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Discover Turku by Hire Car

In southwestern Finland, where the Aurajoki River flows into the Baltic Sea, lies Turku, once the country’s most important city.

Today, with a population of around 175,000, it only ranks 5th among Finland’s major cities, but this does not detract from the enchanting scenery of Greater Turku.

History of Turku

The city’s settlement dates back to the Stone Age, which is still evidenced by finds in the Kärsämäki and Jäkärlä districts. In the Middle Ages Turku was the metropolis of Finnish trade and was also the national capital until the 19th century, when it fell under Russian rule. At that time it also maintained a lively trade with the Hanseatic cities of Lübeck and Gdansk due to its exposed location.

However, when a city fire in 1827 almost completely destroyed Turku, the former university and other administrative seats were moved to Helsinki, which was named the capital.

Sights in Turku

The picturesque archipelago sea, with 20,000 small islands, the archipelago, which lies between the city and the Baltic Sea, is particularly dreamlike. This is also where most of the holiday accommodation in Turku is located.

Prominent to Turku’s cityscape is the Aurajoki River, which, over a length of nine kilometres, divides the city into two halves, with the historic old town on the south-eastern half and the modern centre on the north-western half.

Because Turku stretches like a towel at 45 kilometres long and the metropolitan area is spread over an area of 306 square kilometres, a hire car is highly recommended for exploring the region.