Finland's oldest city — river markets, medieval castle, archipelago
Turku (Åbo in Swedish) is Finland's oldest city and its former capital — a riverfront university town where the Aura River is lined with restaurant boats, and the medieval Turku Castle guards the harbour mouth exactly as it has since 1280. The city has quietly become Finland's most interesting food destination: the kauppahalli (indoor market) is one of the finest in the country, the restaurant scene punches above its size, and the Turku Archipelago — 20,000 islands accessible by ferry — is one of Europe's most beautiful sailing grounds. It is calmer and more affordable than Helsinki, with a c…
Turku was founded at the mouth of the Aura River in the 13th century and served as the capital of Finland for nearly 600 years under Swedish and then Russian rule. The Great Fire of 1827 destroyed most of the wooden city, after which Tsar Alexander I moved the capital to Helsinki. Turku rebuilt in stone and brick, and the university that had operated here since 1640 relocated to Helsinki along with the administration — but the city retained its role as Finland's cultural and academic heart.