Port of 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 and the largest surviving medieval building in Finland. It was founded in the late 13th century and stands on the banks of the Aura River. The castle served as a bastion and administrative centre in Eastland, as Finland was known during its time as a province of Sweden. Only once did the castle figure in the defence of the realm, when Russian invaders from Novgorod destroyed Turku in 1318. It more frequently played a role in internal struggles for power within Sweden and the Kalmar Union. The castle's heyday was in the mid-16th century during the reign of Duke John of Finland and Catherine Jagellon. That was when the Renaissance Floor and King's and Queen's hall were built, along with other features. It 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. Turku castle is today Finland's most visited museum, with attendance reaching 200,000 in some years. In addition, many of the larger rooms are used for municipal functions.

Lauttaranta (Finnish; Färjstranden in Swedish) is a district and a suburb of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located in the northern part of the island of Hirvensalo, off the city's coastline. The only bridge between Hirvensalo and the mainland is located in Lauttaranta, connecting it to the district of Pihlajaniemi. The current (as of 2004) population of Lauttaranta is 236, and it is increasing at an annual rate of 3.39%. 15.25% of the district's population are under 15 years old, while 12.71% are over 65. The district's linguistic makeup is 92.37% Finnish and 7.63% Swedish.

Crichton-Vulcan is an abandoned shipyard in Turku, Finland, that once formed the cornerstone of the Finnish shipbuilding industry. The shipyard is best known for the World War II coastal defence ships and submarines it produced. Shipbuilding at the yard gradually ended after 1976, after a new shipyard had been built in the suburb Perno. The old yard was taken over by Turku Repair Yard and used for ship repair until 2004, when they too moved to the nearby city of Naantali. The shipyard by the Aura River in Turku then lay abandoned some time and was the target of vandalism. However, the site is currently being turned into an upper-class residential area. Demolition of the old buildings began in June 2011.

The IX District, also known as Länsiranta (Finnish; Väststranden in Swedish, meaning 'west bank'), is one of the central districts of Turku, Finland. As its alias suggests, it is located on the west side of the river Aura, between the Kakola hill in the neighbouring VIII District (Port Arthur). The district contains numerous museums and other cultural venues, such as the Turku conservatory. The district has a population of 1,368 (as of 2004) and an annual population growth rate of +0.14%. 11.83% of the district's population are under 15 years old, while 11.98% are over 65. The district's linguistic makeup is 90.76% Finnish, 6.13% Swedish, and 3.10% other.

Iso-Heikkilä (Finnish; Storheikkilä in Swedish) is a district of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located to the west of the city centre, bordering on the city centre's VIII District (Port Arthur). The current (as of 2004) population of Iso-Heikkilä is 1,905, and it is decreasing at an annual rate of 0.79%. Only 4.57% of the district's population is under 15 years old, while 35.17% are over 65. Iso-Heikkilä thus has one of the oldest populations in Turku. The district's linguistic makeup is 94.86% Finnish, 3.94% Swedish, and 1.21% other languages. Most of Iso-Heikkilä is industrial area and offices, but there is also a residential area with a children's daycare centre and a home for the elderly. The Iso-Heikkilä Observatory is located in the Iso-Heikkilä district.

MS Bore is a combination museum and hotel ship docked permanently in Turku, Finland. She was originally built in 1960 by Oskarshamn shipyard, Oskarshamn, Sweden as the car/passenger ferry SS Bore for Steamship Company Bore, Finland, then the last commercial steam ship built in Scandinavia and the first ferry on the route between Finland and Sweden where cars could drive aboard. She was later known as SS Borea, before being rebuilt as a cruise ship in 1988. 1988 to 2010 she was owned by the Finnish shipping company Kristina Cruises and known as MS Kristina Regina until she was retired because she did not comply with new safety regulations.

Keihässalmi (pennant number "05") was a minelayer of the Finnish Navy. She was commissioned in 1957 and remained in service until 1994, after which she was turned into a museum ship in Turku. The vessel was named after the strait of Keihässalmi, which is located in Sipoo. Keihässalmi was the first Finnish minelayer to be constructed after World War II. Keihässalmi was designed according to lessons learned from the Ruotsinsalmi class minelayers, but with increased size and tonnage. It was stronger, more seaworthy and faster than its predecessor. The construction took place from 1956 to 1957 at the Valmet Oy shipyard in Helsinki. The sinking of the minelayer Riilahti in 1943 had left a big gap in Finnish mine warfare capabilities, and a new vessel was needed. It would last until the mid-1950s before this was addressed, due to the harsh after-war conditions and war-payments which included many ships to be constructed at Finnish shipyards. The Keihässalmi was fitted with almost all weapons systems available to the Finnish Navy (except torpedoes), although she primarily was a minelayer and minesweeper. Keihässalmi was launched on 16 March 1957 and the vessel remained the largest vessel of the Finnish Navy until 1962, when the frigate Matti Kurki was purchased. It was also used as a sort of test-bed for multiple systems. At one point a 75 mm gun was fitted to the ship, as the Finnish Navy lacked designated gunships. The ship was also used for training, and was sent out on trips every sailing season. The Keihässalmi was cheap to operate and required a low complement (important as the Finnish Navy had a manpower restriction), but the vessel proved itself over the decades. The ship underwent repairs and refitting from 1975 until 1981, when its seaworthiness was improved by the installment of ballast tanks. The forward mine section was slightly modified to allow the vessel travel in high seas. The weaponry was modernized and the gunlaying was now radar-guided. Keihässalmi was the flagship of the Finnish Navy and she made many visits to other countries in the 1960s. She was the official school ship of the navy from 1975 until 1979, awaiting the replacement for the Matti Kurki. Keihässalmi was retired and turned into a museum ship in 1994. She is currently on display at the Forum Marinum museum in Turku.

Wilhelm Carpelan is a former Von Fersen-class transport boat. Built in 1915 for the Imperial Russian Navy, she was used as a transport boat and later a minesweeper by the Finnish Navy until 1977. After decommissioning, she was sold to private ownership and used as a pleasure boat. In 2013, Wilhelm Carpelan was donated to the collections of Forum Marinum, the maritime museum in Turku, Finland.

Forum Marinum is maritime museum located in Turku, Finland.

Korppolaismäki (Finnish; Korpolaisbacken in Swedish) is a district of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located to the south of the city centre, on the eastern side of the mouth of the river Aura. The district shares the new luxurious residential area of Majakkaranta with the neighbouring district of Pihlajaniemi. The current (as of 2004) population of Korppolaismäki is 349, and it is increasing at an annual rate of 0.29%. 19.20% of the district's population are under 15 years old, while 12.32% are over 65. The district's linguistic makeup is 87.68% Finnish, 10.32% Swedish, and 2.01% other languages.

Suomen Joutsen is a steel-hulled full-rigged ship with three square rigged masts. Built in 1902 by Chantiers de Penhoët in St. Nazaire, France, as Laënnec, the ship served two French owners before she was sold to German interest in 1922 and renamed Oldenburg. In 1930, she was acquired by the Government of Finland, refitted to serve as a school ship for the Finnish Navy and given her current name. Suomen Joutsen made eight long international voyages before the Second World War and later served in various support and supply roles during the war. From 1961 on she served as a stationary seamen's school for the Finnish Merchant Navy. In 1991, Suomen Joutsen was donated to the city of Turku and became a museum ship moored next to Forum Marinum.

Sigyn, built in Gothenburg 1887, now museum ship in Turku, is the last remaining wooden barque used for trade across the oceans. At the time she was built there were thousands of similar vessels, but she was one of the last ones built. She was quite small even for her time, considering she was built for long-distance trade, but well built and considered fast and beautiful.