Turku Castle

About this place

Turku Castle is a medieval building in the city of Turku in southwest Finland, on the bank of the Aura river near its mouth, about 152 km west of Helsinki in a straight line. With Turku Cathedral it is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Finland, and the largest surviving medieval building in the country. It was founded in the late 13th century and remained the region's administrative centre until the early 19th century. It reached its peak in the mid-16th century under Duke John and his wife Catherine Jagellon, when it became a Renaissance court. Today it is Finland's most visited museum, with well over 100,000 visitors a year. The castle stretches out with thick whitewashed walls, sloping grey roofs and small red-framed windows, with a massive grey keep of natural stone at its heart. Cobbled courtyards lie inside, and a lawn and trees surround it. Visitors explore the castle's halls, passages, two small churches and the queen's rooms, with exhibitions on its history and life through the centuries. Half a day is enough, and it pairs well with a walk along the Aura river in the city centre.