Must-see attractions in Turku

  • Old homes and artisan quarters in Luostarinmaki open air museum, Turku, Finland.

    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…

  • St. Henry's Ecumenical Art Chapel was built in 2004 out of Finnish wood on the island of Hirvensalo.

    Taidekappeli

    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…

  • Turun Linna

    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…

  • Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova

    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…

  • Turun Tuomiokirkko

    Turku

    The ‘mother church’ of Finland’s Lutheran faith, Turku Cathedral towers over Turku. Consecrated in 1300, the colossal brick Gothic building was rebuilt…

  • Forum Marinum maritime museum in Turku, Finland.

    Forum Marinum

    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…

  • Built in 1902, the frigate Suomen Joutsen is a museum ship moored in Turku's Aura River at the Forum Marinum.

    Forum Marinum Ships

    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…

  • Sibelius Museum

    Turku

    Finland's most extensive musical museum displays some 350 instruments from accordions to Zimbabwean drums. A separate section is devoted to Finnish…

  • Turun Taidemuseo

    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…

  • Qwensel House & Pharmacy Museum

    Turku

    On the riverfront, Qwensel House is Turku’s oldest, built around 1700. It contains the small Pharmacy Museum, with an old laboratorium featuring medicinal…

  • Ett Hem Museum

    Turku

    Designed by CL Engel, this gold-coloured turn-of-the-20th-century residence houses art and furniture that was donated by art collectors Alfred and Hélène…

  • Wäinö Aaltosen Museum

    Turku

    Naturalistic and cubist-tinged sculptures donated by artist Wäinö Aaltosen are on display in this gallery, along with temporary exhibitions of…

  • Turku Biological Museum

    Turku

    In a beautiful 1907 building surrounded by parkland, the Turku Biological Museum shows off Finland’s fauna and flora in 13 realistic dioramas, including…