Turku

The southwestern Finnish town of Turku (Swedish Åbo), the country's oldest town and once its capital, lies on the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of the Aurajoki. About 5 percent of the population is Swedish-speaking, and the town attracts many visitors from neighboring Sweden. Turku lies in the area where the successors to the Swedish Vikings landed in the 12th century and set out to conquer what is now Finland. In 1525, the town received its municipal charter from Gustavus Vasa. In 1810, the seat of government was transferred to Helsinki. During the 1970s, Turku developed into a considerable tourist center. The hub of Turku's traffic is the Market Square (Kauppatori), on the north bank of the Aurajoki. This is a great place to come for coffee and pastries. Flanking the square here are the Swedish Theater, the glass-roofed Hansa shopping center, and the lovely Orthodox church. Standing on the east side of Turku's Cathedral Square is the main cathedral, founded about 1230 and consecrated in 1290. It is a massive brick church in Late Romanesque style with Gothic and Renaissance additions and a massive 97-meter high tower that dominates the city. Just down from the cathedral along the river, two old sailing ships are moored - the "Suomen Joutsen," now a training school for seamen, and the barque "Sigyn." Both are open to the public in summer. Also along the banks of the river are a number of old vessels, which have been converted into restaurants. Finally, a must-see is the old castle. Located on the west side of Turku near the harbor, the castle was built around 1300 on what was then an island at the mouth of the river. It was enlarged in the 16th-17th century and now houses the Turku Historical Museum.