Turku Times 1/2022

Mylly is the largest shopping centre in the southwest of Finland hosting more than 150 shops, restaurants and services only a 15-minute drive from the heart of Turku.

Take a busline: and head to Myllynkatu 1, 21280 Raisio. Nice days come to those who take it easy, as they say.

220, 221 or 300

0 € 3 €

www.kauppakeskusmylly.fi

SCIENCE, FICTION AND ACTION!

Welcome to Finland’s most dynamic business and innovation cluster, which is traditionally well-known for its strong science and manufacturing industries but also offers excellent opportunities for companies operating within the experience industry and tourism. Sustainability and strong focus on R&D activities to tackle climate change are also close to our brave hearts.

Networking with impact

The Turku region warmly welcomes new talents, companies and investments to Finland’s most dynamic business and innovation cluster. We are particularly proud of our multidisciplinary approach, boldness and exceptionally strong community spirit between all actors here. www.turkubusinessregion.com

Photo: Veera Aaltonen

The oldest city in Finland has plenty to keep you occupied! Whether you’re looking for a sporting event, or a cultural experience, Turku has something for you!

20.–22.5. The River Harbour Festival

A versatile weekend that kicks off summer in the Turku river harbour area. Most of the happenings are free of charge. turku.fi/en/river-harbour

15.–18.7. Turku Castle Medieval Tournament

Armored warriors will challenge each other on horse and on foot in the historical setting of Turku Castle. bit.ly/turku-castle-tournament-en

18.9. Turku Day

The event is celebrated all over the city with all kinds of different activities and performances. Also the opening week of the new Turku Market Square culminates in Turku Day. turku.fi/en/turku-day

Numerous SPORTING EVENTS will turn Turku into a sports arena for amateurs and professional athletes. Check out these for great sporting atmosphere and an unforgettable experience:

14.6. The Paavo Nurmi Games

Finland’s most prestigious athletics competition is held in honour of the legendary runner Paavo Nurmi. paavonurmigames.fi/en

30.–31.7. Challenge

Turku

Challenge Turku brings an international triathlon competition to Turku and the iconic Aura riverside. challenge-turku.com

Turku –old town but pretty funky.

MORE EVENTS: kalenteri.turku.fi/en

Turku offers many opportunities to enjoy great MUSIC EVENTS. There’s something for all tastes and all ages. Here is a selection of not-to-be-missed festivals:

10.–12.6. Kesärauha

A festival of indie and alternative music held in Turku Castle Park. kesarauha.fi

28.–30.7. DBTL

In addition to a great line-up of artists, Down By The Laituri (DBTL) city festival offers top-quality restaurant services. dbtl.fi/eng

29.–30.7. Turku Sea Jazz

An urban city festival by the river Aura. archipelagoseajazz.fi/en

12.–13.8. Knotfest

A one of a kind music and lifestyle festival that celebrates rock and metal culture, brought to Turku by Slipknot. knotfest.com

Photos: Sara Levänen, Tiia Suorsa, Hanna Oksanen, Vilma Hildén and City of Turku

IF YOU WANT TO SHOP, YOU ONLY NEED ONE STOP!

Shopping centre Skanssi is like a charming little village just 5 km from downtown Turku and it’s easy to get here by car, bus or bicycle. Over 80 stores, the K-Citymarket, excellent, free parking facilities, a wide variety of cafés and restaurants and a nice outdoor patio. What else do you possibly need?

Turku is looking ahead confidently

However, the biggest strengths of Turku Science Park are the internationally important experts operating the area: residents, businesses as well as education and research communities.

The covid-19 pAndemic that shook the world for more than two years and the outbreak of war in Ukraine in the spring have eroded our sense of security in an unprecedented way.

In difficult times each of us longs for positive experiences and calmness around us. That is why we, together with the tourism entrepreneurs in the area, do everything we can to make you feel safe and comfortable during your trip around Turku. Personally, I receive strength and peace from nature and outdoor recreation. I recommend trying it, because in Turku, nature is always near.

Turku is a city with far-reaching traditions – the oldest city in Finland! The long history of our city gives the people who live here a sense of perspective and faith to overcome anything.

Even now, we are looking ahead with confidence.

Our goAls for the upcoming years have been set for 2029, which is when we celebrate 800 years of Turku. This anniversary is an important milestone for us. Our guiding principles in preparation are renewal, well-being and sustainable development.

The market square area – which will be completed this spring and summer – with its marvelous footpaths, bike lanes and recreational areas, will delight not only the people of Turku but also our guests.

In addition to the city centre, we are strongly involved in developing and building many other areas. The development of Turku Science Park, right next to the universities, is well underway. It is the most energy-efficient constructed area in the city. The solutions and technologies of a smart and sustainable city become highlighted in the development work of the area.

The most significAnt and far-reaching objective for our anniversary year 2029 is to have Turku be a carbon neutral city by that time, and a climate positive one after that. Being climate positive is the most valuable gift the people of today can give to the city and the people living in Turku in the future.

With our climate work, we want to be at the international forefront of global cooperation to combat climate change. Turku is an active member of UN Climate Change Conferences and the global ICLEI network of local governments.

I now invite you to participate in climate work by, for example, favoring the delicious and clean local food and by enjoying a walk or a bike ride along the river Aura.

Even though Turku is a small town compared to the great big cities of the world, our goals are still aimed high. There are about 330,000 people living in the Turku region, but we have an exceptional amount of skill and expertise here.

With a total of six universities, universities of applied sciences and their 40,000 students and teachers, our city is guaranteed to be brimming with energy, intelligence, creativity and the ability to renew. The long cooperation between the city, universities and businesses is aiming for the Turku region to grow in a sustainable way at the forefront of development.

This will ensure that Turku is a great place to live and travel to. We want to offer our very best to you as well. I hope that you will leave us feeling refreshed and eager to come back soon.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Turku. Whether you are here for work, studies or a holiday, I hope you enjoy our city and find delightful experiences here.

Minna Arve the mAyor of turku

EXPERIENCE UNIQUE ATMOSPHERE, CULTURAL HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE

Visit Turku and Kaarina Churches

➊ Turku Cathedral Open daily 9–18

Our roadside churches cover a timeline from the year 1300 to the 20th century. Wherever you go, you will have more than 700 years of prayer, faith and trust in God for company.

(1 Jun–31 Aug free guide tour on Wednesdays at 2 pm)

Tuomiokirkontori 1, Turku Summer Café Cathedral Museum 2/1 €

➋ St Mary’s Church

Maunu Tavastin katu 2, Turku

Mon–Fri 12 noon–6 pm

(1 Jun–29 Jul, except 24 Jun)

➌ St Michael’s church

Puistokatu 16, Turku

Mon–Fri 11 am–6 pm

Sat–Sun 11 am–2 pm (except 25 Jun)

(6 Jun–28 Aug)

Guides and summer café 6 Jun–7 Aug

➍ Martin’s Church

Huovinkatu, Turku

Mon–Fri 12 noon–6 pm (13 Jun–12 Aug)

Guide available.

➎ St Catherine’s Church

Kirkkotie 46, Turku

Mon–Fri 12 noon–5 pm

(6 Jun–5 Aug, except 24 Jun) Guide available.

➏ Kuusisto Church

Linnanrauniontie 157, Kaarina

Sun–Fri 11 am–4 pm (27 Jun–14 Aug)

Guide available.

➐ Piikkiö Church

Hadvalantie 5, Piikkiö (Kaarina)

Mon–Thu 12 noon–6 pm

(27 Jun–28 Jul)

Summer concerts on Thursdays.

Test which museum is right for you

Turku is full of interesting museums. But which one or which ones are right for you?

1. The most important thing about a museum for me is…

A) To admire contemporary art and challenge myself.

B) To get to breathe in history.

C) The museum.

D) That the tour be as short as possible.

2. The best thing in a museum is…

A) Having experiences with others.

B) Being completely surprised (in a good way) by an exhibition I didn’t know about or expect anything from.

C) Getting more information about things you already know.

D) The cafe.

3. I would take a first date…

A) Somewhere we could have an intellectual discussion about the art experience.

B) To a place where we could walk side by side in dim, narrow corridors or romantic courtyards and alleys.

C) Depends on which exhibition he/she hasn’t had time to see yet.

D) Isn’t there a bar out in front of the Cathedral somewhere?

4. Before going to a museum, I carefully read what exhibitions there are.

A) Why not, but it’s just as nice to be surprised.

B) Huh? No way! Museums are about exploring!

C) Of course. That’s the only way to get the most out of your visit.

D) Come on, isn’t it enough that I look at the blasted things?

Written by roope Lipasti transLated by oWen F. Witesman iLLustrations by uLriikka Lipasti

5. Museum Card means...

A) An opportunity to have more experiences.

B) An old postcard in the Postcard Museum.

C) Significant savings every year—74 euros for as many museums as you want to see!

D) A driver’s license for a pensioner.

6. If I run into something in a museum that I don’t understand…

A) I don’t.

B) No harm, not everything needs to be understood. I smile and move on to the next thing.

C) I sit down and think of different approaches to understanding the piece.

D) Wait, you mean people understand this stuff sometimes?

7. From Turku’s oldest museums, I would choose…

A) Aboa Vetus; it also has modern art on the other side.

B) The Handicrafts Museum; there’s nothing like it anywhere!

C) Turku Castle; you never run out of experiences there.

D) Whatever. They all gather dust just as well.

8. What is the best museum day?

A) Wednesday. A little shot of art is a perfect break from the week!

B) Friday. It’s nice to wind down for the weekend surrounded by the past!

C) Sunday. What could be more wonderful than spending a day off leisurely enjoying some culture and then discussing what we saw and experienced over coffee?

D) Definitely Monday.

9. Who will I bring to the museum?

A) A friend to contemplate everything I see and experience with.

B) My spouse or children. Adventure is always good to share.

C) My Museum Card.

D) A friend. In difficult situations, peer support always helps.

10. The best museum city in Finland is…

A) Turku. There’s something for everyone here!

B) Åbo: it’s just like going abroad, the history is so present.

C) On the banks of the Aura River: 16 great destinations close together!

D) Don’t they all have museums?

Most A-answers An omnivorous connoisseur

You love art and new experiences. You are fascinated both by classical paintings and modern art. You are interested in reflecting on what you see and analyzing it by yourself or with a friend. All museums are for you, but you’re most likely to head to the Turku Art Museum, WAM or Ars Nova next. But maybe this time you’ll make an exception and go admire a different kind of painted landscape—dioramas! You can find some at the Biological Museum.

Most B-answers History adventurer

You are fascinated by centuries past, historical people and their daily lives. An old sword or a child’s toy, a shoe from hundreds of years ago, or a drinking glass are things that bring history to life for you. The Pharmacy Museum, Ett Hem, Forum Marinum, the Sibelius Museum, Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum or even Aboa Vetus are your choices. Not to mention Turku Castle.

Most C-answers Cultural heavy user

You probably already know Turku’s museums like the back of your hand. Fortunately, there are so many of them that you can always find something new. Or maybe you might tour them in a new way, perhaps in alphabetical order! Aboa Vetus/Ars Nova, Biological Museum, Ett Hem, Forum Marinum, Kylämäki Village in Kurala, Luostarinmäki, Pharmacy Museum, Sibelius Museum, Turku Castle, Turku Art Museum, WAM…

Most D-answers Antimuseophile

Museums aren’t at the top of everyone’s list, and that’s fine. However, if you head out on the down-low, you might get interested and hang around for a closer look. For example, a coffee in the courtyard outside the Pharmacy Museum is pretty great, and while you’re having lunch at the Forum Marinum, you could sneak a look at some old boats...

Turku City Museums

LUOSTARINMÄKI

The Luostarinmäki museum quarter is the only complete wooden building area that survived the Great Fire of Turku in 1827. The more than 200 year old buildings stand on their original sites, and the alleys, yards, and homes of the Luostarinmäki form a unique environment in the middle of the city.

Guided Tours turku.fi/en/luostarinmaki

THE BIOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located in a beautiful Art Nouveau building dating back to 1907, the Biological Museum presents Finnish flora and fauna all the way from the Turku archipelago in the south to the fells of Lapland in the north. Take a peek at the outer archipelago in spring, or wonder at the diversity of species in the Ruissalo grove.

TURKU CASTLE

The stately Turku Castle has guarded the mouth of the Aura River since the late 13th century. The tall granite walls conceal unique moments from history within them. Over the course of its history, the castle has been defended and besieged, its governors changed, and during Duke John’s era, the castle became a stage for court life. The medieval rooms of the keep and the ballrooms built by Duke John allow visitors to experience the splendour and bleakness of times past.

Guided Tours turku.fi/en/turkucastle

Opening Hours Tue–Sun 10am–6pm / 30 May – 28 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–6pm

Linnankatu 80

tel. +358 2262 0300, turunlinna@turku.fi

WAM TURKU CITY ART

MUSEUM

Exhibitions

• Antti Laitinen 28 May – 18 Sep

This summer, the museum’s main galleries will present a solo exhibition by Antti Laitinen.

• Tiio Suorsa 18 March – 5 June

• Kim Laybourn 10 June – 28 Aug

Opening Hours Tue 9am–17pm / Wed–Thu 11am–19pm / Fri 9am–17pm / Sat–Sun 10am–5pm

Itäinen Rantakatu 38

tel. +358 2262 0850, wam@turku.fi, wam.fi/en

Opening Hours 1 June – 28 Aug Mon–Sun

10am–6pm / 28 Aug – 31 Dec Tue–Sun

9am–5pm

Vartiovuorenkatu 2

tel. +358 2262 0350, luostarinmaki@turku.fi

Exhibitions

• Ooh, poo!

Turd, dropping, deuce, dung... The exhibition leads visitors on the tracks of poo and provides information on excrement for people of all ages. What does poo tell us, and can it be useful?

Opening Hours Tue–Sun 9am–5pm / Summer season 30 May – 28 Aug Mon–Sun

10am–6pm

Neitsytpolku 1, tel. +358 2262 0340, biologinenmuseo@turku.fi, turku.fi/en/biologicalmuseum

PHARMACY MUSEUM AND THE QWENSEL HOUSE

The Qwensel House is the oldest remaining wooden building in Turku, featuring a bourgeois home from the 18th century and a pharmacy from the 19th century under one roof. At the Qwensel House, you can explore the life of the family of the most famous resident of the house, Joseph Pipping, the father of Finnish surgery. The interior is decorated in the Rococo and Gustavian styles of the late 18th century. The Pharmacy Museum’s pharmacy shop houses the oldest remaining pharmacy interior in Finland, dating back to 1858.

Guided Tours turku.fi/en/pharmacymuseum

Opening Hours Tue–Sun 10am–6pm / Summer season 30 May – 28 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–6pm

Läntinen Rantakatu 13b tel. +358 2262 0280, luostarinmaki@turku.fi

THE KYLÄMÄKI VILLAGE

Kylämäki Village in Kurala is made up of four farms with buildings still standing at their original sites. The village has been inhabited since the 7th century. During summer, baked treats prepared to grandmother’s recipes are warming on the wood-burning stove. The lady of the house shows historical farm chores and gives useful tips on making juice and jam, as well as washing white laundry and pressing clothes.

Opening Hours 4–29 May Wed–Sun 10am–6pm / 30 May – 14 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–18pm / 15–28 Aug Wed–Sun 10am–6pm

Jaanintie 45 tel. +358 2262 0420, kylamaki@turku.fi, turku.fi/en/kylamakivillage

We reserve the right to changes.

Finland’s largest collection of

See and feel real ships, exhibits and stories!

From historic tall ships to intricate scale models

From Children’s Maritime Museum to rugged warships

The museum ships and exhibitions are open daily from June 4th to August 21st, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Finnish baseball

Pesäpallo, or Finnish baseball, is the Finnish national sport, with a history full of colorful characters, grand emotions, and scandals. In the future, there may even be tea breaks.

Written by matti mäkeLä transLated by oWen F. Witesman

Based on rock paintings, ancient mammoth hunters were already playing a game like baseball in Finland at the end of the ice age. That would be a nice way to start the story of pesäpallo, but in reality, the history of the sport is much shorter and much less connected to any mythical roots in Finnishness.

The father of the sport was Lauri Pihkala, the Grand Old Man of Finnish sports, who developed the rules of pesäpallo in the 1910s, modeled on American baseball and a game called kuningaspallo (“kingball”) played earlier in Finland. And kuningaspallo wasn’t born in a vacuum either—in the background there were many other ball games where the goal was to hit a ball, run, catch, and tag out opponents. The closest equivalents of kuningaspallo were the Swedish långboll, the German Schlagball and the Russian laptá.

Strictly speaking, pesäpallo is a case of cultural appropriation of pan-European and American traditions. The name of the sport is even a direct translation

American pastime.

their

Everything you ever wanted to know about

from the

Despite

Matti Latvala of KPL from Kouvola (right) is on the second base trying to put out Timo Torppa of Manse from Tampere in Finnish baseball finals on 21st September in 2021. Manse won the best-of-five finals in the fifth game.

similarities, there are also many differences between baseball and pesäpallo, the biggest of which is that in pesäpallo, the ball is pitched upwards, not towards the batsman as in baseball and cricket. This difference is apparently due to the fact that Pihkala, who found baseball boring (Homer Simpson also made this observation while trying to watch his favorite sport during his beer strike) wanted more action in the game. Charlie Brown might also enjoy the pitching style in pesäpallo, since he would never have to worry about another line drive.

The first officiAl gAme of pesäpallo in its current form was played in Helsinki on November 14, 1920. Thanks to the lobbying work of Pihkala and other activists, the game spread rapidly and became known as the national sport of the young nation. In the 1920s and 1930s, the game was particularly popular in schools and civil guard units (a voluntary national defense organization active from 1918 to 1944).

Finland, which had just become independent, was a country divided by the wounds of the Civil War of 1918, and the reputation of pesäpallo as a sport from “white” (vs “red”) Finland prevented the wider adoption of the sport by the working-class sports movement until after the Second World War. Similarly, Swedish-speaking Finns initially shunned the sport as too connected to Fennoman ideology.

Pihkala’s own background and worldview also influenced the reputation of pesäpallo. Pihkala was ardently nationalistic and belonged to the White Army during the Civil War. Later it was alleged that he was involved in activities during the war that would now likely be considered war crimes. After the war, Pihkala served as the sports director of the civil guards and promoted the sport as a form of training especially suitable for soldiers. According to Pihkala, the sport was not suitable for women, for whom he recommended tennis, swimming and figure skating.

Since the Second World WAr, the position of pesäpallo has stabilized, and practically every Finn has played the sport at least during school physical education classes (however, due to the difficulty of the sport, that hasn’t always been a good thing, as can be seen from many recollections of childhood trauma related on the Internet).

Pesäpallo continues to divide the country but for geographical rather than ideological reasons. After ice hockey and football, pesäpallo is the third most watched team sport in Finland, but its popularity is concentrated in the countryside and small towns. But in the sport’s core areas, its popularity is incredibly huge. For example, the average number of spectators for the team in the town of Vimpeli is more than 2,000, with a spectator record of 5,216. These numbers won’t

seem high unless you know that the population of Vimpeli is only 2,756. A similar level of baseball enthusiasm in New York City would mean that Yankee Stadium would need to have 15 million seats.

However, in the 1990s, the situation seemed to be changing. The all-time crowd record for the top pesäpallo series was made in 1997, when the total number of spectators hit almost half a million. Helsinki had got its own major league team a year earlier, sponsors had taken notice, and pesäpallo seemed like it might become a serious challenger to hockey and football.

But two years later, everything was different. The Helsinki-based club Kaisaniemi Tigers had been successful athletically, but financially the club’s two-year story was a disaster that ended in bankruptcy at the end of the 1998 season. In the same year, the reputation of pesäpallo was also tarnished by a match-fixing scandal involving a large number of players as well as management and other staff from different teams. Police eventually investigated 460 people, of whom 30 were convicted. The scandal lingered in the headlines, damaging the reputation of the sport and reducing its popularity.

Over the lAst decAde, the popularity of pesäpallo has risen again and small indications of urbanization have even been seen again: the Pesäpallo World Cup was held in 2017 in Turku, and the Tampere club Manse PP took the Finnish championship in 2021.

Internationally, pesäpallo is an extremely small sport, although it has spread to Sweden and Australia with the help of Finnish immigrants. The World Cup began in 1992, with Finland, as expected, taking all the gold medals awarded. Second in the medal stats is Australia, where the World Cup has been played twice. The 2019 tournament was held in India, and for the first time, the traditional cricket countries of India and Bangladesh took top rankings. Interestingly, pesäpallo has not spread to these countries with migrants but through social media.

So what is the future of pesäpallo? Of course, there are big challenges for the sport. Competition for the interest of participants and spectators is intensifying all the time with new sports and forms of leisure. On the other hand, pesäpallo has a strong and committed fan base, and in a positive future scenario, the sport could first become the number one sport in Finland’s major cities and then maybe even an international success story. That would probably require rethinking the rules and practices of the sport; for example, acceptance could be promoted in cricket countries by adding tea breaks as part of the culture of the game. s

A similar level of baseball enthusiasm in New York City would mean that Yankee Stadium would need to have 15 million seats.

Above: A game of pesäpallo in Brisbane, Australia in 1969. photo: olAvi koivukAngAs / museum centre of finlAnd

Wine Bar Viinille

a small and cosy specialist wine restaurant in Turku’s centre.

A selection of over 200 wines, most of which are reasonably priced and sold by the glass. Small pastries, olives, chorizo sausage as well as tasty cheeses perfectly compliment the beverages.

BEST BEER AND FOOD IN TOWN

Brewery restaurant School (Koulu) is one of the largest and oldest restaurant breweries in Finland. With plenty of seating, tasty food, wide range of drinks and a relaxed atmosphere, Koulu is a welcoming local hangout.

We serve our craft brewed beers and ciders on tap in our full-service Brewery Pub. Enjoy a pint or order a flight of 4 different beers for a beer tasting.

During weekdays we serve tasty home-made lunch from the buffet on our second floor.

In summer you can enjoy a cold beer with a burger in our lush beer garden. Our Summer Grill and Bar offer tasty food and wide range of drinks to enjoy with friends and family.

YOU ARE HERE! Hotels providing Turku Times are marked on the map with numbered blue dots. The number of your hotel can be found from the list on page 20.

FOR THE NEXT GUEST – THANK YOU!

Turku Times is available in these high standard Hotels & Hostels

01 centro hotel

Yliopistonkatu 12, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 2 211 8100 www.centrohotel.com

02 forenom ApArthotel turku

Kristiinankatu 9, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 20 198 3420 www.forenom.com

03 forenom premium ApArtments turku kAkolAnmäki

Michailowinkatu 1, 20100 Turku

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04 holidAy club cAribiA

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05 hotel AmAndis

Nunnakatu 6, 21100 Naantali

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06 hotel helmi

Tuureporinkatu 11, 20100 Turku

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07 hotel kAkolA

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08 hotel kivitAsku

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09 hotel mArtinhovi

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10 hotel pAlo

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11 hotel seAport

Toinen poikkikatu 2, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 2 283 3000 www.hotelseaport.fi

12 originAl sokos hotel Wiklund

Eerikinkatu 11, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 10 786 5000 www.sokoshotels.fi

13 pArk hotel turku

Rauhankatu 1, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 2 273 2555 www.parkhotelturku.fi

14 rAdisson blu mArinA pAlAce hotel

Linnankatu 32, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 20 123 4710 www.radissonblu.fi

15 scAndic Atrium

Eerikinkatu 28-30, 20100 Turku

Tel +358 30 030 8422

www.scandichotels.fi

16 scAndic hAmburger börs

Kauppiaskatu 6, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 30 030 8420

www.scandichotels.fi

17 scAndic JuliA

Eerikinkatu 4, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 30 030 8423

www.scandichotels.fi

18 scAndic plAZA turku

Yliopistonkatu 29, 20100 Turku

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19 ship hostel s/s bore

Linnankatu 72, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 40 843 6611

www.hostelbore.fi

20 solo sokos hotel turun seurAhuone

Eerikinkatu 23, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 10 786 4000

www.sokoshotels.fi

21 tuure bed And breAkfAst

Tuureporinkatu 17, 20100 Turku

Tel. +358 2 233 0230

www.tuure.fi

Turku timeline

1229

The Pope orders the bishopric to be moved from Nousiainen to the new city of Turku. By the river Aura in Koroinen, there is a white memorial cross standing in the place where the Bishop’s little castle once was. It is a nice place to visit, as is the entire riverbank, where one can walk or go jogging.

1300

The Turku cathedral is inaugurated. It is the most beautiful cathedral in Finland. Not least because it is also the only proper cathedral in Finland.

1308

The first documented mention of the Turku Castle, although the construction probably began as early as the 1280s. Builders in Turku were in no hurry, as the castle wasn’t completed until 1588. The most magnificent Renaissance period in the history of Finland was seen in Turku castle during the reign of Catharina Jagiellon and Duke John (later king John III) 1562–1563.

1414

The first bridge over river Aura is built. It was called The Pennybridge.

1500

Turku is not quite a Hanseatic city, but almost. It is one of the major cities in Sweden and its international trade is significant.

1543

Mikael Agricola, the father of written Finnish, publishes his first book. It is also a milestone of Protestantism in Finland.

1634

The first map of Turku is published, and for a good reason, too: there were already 6,000 habitants, so the city was huge!

1640

The University of Turku is established. Nowadays, Turku is still a renowned city of higher education with more than 40,000 students studying at six universities.

1642

Finlands first printing house is established in Turku. It prints books, among them the thesis Aboa Vetus et Nova by Mr Daniel Juslenius (1676–1752), in which he studies the birth of Turku. His conclusion was that the people in Turku are decendants of Jaafet, the third son of Noah.

1812

Sweden loses Finland to Russia in 1809, and in 1812 Helsinki is declared as the new capital – something that still slightly upsets people in Turku.

1827

Turku burns down and almost the whole city must be built again, which is the reason why Turku doesn’t have a medieval centre anymore.

1900

The first Christmas tree illuminated with electric lamps is erected in front of the Cathedral. The tradition became regular in the 1930s.

1917

Finland declares independence.

1922

The University of Turku is established again, since the original Academy was moved to Helsinki after the great fire in 1827. Åbo Akademi University, the only university in Finland with Swedish as official language, was founded in 1918. (Åbo is the name of Turku in Swedish.)

1939–1945

Finland is at war with Russia. Turku suffers great damage during the bombings, among other buildings the castle is partly burned.

1956, 1976, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2010. TPS, the biggest ice-hockey club in Turku, wins the Finnish championship.

1960–1980

Turku suffers from the so called “Turku sickness” – meaning that many beautiful old buildings were demolished in order to be replaced with modern blockhouses.

2011

Turku is the European Capital of Culture.

2022

Turku is the sixth largest city in Finland with 194,000 inhabitants. It also is one of the nicest cities and most popular holiday destinations in Finland, with its historical attractions and magnificent archipelago. s

Written by roope Lipasti

Finnish nature is ruthless

There may not be lions or poisonous scorpions in Finland, but we do have wild summer beasts.

Bears

Finland’s largest predator is usually encountered in the forest, although sightings are extremely rare. There are about 2,500 bears in Finland, with most of them in Lapland or on the eastern border. The traditional way to protect yourself from them is mooning: if a woman was standing in the cattle pasture with her lower body bare, pointing her bottom into the woods, bears wouldn’t come around looking for trouble. Sadly, this beautiful old tradition is a rapidly vanishing folk art.

Karhu (Finnish for bear) is also the name of one of the most popular beers in Finland, so bears can also be enjoyed in urban settings.

Wolves

There are about three hundred wolves in Finland. The last time one harmed a human was in 1882, but nevertheless, we have conversations every year about whether we should get rid of them entirely. In any case, they range all the way into southern Finland, especially the

southwestern region. Running into a wolf isn’t likely, but in the winter you can see their tracks, although usually those are just from the dog next door.

The Finnish national basketball team is called the Wolf Pack. This name comes from the fact that a wolf can survive on its own but is even stronger as part of a group.

Lynxes

The only wild feline predator in Finland is the lynx. They live all over the country, although there are only a couple of thousand of them. The lynx is a timid animal, so it is best seen on the roadside after having been killed by a speeding car. The Finnish lynx grows up to 140 centimeters long and weighs a maximum of 25 kilos.

Tampere has a hockey club of the same name, which comes from the coat of arms of the province of Häme, which features a lynx. When the Ilves hockey club was founded in 1931, lynxes had been hunted nearly to extinction. In 1962, the species was protected, and the population has since recovered.

Brown bear cubs.

Written by roope Lipasti transLated by oWen F. Witesman

Wolverines

An extremely endangered scavenger that lives in Lapland, with only about four hundred surviving. The name comes from the animal’s outrageous table habits: it “wolfs down” its food at a terrible speed, swallowing large pieces of meat whole.

Sea eagles

The sea eagle is the largest bird in Finland, with a wingspan of up to 240 centimeters. In the archipelago, you can see them flying in the sky, but it isn’t a good idea to get much closer than that.

Gulls

Especially dangerous for holidaymakers enjoying ice cream or other treats outside in the square. The arrogance of seagulls is only matched by their cunning, so tourists should stay vigilant to avoid being robbed by this terrible beast. There are an especially large number of these mafiosi of the bird world in the Helsinki Market Square.

However, the Finnish word for them, lokki, is also used to mean a person who scrounges off others.

Mosquitoes

Despite its small size, a frightening adversary in the Finnish summer. There are fewer of them in the cities, but as soon as you move into the woods or, especially, to a summer cottage, their armies attack. Mosquitoes suck blood and can smell out precisely which party guest they most want to drink dry. In all likelihood, it’s you.

Mosquitoes are also skilled in psychological warfare: when you go to sleep, one is usually hiding in your room and will begin whining the moment you fall asleep. Mosquitoes are surprisingly intelligent, which is why it doesn’t help much to get up and turn on the lights to hunt down your tormentor. It will just hide and then start again once conditions are more favorable again.

If for some reason you happen to kill the troublemaker, the commander of the mosquito army will have left a backup in the room, who will continue the torture. You might think that if you give up and let it drink its fill, the problem will be solved, but that is not the case, since the aforementioned backup will be there to take over.

RUNNING INTO A WOLF ISN’T LIKELY, BUT IN THE WINTER YOU CAN SEE THEIR TRACKS, ALTHOUGH USUALLY THOSE ARE JUST FROM THE DOG NEXT DOOR.

Goofy guys

Basically harmless middle-aged men on vacation who someone forgot on a riverboat, a restaurant patio or in a park. Goofy guys are drunk for about four weeks straight, that is for their entire summer vacation.

Identifying characteristics: dressed in ancient cargo shorts, stretched and worn-out t-shirt that barely covers belly, sandals (and socks) and sunglasses. His face will be red from the sun and swollen from the alcohol.

Goofy guys usually just grumble to themselves and are mostly innocuous but very tiresome. Paying attention to them is not a good idea because they tend to be clingy.

Blue-green algae

Blue-green algae isn’t an animal, but it is alive: cyanobacteria have become a regular guest on almost all Finnish shorelines at some point each summer. It forms a pea soup-like algae porridge in the water, which looks less than inviting to swim in. And you shouldn’t, because it’s toxic. It can cause rashes, nausea, diarrhea and lung problems. As with many other distress calls nature is sending up, Finland is mainly addressing this through adaptation: go swimming when there is no algae instead of treating the root cause, which is eutrophication.

Deer flies

The deer fly may be the most fearsome enemy in the Finnish natural world. On the plus side, it usually only appears in the fall: deer flies live in the woods and fly into your hair, drop their wings and set up residence so tightly that no renter from hell would be harder to evict. Deer flies are also almost impossible to kill. Even if you hit it with a hammer, it might survive. (Best to get it off your head before trying, though).

The Sun

When the temperature exceeds 24 degrees, Finns begin to melt. Work falls by the wayside, no one is able to sleep, no one does anything, and the air is filled with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. The people who complain the most are the same ones who were dreaming all winter about summer and the sun coming back. When the temperature exceeds 28 degrees, a national emergency is declared, and instructions are given to the elderly that they should drink water if they’re hot. But when autumn arrives, we all remember how lovely summer was after all. s

THE ARROGANCE OF SEAGULLS IS ONLY MATCHED BY THEIR CUNNING, SO TOURISTS SHOULD STAY VIGILANT TO AVOID BEING ROBBED BY THIS TERRIBLE BEAST.

Written by tuomas Värjö photos: Forum marinum

The French beauty that became the pride of Finland

The full-rigger Suomen Joutsen turns 120 in August 2022

A tall ship with graceful lines and slender masts reaching for the sky, all made up in crisp, bridal white. The Suomen Joutsen has an iconic profile. The ”Swan of Finland” is moored in the river Aura as a part of Maritime Centre Forum Marinum, just hundreds of metres from the Turku Castle.

Continental origins

The most famous ship in Finland was born in France. It was launched at the Chantiers de Penhoët shipyard in St. Nazaire in August 1902, and named Laënnec after a noted French physician. Today, this ship is the only remaining French ocean-going full-rigger of the era. It is 96 metres in length. Its three masts supported 22 sails, altogether made of 2,200 square metres of canvas. A set of sails for a ship of this size weighs almost three tonnes, and the sails and rigging are operated with 30 kilometres of rope. The ship originally had from 25 to 30 sailors operating it. The work was heavy and rough, and the amenities

aboard were rudimentary. But at least you had the chance to see the world, and gather up a wealth of experiences. Carrying bulk goods, the Laënnec journeyed from Europe to the Americas, to Africa, onwards to Australia, and then around the world. In 1922, it was sold to Germany to be used as a training ship for the German merchant marine. The ship was renamed Oldenburg and it sailed under the trade flag of the Weimar Republic until 1930.

In the service of the young Finnish republic

In the interwar years, Finland was building up its fledgling military. In the late 1920s, the Finnish fleet needed to train a cadre of young, enthusiastic junior officers and non-commissioned officers, the foundation on which the future development of the branch could be built. The Navy planners of the day thought that only on a traditional vessel could young sailors be trained to learn proper seamanship and teamwork, and a sense of military discipline. Several vessels were considered for the role of a school ship, but the decision fell on the Oldenburg, offered for a very affordable price. It was handed over to the Finnish government in August 1930.

The ship was refitted as a training vessel, and it also received a new name, the third and last of its career: Suomen Joutsen. The namesake of a 16th century Swedish warship, the Finska Svan, it now also shared its name with Finland’s national animal, the common swan (Cygnus cygnus), a central part of old Finnish mythology. True to its name, the ship received a distinct, clean white paintjob to set it apart from the workaday cargo sailers of the 1930s.

In December 1931, the Suomen Joutsen left Helsinki for its first long voyage under Finnish Navy colours. In the following decade, it completed eight annual training voyages on the high seas. Setting sail in the fall, before the Baltic Sea iced up, the ship would spend from five to nine months at sea, returning home in early summer.

The ship now had a bigger crew than before: up to 180 men lived, worked and studied aboard it.

Exotic nights and harsh discipline

The training voyages proved memorable. For the young men of the school ship, the time spent at sea and in foreign ports was their very first glimpse of the wider world. Many dangerous and unique situations were experienced, from heavy storms throwing the ship around like a toy, to celebrating Christmas in the Caribbean, with a starfish for Christmas tree decoration. On every voyage, the Suomen Joutsen would dock in various foreign cities. Legendary tales were recorded by the crewmen, aged both sides of twenty, exploring exotic locations. Whether it was a bar crawl in Rio de Janeiro, a brief romantic affair in Havanna, or a mishap leading to a sailor returning to the ship without their trousers in Alexandria, the men of the Suomen Joutsen would remember it for the rest of their lives. For the ship’s captain and officers, keeping the enthusiastic and experience-hungry young men under control was a challenge. The master of the Suomen Joutsen, Captain John Konkola, was a seasoned old sea dog. His solution was harsh, traditional discipline. Even minor infractions, like returning to the ship noticeably drunk, could land a sailor in the ship’s brig for days. Punishments also included scrubbing the outer deck clean with sandstone, under the blistering sun of the tropics. In the memoirs of former crewmen, Konkola is described as stern but fair. Called ”the Old Man” by his crew, Konkola was admired for his skills as a seafarer, like his seemingly supernatural ability to predict changes in the weather, borne out of long experience.

Apart from training soldiers, the Suomen Joutsen had also other duties. Finland was still poorly known abroad, and the white ship became an ambassador for the nation. The officers and crew of the ship

FINLAND WAS STILL POORLY KNOWN ABROAD, AND THE WHITE SHIP BECAME AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE NATION.

took part in various events in all ports of visit, with the help of local Finnish envoys, to raise awareness of all things Finnish. On Konkola’s orders, the Suomen Joutsen was kept in excellent condition, with the hull always in good paint and the sails and rigging in meticulous order – ”ship shape and Bristol fashion”, like the British saying goes. The men’s appearance and behaviour was also under close scrutiny. It was their duty to leave a good impression of their home country.

The ship’s diplomatic mission was a roaring success. During its visits, it became the subject of admiring stories in the papers, and people would come by the hundreds or thousands to gawk at the beautiful white ship and its exotic Nordic sailors. Its officers attended balls and other events, and foreign dignitaries from admirals to government ministers, presidents and royals visited the ship. On three voyages, the Suomen Joutsen also carried a well-received export exhibition of Finnish trade goods, from cheese to porcelain and infantry weapons. As promotional tours in the 1930s went, all of the ship’s voyages created a healthy amount of goodwill for the Republic of Finland. Mission accomplished!

Back in home, the Suomen Joutsen’s travels were reported in the papers – what ports the ship had recently gone to, and what its crew had done. The parents of the young men aboard the ship, especially, wanted to know if their boys were safe and sound. The ship appeared in newsreels, and Finnish companies wanted their products to be connected to the handsome vessel for patriotic notability. The impact the navy’s school ship had for Finnish popular culture during the 1930s was considerable. Even songs were written about it. For example in Georg Malmstén’s famous 1936 children’s song, the ship saves Mickey Mouse from a storm at sea.

At war and in peace

The Second World War ended the Suomen Joutsen’s voyages. In 1939 it became a support ship for smaller naval vessels. Its masts and yards were dismantled, its hull painted gray, and its deck covered with

tree branches and entire trees for camouflage. The Suomen Joutsen was armed with anti-aircraft weapons against Soviet attacks. During the war, the ship supported motor torpedo boats, submarines and minesweepers, providing Navy soldiers with fuel, ammunition, food and rest.

Plans were made in the 1950s to abandon the Suomen Joutsen entirely, and sell it for scrap steel. In the growing postwar economy, though, there was an effort to create new schools for merchant sailors. This saved the aging beauty. In 1961, it was turned into a vocational school for sailors, moored at the river Aura. For three decades, the ship stood by the Martinsilta bridge as a central feature of the Turku cityscape, and over 3,000 young men and women were trained on the ship for work on Finnish merchant vessels.

In the 1990s, the Suomen Joutsen was turned into a museum. It was moved downriver to become a part of the newly-founded Maritime Centre Forum Marinum in 2002. An exhibition about the ship’s many lives was built on its decks. The most recent version of the exhibition was opened in 2021 in Digimuseo (www.digimuseo.fi), which now hosts a virtual look into the ship and its history in Finnish, Swedish and English. Soon there will also be a French version.

In August 2022, the Finno-French beauty will reach the age of 120. It is a time for a celebration for this unique, historic vessel. This is the main theme of Forum Marinum’s year. The ship’s early French history will also put into a spotlight. The Suomen Joutsen welcomes all visitors, live during the summer season, and virtually around the year. s

SUOMEN JOUTSEN

Linnankatu 72, 20100 Turku

4.6. – 21.8. open daily 10 am–18 pm.

Admission 8 / 6 / 4 €. SEE

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The most important hotel employee

Written by minna Lindgren

transLated by oWen F. Witesman

I love hotel room attendants. They are reliable, unobtrusive and irreplaceable. We can replace doctors, lawyers and hotel receptionists with artificial intelligence but not the person who cleans up the clutter that vacationers or business travelers leave in hotel rooms.

In A good hotel, a room attendant is always on site. You can identify them by their enormous carts full not only of a wide variety of cleaning supplies but also fresh towels, fresh sheets and endless small sundries to meet various guest needs: hygiene products, combs, sewing kits, shoe polish, pens, paper, irons, laundry bags, maybe even a Bible and birth control if someone happens to ask. You can get a warm blanket or a soft pillow. If they don’t have what a visitor needs, they get it.

Most hotel guests don’t greet room attendants. Maybe they don’t notice the person standing next to the big cart. Or they think they might not share a common language, which saves the paying customer the hassle of a universal smile and wave. It could also be that the guest really is as busy as they’re trying to look—or they’re ashamed of the mess they’ve left behind. Because really, how many times have you exited a hotel room in a terrible rush, leaving behind the aftermath of a boisterous night for someone else to clean up?

But the room attendant sees all. They go in every room after the guests leave. The most skilled professionals will also know when that moment is right. They won’t knock on the door when we’re still doing our morning routine or resting and can tell from how we’re walking and dressed whether we’re popping down for a quick breakfast or leaving on longer business.

While we’re taking the sights, sitting in meetings, or doing other business, an attendant is inspecting our rooms. They see all the dirty clothes left on the floor—yes, including the underwear—, notice the empty wine bottles and count the dirty glasses, see the leftover food and stains on the towels, remove the hair and Band-Aids from the bathroom floor drain, glance at what we’re reading, and look at what kind of clothes we packed. They clean everything, set the clothes in a pile, make the bed, fold our nightshirts on the pillow, and arrange our random stuff on the desk at right angles – as if trying to teach us how a clean home should look. And what a pleasure it is to return to such a room!

Because I’ve worked as a cleaner, too, I never leave my room messy when I go. I clean the toilet and even fold my nightgown, despite which the pro still smooths any wrinkles I might leave. And because I clean after myself before leaving, it’s easy for me to give the room attendant a cheerful greeting. Maybe also because I consider them to be one of the most important people when it comes to my own comfort. After all, they are also the guard who ensures that no one else slips into my room. s

Minna Lindgren is an internationally recognized author. In addition to book tours, she spends nights in hotels while presenting operas to people across Europe.

But the room attendant sees all. They go in every room after the guests leave. The most skilled professionals will also know when that moment is right.

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