As one not known for reading much of the historical information in places such as this preferring to wander and absorb the atmosphere and architecture, i can say that I received a true education about the history of the Finns and its relationship with its neighbours Sweden and Russia over the centuries from this place finding myself having willingly read every single word on every one of the displays, we spent so much time in the bailey itself that my girlfriend was convinced we had seen the whole castle until i convinced her otherwise whilst sat outside the cafe in the courtyard looking up at the impressive castle itself which we then spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring, good to see a building such as this so valued by the town and justifiably used for council and committee meetings, wonderfully and so sympathetically restored, great harmony of ancient and modern in the working parts of the castle, tribute to the architects, wish that all castles were as good as this, information desk informative and friendly, truly fascinating, but you will need a whole day to explore this
We had an international conference held at the Castle of Turku which included live entertainment and medieval style of serving and food. The price for this dinner was rather high but it was worth it as this has been a very unique experience.
The Turku Castle is really worth visiting. The castle is beautiful and very well renovated. Please wear comfortable shoes.
I came to Turku specifically for the museum and it did not disappoint. Spent several hours here going through all the material. Also a fun place to bring your kids too, there's an area where you can dress up in medieval clothes. They have different exhibits in different rooms showcasing different time periods, you'll be spending a lot of time there. *Pro tip* Get a postcard in the museum shop and send it using the castle front desk for a unique Turku castle stamp!
Living in Finland for over ten years, and coming from North America, this castle put you back into the middle ages, from a Nordic perspective. Finland's history is unique as it was not its own country until the 20th century. Being an American, I felt the "ancient history" of Finland only here, at Turku Castle. I recommend visiting the castle as part of any trip to the Nordic countries.
When some Finnish friends advise me to visite Turku castle, they told methat it wasn't like the ones he can see in France for example (like Versailles for example), but i still visit him and it was a nice surprise. Ok, the castle is more simple than the French Palaces for example, but it's in very good condition, the decorations are very nice, the exhibition is very well prepared and even the museum (is included in the tour) is very nice to visit. It's a big castle and we was very pleased by the tryp.If you are near to Turku it worth's the visit.
This castle is fascinating. I highly recommend it. The mixture of Medieval and Renaissance history is very intriguing.
The castle was expanded and renovated across the centuries, and the modern renvoations have done an excellent job of preserving different parts of the different eras - often even within the same room, in ways that really help tell the history of the place.Tours are available in different languages - including English, and we found the tour guide to be knowledgable, interesting, and with a passion for the history she was sharing with is.And the day after the tour, we went back as guests at my brother's wedding in the chapel (with the reception in an adjacent room). It was a magical setting for the event.
I did the ghost tour at the castle, which was really cool as it focused on darker history of the castle. There were even actors scaring us from time to time. I learned a lot about Finnish history, but am curious about what else the castle has to offer in regards to exhibitions.
My friends and I were expecting a little castle on a hill. However, this was situated next to a harbor and was bigger then we imagined. Was very beautiful to look at as fresh snow fell upon it. There is not much to see in Turku, and this seemed to be one of the only highlights.