Burg Turku

Turku Castle (Finnish: Turun linna, Swedish: Åbo slott) is a medieval building in the city of Turku  in Finland. Together with Turku Cathedral , the castle is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Finland. Turku Castle is the largest surviving medieval building in Finland. It was founded in the late 13th century and stands on the banks of the Aura River .

History

A start was made on building the castle in about 1280. The Swedish conquerors of Finland intended it originally as a military fortress . During the next two centuries its defences were strengthened and living quarters were added. The castle served as a bastion  and administrative centre in Eastland, as Finland was then known, during the Swedish period. The main part of the castle was extended considerably during the 16th century after Gustav Vasa  had ascended the Swedish throne and his son John  headed the Finnish administration following his promotion to duke. The bailey  was also supplemented and the round tower at the southeast corner of the bailey was added. Since then no part of the castle has been added or extended, only repaired.

The castle was ruled in different stages of its history by the castle sheriff, commander, regent, duke or governor-general. Its significance as a defensive fortress and administrative centre varied throughout the ages according to the political situation. Only once did the castle actually figure in the defence of the realm. This was when Russian invaders from Novgorod  destroyed Turku in 1318. On the other hand, it frequently played a role in internal struggles for power within Sweden-Finland and the Kalmar Union . Not until the end of 16th century did it really enjoy peace. The castle 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.

Construction

The layout of the castle consists of the Medieval keep  (päälinna) and Renaissance bailey  (esilinna). The keep consists of a square fort with two square gateway towers whose wall thickness at the base is some 5 meters.

In the Middle Ages the castle was surrounded by a moat  conjoining with the River Aura , the castle effectively lying on an island. The keep was completed in the early 15th century. Construction of the bailey was begun in the late 15th century and finished in the 16th. The bailey is not as heavily fortified as the keep, but it has several turrets . The Renaissance construction work included heavy modification of nearly all the rooms in the older medieval part of the castle. Since the Renaissance no additions have been made to the castle.

The modest military fortification  grew into a massive greystone castle, whose solid walls have witnessed many milestones in Nordic history. The castle has been subject to numerous sieges  and several battles have been waged aside its walls. Of all Finnish castles, Turku castle has the most warlike history besides Vyborg castle  and Olavinlinna .

• Tue–Sun 10–18
• Mondays closed

Limited opening times 2013

• Thur 28 March 10–15
• Tue 30 April 10–15
• Thur 20 June 10–15
• Thur 5 December 10–15

The museum is closed 

• 29 March – 1 April
• 1 May
• 9 May
• 21–23 June
• 6 December 
• 24–25 December
• 31 December – 1 January