Turku– Urban legends since 1229

Welcome to Turku!

1

184 000

46 000

12 000

100

40 000

130

153

RIVER AURA

INHABITANTS

FAMILIES

COMPANIES

LANGUAGES

ISLANDS AND ISLETS

NATIONALITIES

PARKS

1 FÖRI CITY

FERRY

7

38 000

HILLS

STUDENTS

9PLAY-

GROUNDS

Welcome to the city where history meets new culture and drive

Aleksi Randell, Mayor

Turku has always had a special role among Finn-ish cities. European art, science, religious and po-litical movements have found their way to Finland through Turku since the 13th century. This history has given the city a distinctively civilised and cultur-al atmosphere.

Turku is also multicultural, as evidenced by the myr-iad nationalities, languages and customs. The city is home to people of over 130 nationalities, who speak over one hundred different languages.

Big small town

For centuries, the residents of Turku have cultured land, fished and traded with Novgorod, St. Pe-tersburg, Reval—today known as Tallinn—Riga and Stockholm. The archipelago outside the city has always been a crossroads for new cultures, ideas, doctrines and commodities, and its tides have swept far into the inland areas of Finland.

Finnish civilisation began from the block surrounding Turku Cathedral, and more history is made in Turku even today.

Turku is distinctively a city of science and research, the development of which relies on high-quality education and specialised scientific research. The higher education institutions in Turku—University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Turku Universi-ty of Applied Sciences—are an important resource and pull factor in the entire region of Southwest Finland.

Turku wants to be the best town for students in Finland. It has excellent prerequisites for this: over 170 education options, reasonably priced hous-ing, compactness that makes the city perfect for walking and cycling, a public transport network

Skills that are seen and heard

with good coverage and a wide selection of events around the year.

Turku Science Park is a community of leading ICT and biotechnology companies and research and education institutes that conducts research and business in the fields of biotechnology, electronics and information technology.

The City of Turku is actively involved in several Finn-ish and international research networks, specialis-ing in urban studies and research related to the Bal-tic Sea. Many feel Turku is the best city in Finland to be a student.

There are about 38 000 students in Turku, whose influence on the city is easily seen, and every now and then even heard, on the streets.

Turku is the economic centre of its region. Its di-verse economic structure is supported by a vast selection of education opportunities, particularly in the fields of life sciences, ICT, maritime industry, logistics, pharmaceutical and food industries and tourism. The creative industries are also becoming more and more important.

Roughly 40 per cent of the Finnish maritime indus-try’s total annual turnover is generated in South-west Finland. The Turku region is home to Finland’s most significant and diverse cluster and network of maritime industry companies and universities.

Creativity in sea, land and air

The historical trade route formed by Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki and St. Petersburg remains signif-icant even today, above all as a corridor of exper-tise-based growth and development and also as a concrete logistical passage between East and West.

Nearly four million passengers pass through the Port of Turku annually. There is regular freight traf-fic to several countries and a railway connection via Helsinki to St. Petersburg and, from there, to other parts of Russia. The logistics facilities located around the airport serve suppliers across Finland.

Turku is a player larger than its size on the Baltic Sea.

Old culture merges seamlessly with the new in Tur-ku. Examples of cross arts events that are held an-nually are the Christmas Market and Medieval Mar-ket, the Night of the Arts, the Turku Music Festival and Ruisrock, which is the second-oldest outdoor rock festival in Europe. Tall Ships’ Races, one of the largest public events around the Baltic Sea, reg-ularly brings tall ships alongside the banks of the Aurajoki river.

Turku has a lively restaurant scene of national re-nown, and people travel to the city simply to try new foods. The city’s new restaurants are all about respecting local food, local food producers in the

Experiences for all the senses

archipelago and around the city, and the best Nor-dic raw materials.

High-grade sports arenas, such as the HK Arena (formerly Turkuhalli), the Paavo Nurmi Stadium and the sports centres in Kupittaa and Impivaara make Turku a prime location for quality events in a variety of sports, and are an important part of the city’s active image.

Renovated in the old railway workshop, Logomo is an exciting and international centre for culture, the arts and creative economy where something is go-ing on at all times.

Culture is good for you - Turku is good for you

The Aurajoki river is the public living room of Turku. Every summer, the riverfront is teeming with sun-bathers and events, and its many restaurant ships are full of customers who enjoy the long sunny hours.

Genuine Turku culture is best discovered at the riv-erfront. Cycle or paddle upstream or to Ruissalo, to visit its lush oak woods and the shoreline that is dotted with charming 19th century ornamented villas.

Turku is surrounded by the Archipelago of Tur-ku and the Archipelago Sea that comprises over

Split by a river, surrounded by an archipelago

40 000 islands and islets. It is the largest archipel-ago in Europe, stretching through Åland all the way to Stockholm. This unique network of islands was formed by the Ice Age and is now connected by bridges and ferries that welcome visitors to explore the archipelago, for example, along the Archipelago Trail.

The daily passenger ships between Turku and Stockholm offer another good way to marvel at the beautiful archipelago. Or you could take a water bus or a charter cruise from downtown, along the Aurajoki river and to the archipelago.

Urban culture embraced by the archipelago.

Historical landmarks in Turku

1229

1249

1280

1309

1414

The bishopric is moved from Nousiainen to

Koroinen in Turku. This year marks the birth of the

city.

The Dominicans arrive in Turku

and establish the first monastery and monastery

school.

The construction of Turku Castle is

started.

Turku Cathedral is inaugurated.

The seal that serves as the

basis of the Turku coat of arms is

released.

The construction of Penni, the first

bridge that crosses the

Aurajoki river, is completed.

1812

1488

1634

1640

1771

Turku loses its status as the

capital to Helsinki. Emperor

Alexander I of Russia and Crown Prince Charles XIV John of Sweden meet in Turku.

The first Finnish book - Missale Aboense (the Missal of the Bishopric of

Turku) - is printed in Turku.

The first map of Turku is released. The population of the city is about

6 000.

Finland’s first university, the

Royal Academy of Turku, is established.

The publishing of Finland’s first

magazine, Tidningar utgifte af ett sällskap i Åbo, begins.

1827

1842

1848The Great Fire of Turku. One of the many fires the city

has faced, but by far the most

devastating in the Nordic countries. The city has to

be virtually rebuilt.

Henrik Cajander takes the first photograph in Finland on

Uudenmaankatu in Turku

(daguerreotype).

Pinella, the first open-air

restaurant in Finland, opens

in Turku.

approx.

1300

1897

1900

1904Legendary runner Paavo Nurmi is

born on Jarrumiehenkatu

in Turku.

The first Christmas tree

that is decorated with electric lights is

erected in front of Turku Cathedral.

The ferry Föri starts operating

cross the Aurajoki river.

1919

19821922

19961948

2010 20151961

20111971 2029Åbo Akademi University is established.

Mauno Koivisto from Turku is elected as the President of

Finland.

University of Turku is

established with donated funds.

Miss Finland Lola Odusoga from Turku becomes

second runner-up of Miss Universe.

The production of Turun Sinappi

Mustard is started.

TPS, the ice hockey club of Turku, wins the

national championships for the 11th time.

The Turku Philharmonic

Orchestra celebrates its 225th birthday.

Finland’s first library on wheels starts operating in

Turku.

Turku is the European Capital

of Culture.

The first Ruisrock festival is held.

Turku will be 800 years old.

A lot of water has flown in the Aurajoki river...

City of Turku • P.O. box 355, FI-20101 Turku Tel: +358 (0)2 330 000 • turun.kaupunki@turku.fiwww.turku.fi • www.visitturku.fi • www.businessturku.fi

08/2015, Newprint Oy