Turku – City culture in the arms of the Archipelago!

Turku is the oldest city and the first capital of Finland. The city was founded in the 13th century and became a centre of trade, administration, religion and civilisation for the Baltic Sea region. Turku's long and rich history can be seen in its cityscape with Turku Castle and Turku Cathedral as its most important symbols of the Middle Ages. Turku will act as the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2011.

On the journey to Turku the cruise passenger travels through a breathtakingly beautiful archipelago with some 20,000 islands and islets, one of the biggest in the world. The port is located at a sheltered place at the mouth of the river Aura, which runs through the city.

Turku is a city full of life and activities, has a compact size and easy walking distance for exploring. Every summer visitors can enjoy the highly popular Medieval Market that fills the city's Great Old Square or various music festivals. The Aura riverbanks are worth a visit since they are pulsing with life when people gather there to dine, listen to music, watch different performances or just take a nice stroll.

Being the cultural city of Finland, you also find a wide variety of museums and art galleries that are highly valued both in Finland and abroad. For nature lovers and more active people the Ruissalo Island is right next to the port with diverse nature and an ideal place for excursions.