The grey stone towers and battlements of Turku Castle rising above the Aura river, Finland

Step inside the Swedish Crown's oldest castle in Finland

Three-metre stone walls, a Renaissance court and seven centuries of Baltic history — Turun linna has stood guard over the mouth of the Aura river since the 1280s, and in 2025 it drew more visitors than any other museum in Turku.

See the Turku Castle day trip
  • 1280s Built when Finland was part of Sweden
  • Oldest Of the Swedish Crown's castles in Finland
  • No.1 Turku's most-visited museum in 2025
  • 3 metres Thickness of the castle's stone walls

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About Turku Castle

Turku Castle stands at the mouth of the Aura river in Turku, on Finland's south-west coast. Building work began in the 1280s, when Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden, making it the oldest of the castles the Swedish Crown built in Finland. The castle grew in stages over three centuries: a modest bailey fort became a formidable royal keep, then — under Gustav Vasa and his sons in the 16th century — was rebuilt again into a Renaissance residence with grand halls fit for a royal court.

The castle's two parts tell two different stories. The main castle (päälinna) holds the older, sterner architecture — stone walls around three metres thick, narrow stairways, and the vaulted rooms raised in the 1300s and 1400s: the King's Hall, the Nun's Chapel and the Gentlemen's Cellar, joined in the 1480s by the Sture Church built for governor Sten Sture the Elder. Once defence had moved outward to the bailey and the earthworks, the main castle itself was converted into a Renaissance palace in the renovation of 1556–1563, which added a new King's Hall to the north wing and completed the central staircase tower. The bailey (esilinna) took the round artillery tower of 1568–1574 and, centuries later, the prison.

A museum was established in the castle in 1885, and today Turku Castle runs as the Turku Castle Museum — Turku's most-visited museum in 2025, with over 123,000 visits. Two attic halls created in the postwar rebuilding hold the Northern Exhibition Hall's costume, jewellery and silver from the 17th to 19th centuries and the Southern Exhibition Hall's account of the restoration itself, while the bailey's History of Turku Castle exhibition traces the shift from defensive fortress to Renaissance palace and the later centuries as barracks, warehouse and prison.

Practical information

Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00 from 1 June to 30 August, and 10:00–17:00 for the rest of the year. Closed Mondays. Reduced hours or closures apply around Midsummer (19–21 June) and Christmas (24–25 December) — we'll flag this if it affects your chosen date. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
Address
Linnankatu 80, 20100 Turku, Finland.
Getting there
Turku Castle sits at the harbour end of Linnankatu (Linnankatu 80), about 3 km from Turku's Market Square and easily reached on foot along the Aura riverbank. The Föli bus stop is called “Turun linna” and is directly in front of the castle; the buses running between the ferry terminals and the Market Square pass it, and line 1 (Airport–City Centre–Harbour) serves it. Föli rebuilt the Turku network on 1 July 2025, so check reittiopas.foli.fi for the current line before you travel. It is also a short walk or taxi ride from the Turku railway station and the Silja/Viking ferry terminals.
Accessibility
A lift reaches the Great Hall on the 2nd floor, the chapel and sacristy on the 3rd and the Southern Exhibition Hall on the 6th, and an accessible restroom is on the route, but not every area can be reached: the courtyard is paved with uneven natural stone, stairs are steep and doorways can be narrow. Pushchairs cannot be used in the museum, and the accessible entrance can close in winter when snow reaches the ramp. Wheelchair users and visitors with limited mobility should contact the museum ahead of a visit to confirm which routes and exhibitions are reachable.
Bag policy
Large backpacks and suitcases are best left at your accommodation or the ferry terminal — the keep's stairways and passages are narrow, and there is no dedicated left-luggage service at the entrance.
Photography
Personal, non-commercial photography is welcome throughout the castle; flash and tripods may be restricted in some rooms to protect fragile textiles and painted surfaces, and signage on site will tell you where.

Plan your visit

Practical guides written by our travel team

Best Time to Visit Turku Castle

Which season, which day, which hour — a timing guide to the oldest of the Swedish Crown's castles in Finland.

How to Get to Turku Castle

A three-kilometre riverside walk, the bus stop at the gate, the 200-space car park — how to reach Linnankatu 80 on foot, by bus, by bike, by car and off the ferry.

Visiting Turku Castle with Kids

Wax figures, a 17th-century scale model and a gnome guide — plus the one rule that catches families out: pushchairs cannot be used in the museum at all.

See all 5 guides →

Frequently asked

How do I get to Turku Castle?

The castle is a walkable 3 km from Turku's Market Square along the Aura riverbank, or a short ride on city buses that stop nearby. It's also within easy reach of the railway station and the Silja and Viking ferry terminals.

How long does a visit take?

The museum doesn't publish a recommended duration. The castle has 164 rooms and the route covers the main castle, the bailey and two attic exhibition halls, so most people find they want a couple of hours or more; the museum's own guided tours run 60–75 minutes and cover only part of it. There's no fixed schedule, so you set the pace.

Is Turku Castle good for children?

Yes. The towers and stone stairways, the life-size wax figures of Duke John and Catherine Jagiellon, the scale model you can peer into, and the real weapons and armour on display tend to capture children's imaginations — and in the castle-history exhibition a gnome character guides younger visitors through five of the displays. The stairs are narrow and steep, so keep younger children close.

Is the castle accessible for visitors with limited mobility?

Partially. A lift reaches the Great Hall on the 2nd floor, the chapel and sacristy on the 3rd and the Southern Exhibition Hall on the 6th, and there is an accessible restroom on the route, but not every area can be reached: the courtyard is paved with uneven natural stone, stairs are steep and doorways can be narrow. Pushchairs cannot be used in the museum. The accessible entrance can close in winter when there is snow on the ramp. Contact the museum ahead of your visit to plan a suitable route.

Can I take photos inside the castle?

Yes, personal photography is welcome throughout. Flash and tripods may be restricted in a few rooms to protect fragile textiles and painted surfaces, and signage on site will tell you where that applies.

Is Turku Castle open on public holidays?

The castle is closed on Mondays year-round, and runs reduced hours or closes around Midsummer (19–21 June) and Christmas (24–25 December). We'll flag it if a closure affects the date you've chosen.

What are the Sture Church and Nun's Chapel?

Two of the castle's oldest interiors. The Sture Church was built in the 1480s for governor Sten Sture the Elder, who also raised the upper levels of the eastern tower; the Nun's Chapel is one of the vaulted rooms from the castle's 1300s–1400s building phase, alongside the King's Hall and the Gentlemen's Cellar. They are among the least-altered spaces in the castle.

How does booking work on this site?

This site is an independent visitor guide to Turku Castle. When you choose a tour or experience, you book it directly with GetYourGuide, which takes the payment, confirms the booking and handles any changes or cancellations. We may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.