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…
