Founded in 1229, Turku is the oldest city in Finland and was its capital
until 1812. The first Swedish settlers named it 'Åbo', meaning settlement by
the river. Many of Turku's attractions are located near the Aurajoki or Aura
River, which runs through much of the city. A visit to Turku offers visitors an
insight into the history and culture of Finland.
My wife and I visited Turku last summer, as the last leg of our annual holiday which had included London and Helsinki. We stayed at the Scandic Hotel Marina Palace which overlooks the Aura River and was recommended by the organisers of the marathon I was participating in on Sunday. After checking in on Thursday, we took a cruise up the Aura River passing harbours where a myriad of marine vessels, including the World War II minelayer Keihässalmi, were docked. We caught our first glimpse of the imposing grey-stone Turku Castle located at the mouth of the River. Thereafter, our route took us to nearby islands off the coast of Turku. During the Viking era, the coastal islands southeast of Turku were frequented by Viking sailors. There are also countless islands southwest of Turku, known as Saaristomeri, which form part of the world's biggest archipelago. The passage of time has not diminished the appeal of this magnificent archipelago to locals and foreigners alike who are able to take a boat out to any one of these islands.
Swedish is the most common foreign language spoken in Finland. Swedish
influence is
evident in Turku and many parts of Finland, particularly on the
west and south coast, where many of the signs are in Swedish. Turku is also the
main gateway into Finland from Sweden by ferry. The Finns are, however, more
reserved than their neighbouring Swedish counterparts, although as friendly and
approachable. Fortunately for us, during our stay there, we found that many
Finns were also able to converse in English, which is like a third language to
them.
Each morning, we would wake up to a view of the River and Samppalinna windmill across the River, before partaking of a buffet breakfast at the hotel with other runners who were also staying there. Fish, especially salmon, trout and Baltic herring, featured prominently in the menus of most of the restaurants we dined in, which is not surprising since Finland has 187,888 lakes. Several restaurants also served smorgasbord buffets with cold cuts of meat and fish, salads and cheeses.
Friday saw us visiting the Turku Market Square and Market Hall located in the city centre. The indoor Market Hall, which reminded us of a Singapore wet market, save that it was more organised and much cooler, sold a variety of fresh fruit, fish, meats and spices. Turku in fact means 'marketplace' in Finnish and the city's market is one of the largest in Finland. Turku was historically an important trading centre, with furs as the main export item in the past. Nowadays, Finland is the second largest exporter of paper and other forestry products, which is again no real surprise as 70% of the country is covered by forest. Finland's most famous multinational company, NOKIA, is listed on six major exchanges and has operations in 130 countries. The mobile telecommunications giant reported net sales of EUR30.4bn and net profit of EUR3.9bn in 2000!
We also ventured across to the other side of the Aura River to the open air Samppalinna Summer Theatre, where My Fair Lady was being performed to enthusiastic audiences. The Samppalinna windmill, much like the Turku Cathedral, is visible from most parts of the city. Paavo Nurmi Stadium, the finishing point of the marathon was located nearby, and it looked like the local version of our Bedok Stadium.
On Saturday, we visited Turku Castle. This grey-stone castle dates back to the 13th century and is now a national icon which has witnessed many epochs in Nordic history from medieval times to the present day, much of which can be gleaned from the inscriptions and contents of the Castle. Early Swedish settlers built a modest military fortification at the mouth of the Aura River. The medieval castle thereafter grew in stages. The impressive Renaissance Floor and the King's and Queen's Hall were built in the 16th century during the reign of Duke Johan and Katarina Jagellonica.
Other popular parts of the Castle include the prison where Erik XIV was incarcerated in the late 16th century after being adjudged insane. The castle houses an important collection of medieval sculptures, costumes and artifacts. The Historical Museum of Turku, located in the bailey, presents the region's history in exhibitions and scale models. The bailey also houses a series of rooms illustrating the changing styles of the various centuries as well as currency and medallion exhibits.
An interesting historical fact is that until 1919, Finland had more than 20
foreign rulers from the royal families of Sweden, Germany and Russia; none was
Finnish. Perhaps in response to centuries of foreign rule in a harsh and cold
environment, the Finns have developed the spirit of sisu or the ability to
confront adversity with courage, tenacity and endurance.
Sunday's Paavo Nurmi Marathon started at 12noon from the Turku City Theatre just across our hotel. The Flying Finn Paavo Nurmi, who was born in Turku in 1897, won nine Olympic gold medals and set 20 world records to become a sporting legend! The 42-km marathon course took runners on a double loop along the Aura River through the main streets of Turku and onto Ruissalo Island before heading back to the city.
My previous European marathons had been held in London and Berlin and both were big city races with large crowds and carnival-like atmospheres. In contrast, the Paavo Nurmi Marathon was a smaller and quieter race in a more tranquil setting. Crowd support was especially thin once we reached Ruissalo Island, where the oak woods and Victorian villas made the race seem like a rural stroll in the countryside far from the maddening crowd of city life. Once back to the city and along the River, some of the sights we took in included Turku Castle, the Forum Marinum maritime centre, the Keihässalmi minelayer, Achim Kuhn's 'Harmonia' and our hotel where my wife was kindly waiting to hand me a banana. Also of interest is the life-size statue of Paavo Nurmi along the River, a duplicate of the similar statue of the Flying Finn that we had seen outside the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. The first marathoner to reach the Paavo Nurmi Stadium was a Kenyan who won in 2:23:46. In all, some 392 runners mainly from Finland and Sweden completed the full marathon, and my modest time placed me 351st.
Exertions over, we visited the historic Turku Cathedral on Monday. Turku
Cathedral
is regarded as the mother church of the Lutheran Church in Finland,
where more than 85% of the population are Lutheran. The oldest parts of the
cathedral date back to the 13th century, when Swedish bishops and settlers first
brought the Catholic faith to Finland via Turku, and before the Swedish King
Gustav Vasa espoused Lutheranism in 1527 and confiscated most of the property of
the Catholic church.
The present cathedral tower, rising 101 metres above sea level, was constructed after the Great Fire of Turku in 1827 which destroyed much of the City along with the earlier tower and the interior of the cathedral. Most of the nave and present interior of the cathedral dates back to the restoration carried out in the 1830s following the Great Fire; for instance, the Swedish artist, Fredrik Westin, painted the altar-piece depicting the Transfiguration of Christ in 1836.
The Cathedral Museum, located in the south gallery, houses valuable collections and displays different stages of the cathedral's construction as well as medieval and religious artifacts.
We visited the open air Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum on Tuesday. The
Great Fire that destroyed most of Turku in 1827 had spared the Luostarinmäki
area near Vartiovuori. Old wooden houses stand on the same site as when they
were built 200 years ago (the first plots being allocated in 1789). Earlier
mooted plans to redevelop the area were not carried out and initiatives were
taken to preserve the area and the wooden houses as an open air museum in the
1930s.
Walking through the area, we were transported back in time to the pre-industrial era. On show within the various wooden houses were live demonstrations of vocations, crafts and trades that have been rendered obsolete by technological development and progress. These included explanations by comb-makers, tinsmiths, glove-makers and potters. We understand that every year in August, all the craftsmen gather to demonstrate their skills for a whole week and some 40 different occupations and trades are represented.
Pity we had to leave when we did. Given the luxury of more time, we would have considered hiking and staying in a country farmhouse or cabin in the nearby countryside areas of Kuhankuono and Teijo. Another option would have been making a day trip to Moomin World located next to Naantali's old town on the island of Kailo. Moomins are loveable troll-like cartoon creatures created by Tove Jansson, and their own Moomin World at Naantali is a magical fairytale land with something to amuse young and old alike. There is also a theatre and adventure park on nearby Vaski island. Apparently a visit to Moomin World will relieve stress and re-direct trouble elsewhere. Now that should interest most of us!
Dwayne Tan
Chor Pee & Partners