well, having been founded in 1920. Turku is also home to several other establishments of higher education, namely Åbo Akademi, Finland's only Swedish-language university, Turun kauppakorkeakoulu (Turku School of Economics), and Turun ammattikorkeakoulu (Turku University of Applied Sciences), the largest polytechnic in Finland.
The central hospital of Turku, Turku University Hospital, is affiliated with the University and it is used as a teaching hospital.
Turku is one of only two cities in Finland to have an established international school (the other city being Helsinki). Turku International School, functioning in the eastern district of Varissuo, has been operational since 2003.
Media
The most widely read newspaper in Turku, and the area around it, is the daily regional morning newspaper Turun Sanomat, with a readership of over 70% of the population every day. The free-of-charge Turkulainen newspaper is also among the most popular newspapers, together with the local edition of Metro International and the national evening tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. There are also a number of local newspapers such as Kulmakunta (for the eastern suburbs of Turku, including Varissuo and Lauste), and Rannikkoseutu (for the area around the neighbouring cities of Raisio and Naantali). Åbo Underrättelser, a Swedish language newspaper published in Turku, is the oldest newspaper in Finland, having been published since 1824.
The newspaper, Turun Sanomat, also operates a regional television station, called Turku TV. The Finnish national broadcaster, Yleisradio, screens local news, daily from Monday to Friday, for the Southwest Finland (including the regions of Finland Proper and Satakunta) residents. All Finnish national TV channels are viewable in the Turku area. In addition, a number of local radio stations, eg Auran Aallot and Radio Sata are operational.
Culture
Cultural venues in Turku include several theatres, cinemas, and art galleries, and a city philharmonic orchestra. The city's cultural centre organises a number of regular events, most notably the Medieval Market in July each year. Turku is also the official Christmas city of Finland, and 'Christmas Peace' in Finland is declared on every 24 December at the Cathedral of Turku. The Turku Music Festival and the rock festival Ruisrock (held on the island of Ruissalo) are among the oldest of its kind in Scandinavia. The city also hosts another rock festival, Down by the Laituri, and boasts a vibrant nightlife.
There are also numerous museums, such as the Turku Art Museum and the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art. The Åbo Akademi University maintains the Jean Sibelius museum, which is the only museum in Finland specialising in the field of music. Apart from these, there are also several historical museums that display the city's medieval period, such as the Turku Castle, which has been a functional historical museum since 1881, and the Aboa Vetus museum, built in the late 1990s over the 14th century archaeological site. The Luostarinmäki handicrafts museum, converted from residential buildings that survived the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, was the first Scandinavian venue to receive the "Golden Apple" tourism award.
Turku is a candidate city for European Capital of Culture in 2011, and the city council has approved numerous projects to boost the city's image in preparation for that status.
Declaration of Christmas Peace
The Declaration of Christmas Peace has been a tradition in Finland from the Middle Ages every year, except in 1939 due to the Winter War. The declaration takes place on the Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official 'Christmas City', at noon on Christmas eve. It is broadcast in Finnish radio (since 1935) and television, and nowadays also in some foreign countries.
The declaration ceremony begins with the hymn Jumala ompi linnamme (Martin Luther's Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott) and continues with the Declaration of Christmas Peace read from a parchment roll:
"Tomorrow, God willing, is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behaviour shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately. Finally, a joyous Christmas feast is wished to all inhabitants of the city."
Sports
As in most other Finnish cities, the most popular sport is ice hockey. The local club TPS plays in the sport's top level in Finland, the SM-liiga. It is based at Elysée Arena to the southwest of the city centre. TPS has won the Finnish ice hockey championship ten times. The city's other major ice hockey team is TuTo, which play at the country's second level. A new ice hockey arena was constructed for Tuto in the Kupittaa park in 2006.
Turku is the birthplace to a number of prominent National Hockey League players including Saku Koivu, Miikka Kiprusoff, Sami Salo, Aki-Petteri Berg and Antero Niittymäki.
Football is also an important sport, and the city has two teams in the Veikkausliiga: FC Inter and TPS (which is part of the same organisation as the ice hockey team). Both teams play their home matches at the modern Veritas Stadion in the district of Kupittaa.
The Paavo Nurmi Marathon is an annual sporting event in Turku, named after the world-famous runner who was born and raised in the city.
Turku has also been the sight of sporting history as on June 21, 1954 it was in Turku where the Australian John Landy became the second person to run the mile under four minutes.
Turku vs. Tampere
Turku ostensibly has a long-standing mutual feud with the city of Tampere, the second largest urban centre of Finland. This hostility is largely expressed in jokes in one city about the other; prominent targets are the traditional Tampere food, mustamakkara, the state of the Aura River in Turku, and the regional accents. Students at Tampere have organized the Non-Turkuan Nation (Ei-Turkulainen Osakunta) , which since 1997 has made annual excursions to Turku to jump on the market square, doing their part to undo the post-glacial rebound and push the city back under the sea.
Trivia
Sister cities
Also:
Gallery
Image:Turku Castle medieval keep.jpg|The medieval keep of Turku Castle as seen from the harbour side.
Image:The Cathedral of Turku.jpg|The Cathedral of Turku is the most important church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Image:Turku Museum of Art.jpg|Turku Museum of Art is a classical example of Romantic nationalism in architecture.
Image:Turku orthodox church.jpg|Turku orthodox church stands next to the main Market Square.
Image:Turun rautatieasema.jpg|Turku Central railway station.
Image:Wäinö Aaltosen museo.jpg|Wäinö Aaltonen museum of Art.
Image:Municipal Theatre of Turku.jpg|Municipal Theatre of Turku.
Image:Svenskateater.JPG|Åbo Svenska Teater is the oldest theater in Finland.
Image:Mikaelinkirkko.jpg|Michael's church.
Image:Turku Jewish Synagogue.jpg|Turku Jewish Synagogue.
Image:Aurakatu Puolalanmäeltä nähtynä.jpg|Aurakatu.
Image:Suomen Joutsen 2005.jpg|Suomen Joutsen, a museum ship owned by City of Turku
Image:Stockmann Turku.jpg|The Turku branch of the Stockmann department store.
Image:Puolalanpuisto.jpg|Albatross building at Puolalanpuisto has been home to a number of artists for example Wäinö Aaltonen.
Image:Vartiovuori.jpg|Vartiovuorenmäki is a favourite hangout place for many.
Image:Turku City Office.jpg|City office of Turku.
For more pictures of Turku, see Wikimedia Commons.
References
External links
