Picturesque Turku

What do you do when you only have few hours to spend for sightseeing around a picturesque place such as Turku?

Along the Aura River

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived, so we lost no time in dropping by one of its famous landmarks, the Turku Castle. Being the oldest city of Finland and one of its former capital, Turku (Abo in Swedish) boasts of a rich history particularly in the Middle Ages as well as being designated as one of the future European Capitals of Culture (2011).

With little time to spend, it was a matter of taking in and absorbing the beautiful views as much as I could and clicking on the camera speedily. Sigh. If only we were not pressed for time, we could have toured more around the place. We haven’t even gone to the Medieval Square. I’m still thankful though to have strolled albeit hurriedly along the Aura River (Aurajoki), which is spanned by bridges a few meters in between, and walking onwards to the historical Turku Cathedral.

If you plan on visiting Turku, don’t be like us who spent just few hours touring around… it’s best to stay at least 3 days up to a week to get the most of this scenic place.

Here are some photos to share:

First stop at the Turku Castle

Floating restaurants and boats

One of the pedestrian bridges

Tourists by the side of the river

The Turku Cathedral