Senior Find: Turku

Recently, this senior read in THE WEEK Magazine, a short article on Turku (Abo in Swedish). It was called one of “Finland’s most inviting” cities. Why? It was named by the European Union as one of the 2012′s two Capitals of Culture. It has been for some time one of Nordic Europe’s best-kept secrets.

It was once one of Finland’s “most important cities.” Together with neighboring Naantali, the port of Turku handles a busy import and export trade. Turku is also an important industrial town: shipbuilding, engineering, foodstuffs and textiles.

Known as the “cradle of Finnish culture,” few sights in the city are more impressive and eye-catching than Turku Castle itself, which boasts no less than two dungeons and dates from the latter part of the 13th century.

With one of the best art schools in the country, it is not surprising that many performance artists, sculptors and composers are from, or have lived in Turku.

 

Artistic Haven Intices Artistic Seniors

Today Turku is called an “artistic haven” with a year-long cultural festival. Turku is situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the  Aura River. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland.

Turku quickly became the most important city in Finland and retained that status for hundreds of years until Finland became part of the Russian Empire in 1809. Today Turku remains a regional capital and is an important location for business and culture. The “official homepage” notes that Turku was once the Finnish capital and now ranks fifth in size for cities.

A good size town with approximately 175,000 inhabitants, Turku is well connected domestically, but sparsely connected internationally. A most scenic means for senior visitors to get to Turku is by taking a passenger ferry across the Baltic Sea, from Stockholm, Sweden. And yes, you can use your Euros here.

PlanetWare wants senior visitors to check out their listing and highlights Market Square, Turku Cathedral and the Museum of Art. Turku Cathedral, the mother church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, is one of the major tourist attractions of the city of Turku.

The river Aura passes through the center of the city, and its banks are popular for a nice stroll, allowing for a pleasant walk from, say, the city center to the Turku Castle. The center of the fertile agricultural region of southwest Finland, Turku is also the country’s largest winter port.

Ha trevlig resa  jeb