Turku
Travel Guide Europe Finland Turku
Introduction
Turku (in Swedish: Åbo) is located in the southwest of Finland and is the third biggest city in the country after Helsinki and Tampere with about 300,000 people living in the total urban area. Until early in the 19th century Turku was Finlands capital, until that switched to Helsinki. Just like other places in the south of Finland the place is officialy bi-lingual with 95% of the people speaking Finnish, and a large minority speaking Swedish.
Neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
Cathedral
Turku houses the oldest cathedral in Finland. The earliest parts of the cathedral date back to the 13th Century.
Castle
A short walk from the city centre, along the river Aura towards the sea, you will find the castle. The castle nowaday functions as a historical museum, and can be visited.
Events and Festivals
Weather
Turku has a moderate continental climate with generally warm summers and cold winters. During summer, temperatures average around 20 °C during the day. Sometimes, days of more than 30 °C are possible. Winters are cold with temperatures between -5 °C and -10 °C on average but nights can drop as low as -30 °C here as well. Precipitation in winter is mostly snow and this area is wetter than much of Finland, though Turku is not particularly wet though and days of sunny conditions with stable weather can last for weeks, especially during winter.
Getting There
By Plane
Turku has a small airport just outside the city. Blue1 has flights to Helsinki Airport, and also to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. The number 1 bus, takes you from the city centre to the airport in about 20 minutes.
By Train
The train from Helsinki takes 2 hours to reach Turku Central Station. The connection from Tampere takes 1 hour and 40 minutes.
By Car
You can reach Turku by car from Helsinki when following the number 1 motorway. The number 8 motorway goes north to Pori and Vaasa. The number 9 and 10 motorways make their way to the northeast of Turku towards Tampere (number 9) and Hameenlinna (number 10).
By Bus
By Boat
Aland
- From Turku to Mariehamn or Långnäs with Viking Line and Silja Line
Sweden
- Silja Line and Tallink between Turku and Stockholm.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel Turku | Linnankatu 39 | Hostel | 84 |
| Hotel Harriet | Käsityöläiskatu 11 | Hotel | 62 |
| Villa Rauhala | Rauhalantie 67 | Guesthouse | - |
| Hotel Helmi | Tuureporinkatu 11 | Hotel | 100 |
| Pham Apartment | Petkeltie 4 | Apartment | 68 |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
Learn
Keep Connected
Internet
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
Post
Post is fast and reliable in Finland. You can receive mail simply by marking it Poste Restante, and the postal code of the town (check with the particular post office). First class stamps can be bought from machines or inside the office, and the fare is the same anywhere in the world up to 20 grams, so your postcards will be fine. The current rate for a stamp is €0.75. Heavier letters and postcards have different prices though, you can check them online at the Posti Website. There is also a 'track and trace' system available. Stamps are widely available and sold with the postcards, in kiosks, stationary shops and souvinier shops. Parcels abroad are expensive. You can buy all the packing from the post office, including boxes, tapes etc.
On Travellerspoint
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This is version 18. Last edited at 9:40 on Dec 20, 11 by sleepBot (+343). 9 articles link to this page.
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