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Turku Sights and Landmarks Guide, Finland

Turku, Finland - Sights

Turku is a place of exceptional natural beauty and for this reason, the natural beauty aspect of the city should always be high on your list of priorities as far as sights in the city are concerned. Make sure that you visit the archipelagos; walk around to take in all of the excellent beauty the city has, and of course make sure that you visit the city in the summer so that the full beauty of Turku is there in its shining glory to welcome you.

In particular, the Ruissalo National Park is a place that deserves visiting and there are many people that are moved to tears by the sheer beauty of what they see when they get there.

Beyond natural beauty, Turku is home to many other excellent sights and sounds. One such sight is the Turku Castle which was built just before the turn of the 14th century. It is one of the oldest buildings in Turku and it is arguably the most popular tourist attraction the city has. You can see a bit of imperial Turku that might surprise you with its presence when you visit this castle. Another place to go, from the historical point of view, is Turku Cathedral. This building dates to around the same period of time as the castle and it is arguably the most important cathedral in Finland while definitely being the most important one in Turku. It is also free to visit, which is an added bonus in the books of many people.

If viewing things in a museum is more your setting, Turku has two excellent museums that you can visit and a third one that was converted from a historical building. Aboa Vetus is a museum dedicated to the history of Turku and for that reason it is a great place to visit on the same day that you visit the castle and the cathedral. Ars Nova is a museum that displays modern art created mostly by Finnish artists and for that reason it is a great place to visit if you would like a glimpse into the modern culture of Finland and in particular Turku. Finally, Luostarinmaki is a museum that is dedicated to handicrafts across time, but what makes it particularly interesting is the fact that it was one of the few buildings in Turku to completely survive the 1827 fire that destroyed most of the city. Therefore, there is added historical value to the visit.