FINLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 140

Tours depart the Aurakatu tourist office Monday through Saturday from mid-June
through August. Check with either of the city's tourist information offices for full de-
tails regarding sightseeing opportunities in and around Turku. Also available at the
Tourist Office is the Turku card, good for free museum admission, free local buses,
and other discounts. The card is €21 for 24 hours, and €28 for 48 hours; a 24 hour
family card is available for €45.
The Great Castle of Turku, which is only a brief walk from the Tallink-Silja Line,
was begun in the 1280s. It is the largest castle in Finland and once served as
a prison, but now it provides a magnificent banquet hall for state and civic func-
tions. Also of interest to visitors is the historical museum that is housed in the Great
Castle. Its collection provides insight regarding 400 years of Finnish history. Hours:
1000-1800 Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday, admission €9.00 adults, €5.00 chil-
dren.
An interesting museum combination is the Aboa Vetus Museum and the Ars
Nova Museum ( www.aboavetusarsnova.fi ). The Aboa Vetus tells of how life in
Turku developed since the 14th century, while Ars Nova focuses on 20th-century
art. Multimedia programs help guide you through the museums. Hours: 1100-1900
daily.
The Turku Cathedral, another 13th-century structure, is open throughout the
year. Hours: summer: 0900-2000 daily; winter: 0900-1900 daily. Turku Cathedral,
the major medieval ecclesiastical building in Finland, is regarded as the national
shrine. You will see many interesting Neoclassical buildings surrounding the
cathedral. Turku boasts two major universities—one Finnish and one
Swedish—with a combined student body exceeding 20,000.
During the early hours of the day, the bustling marketplace is full of life. There
you will see brisk bargaining amid a brilliant display of flowers, fruit, vegetables,
and fresh fish. Fire destroyed a major part of Turku in 1827, but Cloister Hill, a
neighborhood of carpenters and stonemasons, escaped damage. Today the area
houses the unique Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum, with some 30 work-
shops that reflect the 18th and 19th centuries. Hours: May-September: 1000-1800
Tuesday-Sunday; August-April 15: 1000-1600 Tuesday-Sunday.
The word turku means “marketplace.” The city, born out of the needs of com-
merce, is still one of the largest commercial centers in Finland. The Hansa Shop-
ping Center, the country's largest, is adjacent to the city's marketplace and fea-
tures more than 100 shops and boutiques—plus a supermarket. Also there are ho-
tels, theaters for movies and live performances, more than 100 restaurants, and
four banks.