Understand

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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.

Eat

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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.

Ege Kebab Pizzeria, Kousankatu 1 near Itäkeskus in Varissuo. Reviewed as the best kebab restaurant in Turku and one of the best in the whole country.

Milan, Eerikinkatu 5, opposite cinema Julia (downtown). Kebab-pizzeria with excellent pizzas and kebabs.

Turun Center Kebab Pizzeria, Near the Aura river (Aurajoki) in front of Wärtsilä, . Cheap kebab and pizza.

Sisilia, Aninkaistenkatu 3 20100 Turku. Servers decent kebabs and pizzas. Famous for the price: all kebabs and pizzas 3,5 euro (for students, but you don't really need an I.D.).

Mid-range

Bremer. All meals around 10 euros: pizza, wok, burgers, tortillas. Uudenmaankatu 1.

Panini Caffè Ristorante, adress: Linnankatu 3. Good Italian food at reasonable prises.

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:

Enkeliravintola ("Angel Restaurant"), downtown on Kauppiaskatu, decorated with many art objects related to angels and focusing on warm, friendly atmosphere.

Viikinkiravintola ("Viking Restaurant") Harald, downtown on Aurakatu, giving patrons a pseudo-authentic Viking style environment.

Hermanni, along the riverside towards the harbor from downtown - co-owned by the famous ice hockey player Saku Koivu.

Vaakahuone Aurajoki riverside Castlestreet (Linnankatu) 38 Vaakahuone Restaurant.

Oscarin Olohuone in hotel Hamburger Börs, offering a 'gentleman's club' style environment.

Please note that...