Turku Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Turku

Turku is the oldest city in Finland. The city served as the capital of Finland from September 1809 through April 1812. It is a popular tourist destination because of its long history and impact on Finnish culture.

The name "Turku" derives from the Slavic word for marketplace. Not surprisingly, Turku has popular markets like those held at the Turku Old Market Hall and Market Square.

It is unknown when the city of Turku was officially founded. The oldest mention of Turku is in the Al-Idrisi world map of 1154. The oldest road in the city, Hameen Harkatie, was constructed in the 9th century. Archaeological digs have shown a human presence in the area dating to the Stone Age.

The landscape of the city changed greatly after the Great Fire of 1827. A large portion of the city was destroyed and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up. Architect Carl Ludvig Engel made plans for most of the new city structures. Many of those that survived the fire are now part of the Luostarinmaki open-air museum.

Turku is known as the Christmas City of Finland and the Food Capital of Finland. It shared the title of European Capital of Culture of 2011 with Tallinn, Estonia. Finns refer to Turku as "the Paris of Finland" because it has such a diverse restaurant scene and a large number of galleries and museums.

Turku Cathedral is known as the most important religious building in Finland. Located next to the Old Great Square, it is easy to reach for anyone on a walking tour. Another important spot for visitors is Turku Castle. Now a museum, Turku Castle is one of the oldest surviving structures in the country.

Take this self-guided walking tour to see these and many other exciting places in Turku, Finland.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Gary Bembridge.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Turku

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Turku Introduction Walking Tour
Guide Location: Finland » Turku (See other walking tours in Turku)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Turku?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Turku Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Turku?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Turku, Finland

Create Your Own Walk in Turku

Creating your own self-guided walk in Turku is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Turku's Architectural Jewels

The oldest city in Finland, Turku, has several attractive old buildings that catch the eye and showcase the city's rich history and culture.

Prime among such jewels are the Turku Orthodox Church, characterized by its distinctive onion-shaped domes, the historic neoclassical Swedish-language Abo Svenska Theater, and the beautiful late 19th-century Turku Old Market Hall (Turun Kauppahalli).... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles