Turku

Turku is the capital of the region of Finland Proper and the Province of Western Finland. The city derived its name from an old Russian word, turgu, which means "market place". Founded in the 13th century, it is the oldest city in Finland. It was the residence of the Governor-General of Finland and attained the status of capital city from 1809 till Helsinki replaced it in1812 after the Finnish War. It is considered as the 'second city' of the nation. Turku is a regional and provincial capital as well as an important administrative center. The 20th-century Turku has been entitled with "Finland's gateway to the West". It is now the central economic hub of southwestern Finland and the capital of the Turku economic district.

Area & Population: Lies at the mouth of the Aura River in the southwest of the country, Turku is located at 60.4515º Latitude North and 22.2669º Longitude East. It occupies a total area of 306,42 sq. km with a land area of 245,67 sq. km. The city has a population of 174,868 making it the fifth largest city in the country.

Tourist Attractions: The various museums in the city attract people from far and wide.

Transportation: Turku Airport serves the city. Regional buses, trains and ferry services constitute the public transportation in the city. Turku Central Railway Station is the main station in the city. The tram services in the city were discontinued in 1972.

Hotels: The various hotels in the city provide adequate facilities to its customer that persuade them to choose these hotels in their further visit to the city. The well-known hotels in the city include Holiday Inn Turku, Omena Hotel, Naantali Spa Hotel and Sunborn Princess Yacht Hotel, Scandic Hotel, Plaza Turku, Scandic Marina Palace, Sokos Hamburger Bors, Minotel Centro, Congress And Spa Hotel Caribia and Scandic Julia Turku.

Places of Attraction: There are numerous museums like the Turku Art Museum, Waino Aaltonen Museum of Art, Jean Sibelius museum- the only museum in Finland that specializes in music, Aboa Vetus museum and The Luostarinmaki handicrafts museum. Turku Castle is a historically important site in the city. The two islands in the city such as Uto and Rosala are a fantastic break for the people especially during summer.