Things to do in South Coast
-
A
Pizzeria Dennis
This place doesn't look much from the outside, but within is a warren of cosy rooms adorned with Chianti bottles and strings of garlic. There's a long and innovative range of pizzas and pasta, but you're better sticking to the tried and tested combinations: there's a good reason you don't see parmesan cheese and curry sauce together more often! Enthusiastic service.
reviewed
-
B
Turun Taidemuseo
The excellent Turku Art Museum is a striking granite building with elaborately carved pilasters and conical turrets. Much of the art is modern, though the Victor Westerholm offers Finnish landscapes and Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s depictions of the Kalevala are always jaw-dropping. Gunnar Berndtson’s Kesä (Summer) is an idyllic depiction of sunny Suomi while RW Ekman’s The Muses is transcendent Romantic.
reviewed
-
C
Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum
The name 'handicrafts museum' gives little indication of how fascinating this open-air museum really is. It is made up of the only surviving 18th-century area of this medieval town - Turku has been razed by fire 30 times - and all the buildings are still in their original locations, unlike most Finnish open-air museums where the buildings are moved from elsewhere, or re-created.
Carpenters, stonemasons, jewellers and other workers built homes and shops in the area, beginning in 1779. When the great fire of 1827 destroyed most of Turku, Luostarinmäki neighbourhood was one of the few that survived.
Since 1940 it has served as a museum, but doesn't feel like one: it's more l…
reviewed
-
Neljän Tuulen Tupa
On Little Pine Island, 1.5km east of the town centre, is Neljän Tuulen Tupa, where locals snuck swigs of ‘hard tea’ (alcohol) during the Finnish prohibition (1919–32). Field Marshal CGE Mannerheim, who had his summer cottage on the neighbouring island, wouldn’t stand for it. Disturbed by the merry-making, he bought the whole joint in 1926, fired the chef, imported tea sets from France and personally ran the place until 1931. Little Pine Island is now connected to the mainland by a bridge and has a beautiful cafe and summer terrace perched over the water. Today the tea room itself is modest, but the view is free with granite tables carved from the surrounding rocks.…
reviewed
-
Convent Church
The only building remaining from the Convent of the Order of Saint Birgitta is the massive Convent Church, which towers above the harbour. The church was completed in 1462 though its baroque stone tower dates from 1797. The interior is surprisingly wide, with elegant vaulting and a very handsome 17th-century pulpit depicting the apostles and evangelists in a blaze of colour. Also noteworthy is the carved 15th-century polychrome wood triptych behind the altar and an evocative wooden head of Christ below it. Recent archaeological digs around the church revealed more than 2000 pieces of jewellery, coins and other relics that appear in the museum.
reviewed
-
D
M/S Lily Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The M/S Lily cruises out to Vepsa island three times daily from mid-June to mid-August (one hour each way) and as far as Maisaari on Friday and Sunday evening (four hours total). In May and September, cruises are Friday to Sunday only. Rosita also has cruises to Bengtskär island aboard the MS Anna on scheduled Saturdays in May, June and August. The full-day return cruise includes guide fees and entry to the island.
reviewed
-
Lighthouse
Bengtskär is the southernmost inhabited island of Finland, which is 25km from Hanko and famous for its lighthouse. It was built in 1906 to protect ships from the dangerous waters of the archipelago and given the perilous nature of the waters it had to be 52m high, making it Scandinavia’s tallest lighthouse. Damaged extensively during the Continuation War by the departing Red Army in 1941, it remains a stunning spectacle thanks to substantial refurbishment. Today it also takes guests in simple rooms that have quite a view. There are a few exhibits explaining the historical significance of the island, and a shop.
reviewed
-
E
Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova
This pair of museums under one roof unites art and archaeology. Digging continues in the museum and along the Aurajoki, and excavations of the Convent Quarter have created an engaging display of 15th-century artefacts in the Aboa Vetus. Back in the present, Ars Nova showcases the best of contemporary art with temporary exhibitions, which peak around the Turku Biennaali, a themed show in summer in odd years. The new Oma Tila (Our Own S) is accumulating work from local artists and craftspeople, especially work produced as part of their own projects. Free guided tours offer insights into both museums.
reviewed
-
Tytyri Mine Museum
The Tytyri Mine Museum is an authentic limestone mine well worth visiting. An excellent descent into the bowels of the earth in a funicular takes you to the wide spaces below, where there are good information panels in English. Here, as elsewhere in Finland, new mine shafts were painted with tar to keep out devils. The deepest shaft measures 384m and is used to test elevators. The highlight of the visit is a short sound-and-light presentation looking into an awesomely large quarried cavern.
It's cold in the mine, so take a jacket. The museum is 500m north of the town centre, past the tourist office.
reviewed
-
F
Museum Ships
Outside the Forum Marinum, anchored in the river, are four museum ships which you can climb aboard and poke around in, above and below deck.
The WWII mine layer Keihässalmi and the corvette Karjala give an insight into wartime conditions at sea; the beautiful three-masted barque Sigyn, originally launched from Göteborg in 1887, has well preserved cabins; and the impressive 1902 sailing ship Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland), which was built in France, was used by the Finnish Navy during WWII as a mother ship for submarines and as a hospital.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
G
SS Ukkopekka Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The historic steamship SS Ukkopekka cruises to Naantali (daily, early June to late August). The trip takes 1¾ hours and you can have lunch on board. If you'd rather party on board, there's an evening dinner-dance cruise, departing at 19:00 Monday to Saturday from mid-May to late August. The meals (starters plus buffet) are served on dry land - on the island of Loistokari.
reviewed
-
Castle
The castle is 14km east of Ekenäs, and about 2km west of the wonderfully named village of Snappertuna. It’s signposted Slottsruiner/Linnanrauniot off the main road; buy your tickets at the cafe. There’s not a lot of explanatory material in English, but it’s great to climb up and down the levels and patrol the ramparts. There are free tours from mid-May to August weekends at 3pm. During July there are evening concerts at Raseborg; contact the Ekenäs tourist office for details. There are occasional buses to Snappertuna from Ekenäs or Karis.
reviewed
-
H
Turku Castle & Historical Museum
Mammoth Turku Castle & Historical Museum, near the ferry terminals, is easily Finland’s largest and possibly one of the biggest in Scandinavia. Founded in 1280 at the mouth of the Aurajoki, the castle has been growing ever since. Swedish Count Per Brahe ruled Finland from here in the 17th century, while Sweden’s deposed King Eric XIV was imprisoned in the castle’s Round Tower in the late 16th century. He was moved to several prisons including Åland’s Kastelholms Slott to prevent his discovery by rebels.
reviewed
-
Maritime Centre Vellamo
Relocated here from Hylkysaari off Helsinki, this maritime museum is a spectacular new museum that fittingly recounts the maritime life of Finland. The tanker-sized building has a wavelike design with a mosaic facade of photographs that’s coolly attractive. The star exhibit is the Tarmo, the world’s oldest ice-breaker (1908) that determinedly ploughed Finnish waters until it was retired in 1970. There’s a roster of changing exhibitions that showcase other sea-based memorabilia.
reviewed
-
I
Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum
If you only see one museum in Finland, make it this handicrafts museum. Forget the stuffy exhibits, this is a genuinely historic portion of town that has survived the near-destruction of Turku including the savage Great Fire of 1827. All of the buildings are in their original locations, unlike other open-air museums where the buildings are relocated or recreated. The area consists of artisans’ and workers’ homes with a very real sense of their lives, thanks to in-period staff.
reviewed
-
Kultaranta Grounds
The summer residence of the president of Finland is a fanciful stone castle on Luonnonmaa island; the tower is visible from Naantali harbour across the bay. The castle, designed by Lars Sonck, was built in 1916 and is surrounded by a 56-hectare estate with beautiful, extensive rose gardens.
The Kultaranta Grounds are visited by guided tour only. The hour-long tour starts from Kulturanta gate, or the bus tour begins at Naantali. Book through the tourist office.
reviewed
-
J
Forum Marinum
Set back from the river, this excellent maritime museum has a permanent exhibition in an old granary. It’s a comprehensive look at different aspects of ships and shipping, from scale models to full-size vessels. Kid-friendly highlights include the hydrocopter, WWII torpedoes and multimedia displays. The newer building opposite has regular exhibitions, as well as several vessels and a cabin from a luxury cruise-liner, as many were built in Turku.
reviewed
-
K
Sibelius Museum
Near the cathedral, Sibelius Museum displays some 350 musical instruments from across Finland and memorabilia of the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It is the most extensive musical museum in Finland. You can listen to Sibelius’ music on scratchy record or, better still, attend a Wednesday evening concert (from September to May, less often in summer) which showcases jazz, folk, rock and classical performers from around the country.
reviewed
-
Maretarium
More than an aquarium, the impressive Maretarium has over 20 giant fish tanks representing various bodies of water. The Baltic tank, for example, is the largest, with local sea life fed regularly by a diver. The water is piped in from the sea to keep the natural life cycle of fish going, so salmon spawn in autumn and in winter the freakish eelpout give birth. It’s an absorbing insight with English signage, guided tours and a theaterette.
reviewed
-
Svenska Klubben 5th Floor Restaurant
It’s often tough to spot the menu that’s at street level and points the way up to this excellent Scandinavian (yes, we know it’s not technically Finnish) eatery. If you can, get a ‘cabinet’ (small room for groups) that is decked out in Nordic minimalism. You can nosh down on the likes of whitefish with pickled lime, or roasted duck breast sweetened with cognac cream. Three-course lunches are consistently delicious and set menus have several choices.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Paikkari Cottage
Twenty-three kilometres west of Lohja, and 5km north of the village of Sammatti, just off Rd 104, is Paikkari Cottage, the birthplace of Elias Lönnrot, compiler of the Kalevala. It’s an endearing cottage set amid summer-flowering meadows that would have motivated Lönnrot’s Arcadian vision but today inspire picnics. Inside there’s a small museum to the man that includes his kantele (Karelian stringed instrument).
reviewed
-
L
M/S Rudolfina Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The M/S Rudolfina runs 90-minute lunch and dinner cruises, including a buffet meal. More leisurely are the evening cruises, departing at 19:00 from Monday to Saturday and taking three hours to Naantali Bay and back.
reviewed
-
Naantalin Kylpylä
Naantali’s spa traditions date from 1723, when people took health-giving waters from a spring in Viluluoto. Naantalin Kylpylä, the town’s top-class spa hotel, allows nonguests to use its fantastic facilities – including several pools and a Turkish bath – during the day. The huge range of spa, massage and beauty treatments are popular with mothers who don’t want to go to Muumimaailma so book ahead in summer.
reviewed
-
M/Y Marilyn
From mid-June to the end of August, several boats offer day cruises to the island of Bengtskär, all departing from East Harbour. The cruises include lunch and entrance to the islandM/Y Marilyn operates from July to mid-August, departing at 10:00. The cruises last between four and a half (the Marilyn) and seven (the Anna) hours.
All cruises should be booked in advance with the company or the tourist office.
reviewed
-
M
Panimoravintola Koulu
This is the town’s greatest brewery pub in the town centre if not all of Finland. Set in a former school, the pub’s owners have done their homework on good brews with more than nine of their own beers plus a cheeky cider. As well as inkwells and school desks, there’s a row boat on the roof, which is disorientating after a few drinks. The restaurant upstairs is solid, but you won’t be able to leave the downstairs pub.
reviewed
