Ferry from Turku to Mariehamn

Turku Guide

Turku is a city located on the south west coast of Finland and lies at the mouth of the River Aura. The city's history stretches back to the 13th century which makes it Finland's oldest city and was at one point the most important population centre in the country. Between 1809 and 1812 Turku was Finland's capital city and continued to be Finland's largest city until the end of the 1840's.

Although Turku today does not quite have the same level of national importance as it used to have it is still the regional capital and an important base for commerce in northern Europe. The city has been the site of many of Finland's most important events and has had a significant influence of the country's history. Turku was awarded European Capital of Culture for 2011 along with the Estonian city of Tallin. Also, in 1996 Turku was declared the official Christmas City of Finland.

Due to its location, Turku is a notable commercial and passenger seaport with over three million passengers travelling through its port each year to Stockholm and Mariehamn.

Mariehamn Guide

The autonomous territory of Mariehamn, which is under Finish sovereignty, is the capital of Aland and its town and harbour is a great place to explore and can be done so quite easily on foot, by bicycle or by bus. The four masted barque and sailing ship Pommern is located where ferries arrive in the town and is below Aland's Maritime Museum by the Badhusparken. A popular attraction in the town is St. Goran's Church which is located halfway along the Esplanaden Boulevard, which is lined with Lime trees and runs from Vasterhamn to Osterhamn. It is worth heading into central Mariehamn to the Torgatten pedestrian precinct as this is where many of the town's shops, cafes and restaurants can be found here. In this area is where you will also find the town and region's seat of power, the Sjalvstyrelsegarden, which is made up of Aland's parliament and provincial government, the town hall and other government buildings.

The town is located on a peninsular and has two main harbours, one on the western shore and the other on the eastern shore. Both remain ice-free for almost the whole year and are non-tidal. The western harbour is where daily services to Sweden, Estonia and mainland depart from. The town's eastern harbour is the location of one of the largest marinas in Scandinavia.