Best of Southwest Finland

Finland Proper Essentials

Finland Proper centers on Turku, the country's oldest city and former capital. The region features significant medieval landmarks including the 13th-century Turku Castle and Turku Cathedral, the Mother Church of Finland. Cultural history is preserved at the Luostarinmäki open-air museum and the maritime Forum Marinum. Beyond the city, the landscape includes the Ruissalo island botanical gardens, the Kurjenrahka National Park’s mire ecosystems, and Kultaranta, the granite presidential summer residence in Naantali. Modern design is represented by the copper-clad Ecumenical Art Chapel on Hirvensalo island.

Dilaudid / CC BY-SA 3.0

Turku Castle

Turku Castle is a medieval building in the city of Turku in Finland. Together with Turku Cathedral, the castle is one of the oldest…

Dilaudid / CC BY-SA 3.0

Turku Cathedral

Turku Cathedral is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Ekhoc / CC BY-SA 2.0

Turku Cathedral

Turku Cathedral is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Jan-Erik Finnberg / CC BY 2.0

Forum Marinum

Forum Marinum is maritime museum located in Turku, Finland.

LPfi / CC BY-SA 3.0

Luostarinmäki

Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum is an open-air museum in Turku, Finland.

Upp75 / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Botanical Garden of the University of Turku

Located on Ruissalo island, this 21-hectare garden features over 5,000 plant species. Six climate-controlled greenhouses showcase tropical and subtropical flora, while the outdoor grounds include medicinal plants, a rose garden, and an arboretum used for University research and public education.