Turku Castle

Well, this one is a plain obvious destination to write of. It’s probably the most often visited tourist attractions in the city of Turku, southwestern Finland. The medieval castle was built during the 13th century. The castle served as a bastion and administrative centre in Eastland, as Finland was during that time a province of Sweden. Only once did the castle figure in the defence, when Russian invaders from Novgorod destroyed Turku in 1318. It more frequently played a role in internal struggles for power within Sweden and the Kalmar Union. The castle's bloom was in the mid-16th century during the reign of Duke John of Finland and Catherine Jagellon. That was when the Renaissance Floor and King's and Queen's hall were built, along with other features. It lost its status as an administrative centre in the 17th century after Per Brahe's period as governor-general of Finland came to an end. Turku castle is today Finland's most visited museum, with some 200,000 visitors a year. The castle has been kept in an excellent condition and it indeed offers visitors many different possibilities. That time I personally visited the chapel because I took part in a wedding ceremony. There are tours inside the castle but there’s also very nice public space inside. You don’t necessarily need to buy a ticket to enjoy of the castle. I personally think that no matter where you go, inside those thick walls there’s another world. Turku Castle is situated near the passenger harbor. You can drive there by car or use public transportation. The distance to the city center is about 3 km and the local bus line number 1 stops besides the castle. #finland #turku #castle #summervacationtravel#oldarchitecture#historicculture#roadtrip#summervacation#urbanexplorer