Turku & Finland's South Coast
In a tanker-sized, wave-shaped building with walls of metal and printed glass, this state-of-the-art dockside museum recounts Finland’s seafaring life…
Must-see attractions in Turku & Finland's South Coast
Luostarinmäen Käsityöläismuseo
Turku
When the savage Great Fire of 1827 swept through Turku, the lower-class quarter Luostarinmäki escaped the flames. Set along tiny lanes and around grassy…
Turku
Like the bow of a ship tipped on its end, this unusual structure is perched on a rock and surrounded by forest on Hirvensalo island, 7km south of Turku…
-
Turku
Founded in 1280 at the mouth of the Aurajoki, mammoth Turku Castle is easily Finland’s largest fortress. Highlights include two dungeons and sumptuous…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
One of Finland's most enticing old quarters, this tangle of cobbled alleys and wooden warehouses is entrancing. Once a vibrant port and market, Porvoo now…
-
Turku
Art and archaeology unite here under one roof. Aboa Vetus (Old Turku) draws you underground to Turku’s medieval streets, showcasing some of the 37,000…
-
Turku
The ‘mother church’ of Finland’s Lutheran faith, Turku Cathedral towers over Turku. Consecrated in 1300, the colossal brick Gothic building was rebuilt…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Porvoo’s historic stone-and-timber cathedral sits atop a hill overlooking the quaint Old Town. This is where Tsar Alexander I convened the first Diet of…
Ekenäs Archipelago National Park
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Almost 90% of the 5200-hectare Ekenäs Archipelago National Park is water, so to explore the 1300 islands you’ll need to take a tour from Ekenäs harbour,…
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Towering 52m above the waves 25km offshore from Hanko, the Nordic countries' tallest lighthouse was built in 1906 to protect ships from the perilous…
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Looming on a high rock overlooking a grassy sward, the late-14th-century Raseborg Castle was strategically crucial in the 15th century, when it protected…
Turku
Partly housed in an old granary, this excellent maritime museum offers a comprehensive look at ships and shipping, from scale models to full-size vessels…
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Crossing the bridge from the Old Town to Kailo island takes you into the delightful world of the Moomins. The focus is on hands-on activities and…
Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Situated 5km north of Kotka amid the salmon-rich Kymijoki's rapids, this rustic wooden lodge was built in 1889 for Tsar Alexander III. Most of the…
Turku
Anchored outside the Forum Marinum is a small fleet of museum ships that you can climb aboard. The mine layer Keihässalmi and the corvette Karjala take…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Örö was long a military island, first containing a defensive fortress built under Russian rule and later serving as training grounds for the Finnish…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Situated 10km offshore from Loviisa, this four-bastion fortress was built in 1748 to protect against further Russian invasion after Swedish losses in…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
This narrow strait between Tullisaari and Kobben is a protected natural harbour where ships from countries around the Baltic Sea once waited out storms…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Original trenches, bunkers and artillery guns remain at the site of some of the worst Winter War fighting, 19km northeast of Hanko. Also here is a…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Rosala isn't just a museum but a Viking village, complete with homestead, chapel and moored Viking ship. An introductory video provides an informative…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Zip up the lift to the top of the 50m-high water tower on Vartiovuori Hill for sweeping views across town and out to sea.
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
The smattering of islands off the coast of Kotka are former military outposts, some of which are now open to the public. Several boat trips depart from…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Close enough to Helsinki for a half-day trip, 35km northwest of the city, this 4500-hectare national park gives an immersive introduction to Finnish…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
The Finnish president’s summer residence is an elaborate stone castle on Luonnonmaa island, its tower visible from Naantali harbour. Designed by Lars…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Medieval Naantali grew up around the Catholic Convent of the Order of St Birgitta, which was dissolved after the 1527 Reformation. Towering above the…
-
Turku
Finland's most extensive musical museum displays some 350 instruments from accordions to Zimbabwean drums. A separate section is devoted to Finnish…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
On Little Pine Island, 1.5km east of the town centre, is the House of the Four Winds, where locals snuck swigs of ‘hard tea’ during the Finnish…
-
Turku
Turku Art Museum is housed in a striking granite building with elaborately carved pilasters and conical turrets, perched on a hill on the north side of…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Dating from the 1480s, Lohja's medieval church contains incredible murals, mostly dating from the beginning of the 16th century. Starting from the right…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
The ruins of the 18th-century Hamina Bastion include 3km of crumbling stone walls that would have made a star-shaped fortress. The bastion comes alive for…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
The highlight of the Ekenäs museum is the exhibit on the life and art of Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck, with a rotating display of 30 artworks. Other…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Kotka's modern Maretarium has more than 20 giant fish tanks representing various bodies of water. The Baltic tank is the largest, with local sea life fed…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Sapokanlahti is a natural inlet in central Kotka that provides the setting for the tranquil, award-winning Sapokka Water Garden. The centrepiece is the…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
In 1743, when the Treaty of Åbo split the village of Pyhtää in two, the local church ended up on the eastern (Russian) side of the border. Shortly…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
This Old Town church is the only baroque greystone church in Finland. The original church was constructed between 1651 and 1680, but it was destroyed by…
-
Walter Runeberg Sculpture Collection
Turku & Finland's South Coast
This gallery has 150 sculptures by Walter Runeberg, the eldest son of national poet JL Runeberg. Walter Runeberg produced the town’s sculpture of his…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Housed in three Old Town wooden buildings dating from the 18th century, Naantali's museum traces the town's history from its convent roots, with plenty of…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
The beautiful manor house Söderlångvik belonged to local newspaper magnate and art collector Amos Anderson. There are paintings, furniture and special…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
Housed in a red salt warehouse on the seafront, the Maritime Museum has collections and exhibitions related to the town's seafaring history. The highlight…
-
Turku & Finland's South Coast
This former tractor factory is now an exhibition space, with rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. The centrepiece is the permanent display of the…
