| Turku |  |
Turku
Turku
Turku city in South-West Province is Finland's oldest city, dating back to the 13th century. Idyllic in summer with beautiful vistas over the southwestern archipelago of islands. Turku city is the economic and cultural center of Turku region. Until 1840, it was the largest city in the country and the seat of government. Now the third largest city and a thriving metropolitan city and busy international commercial trade port. Sigyn Tall Ship is berthed at Varvintori, a legacy of seafaring and early commercial trade routes.History records Pope Gregory IX confering Turku to the Finnish in 1229. Building works began on the Cathedral in 1300. These are the earliest known records about the city. Turku became a university town and industry focus on seafaring, ship building and as a marketplace port for the region over the next centuries. A devastating fire destroyed vast areas of Turku in 1827 (not unlike the Great Fire of London). In the 20th century, Turku became known as the Gateway to the West and became a fashionable and cosmopolitan place to live. Rapid population increase in the 1960s and 70s led to plans for rejuvenation and modern restructuring of the city's civil amenity structure. Turku is firmly Finnish but has been touched by cultural and linguistic influences from Germany, Russian and Sweden.
Turku remains a popular place to visit, easily accessible with excellent public transportation networks across the city for road, rail and airport. Attractions include the Medieval market held in July, the Christmas festivals in December including the Christmas Peace prayer at the Cathedral, the Turku Forum Marinum National Maritime Museum, the Turku Art Museum and Turku Castle. Turku is a candidate for European City of Culture in 2011.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
By Air: Turku Airport is 8.6Km north of the city with domestic flights. International flights connect to Stockholm and Copenhagen.
By Rail: VR operate a high-speed Pendolino train service to Helsinki which takes 2 hours approx. Turku trminum is in the north of the city, limited trains continue on to serve the Turku port.
By Sea: Port of Turku (next to Turku Castle) connects by bus to Market Square. Ferry services connect to Stockholm and the Aland Islands, also Naantali.
By road: Route E18 to Helsinki takes 2 hours. Route E63 to Tampere in the north east takes 2 hours 15 mins, as does route E8 north to Pori.