Turku Day Trails

Turku loves events -logo

Turku bursts with paths, roads and trails of different lengths, whether your interests lie in culture or nature. Explore the stories and sights of Turku along the trails.

On Turku Day we celebrate the city along with its versatile trails. All the trails listed below are nevertheless accessible even after Turku Day and you can explore them whenever it is most convenient for you. 

Cultural exercise routes in Turku

The cultural exercise routes consist of 17 diverse trails of different lengths. The shortest ones, Hide and Seek (find hidden miniature statutes) and the short version of Stepping it up, are 2 km in length. The length of the longest route is called the Heart of Finland, which takes you time-travelling through the history of Finland, is 11.5 km.

Length:
Shortest 2 km
Longest 11.5 km

Save Turku escape game

Download the game in the Google Play or Apple App Store and embark on an adventure where your mission is to save the founding documents of Turku. While playing, you will get to know the Cathedral area. The game can be played both on smartphones and tablets by downloading  the Tarina app. 

Time Trek

On a Time Trek, you will learn about history and science while exercising outdoors. You can time trek in Ruissalo or along the River Aurajoki, or complete the longest route from Turku to Kaarina, all the while building up your knowledge.

Length:
Shortest 1.4 km
Longest 14 km

Pilgrim routes and St Olav’s Waterway

Two pilgrim routes along The Aura Rive were launched in July 2020: Pietari’s trail and Helena’s trail. You can follow them either by walking or cycling. Helena's trail is also ideal for families with young children. Completing the entire distance of St Olav’s Waterway would take a few months, as it leads from Turku to Trondheim. However, pilgrims can pick a suitable section of a route to fit their needs. The first section of St Olav’s Waterway leads travellers through Turunmaa to Korpo and constitutes a large part of the UNESCO biosphere area. St Jacob’s Way, the Finnish section of pilgrim routes leading to Santiago de Compostela, follows the historical Häme Ox Road. St Henry’s Way takes you to sites associated with Finland's patron saint Bishop Henry.

Length:
Pietari’s trail 34 km
Helena’s trail 8 km
St Olav’s Waterway (full length) 1,200 km
St Jacob’s Way 200 km
St Henry’s Way 140 km

Tarinasoitin

Use this audio guide application to browse different introductions to the maritime Turku.

Nature trails in Turku

Turku offers nature trails that lead you through beautiful and diverse environments. The island of Ruissalo has the greatest total distance of different trails. Other beautiful nature trails in Turku can be found in Katariinanlaakso, Pomponrahka and Kyyrlä – Toijainen in Hirvensalo.

Length:
Kyyrlä - Toijainen (Hirvensalo) 3 km + 2 km
Katariinanlaakso 2 km
Pomponrahka 2 km
Ruissalo 20 km

Luolavuori fitness track and disc golf course

In addition to using Luolavuori fitness track, you can also try out disc golf (info in Finnish), climb a hill rising 65 metres above sea level and admire the view, or explore the caves in this area.

Length:
Fitness track 1.7 km

Biking routes around Turku in Finnish

Enjoy the scenery along the Aura River, visit ancient churches and take in magnificent seascapes along the different biking routes in Turku and its surroundings. The versatile selection of 11 routes has something to offer anybody.

Length:
Shortest 14 km
Longest 95 km

Easy day-trips for urban hikers in Finnish

It’s also easy to take a day trip to any of the magnificent nature attractions in the Turku area by bus.

Length:
Shortest 0.5 km
Longest 30 km

Kurjenrahka National Park

In Kurjenrahka, you can find several trails with different levels of difficulty. Check the website for trail lengths and select one that suits you. The shortest route is accessible for prams or wheelchairs. The longest route takes about 2 days.
Kurjenrahka National Park is easy to reach by bus. Kuhankuono | Föli (foli.fi) in English

Length:
Shortest 1.7 km
Longest 30 km

Paavonpolku trails

The Paavonpolku trails, inspired by Switzerland, provide an easy introduction to the urban environment and versatile nature of Turku area.

St Catherine’s paths in Finnish

St Catherine’s paths cover a total distance of 10 km. On the way, you find prehistoric burial mounds, diverse natural landscapes and a bird-watching tower. You can continue your walk to Katariinanlaakso in Turku through the Rauvolanlahti bay.

Varkaantie road in Finnish

Varkaantie road, which follows the River Aurajoki from Turku to Oripää, is part of a medieval road connection between Southwest Finland and Satakunta. The trail takes travellers to the source of the River Aurajoki in Oripää.

The King’s Road

The King’s Road linking Turku Castle and Vyborg Castle was once a key route in the Nordic countries. You can find several other museum roads and bridges on this 480-kilometre route.

The Royal Post Road in Finnish

The post road between Turku and Stockholm was used from the 14th century onward. The length of this route on the Finnish side, or from Kustavi to Turku, is 110 km. On the way you can enjoy magnificent maritime and agricultural landscapes as well as spot old mansions.

Häme Ox Road in Finnish

Häme Ox Road, the earliest phases of which go back to the Viking era, runs from Turku to Hämeenlinna. The road takes travellers to different natural and cultural sites.

Length:
160 km

Archipelago Ring Roads in Finnish

The Archipelago Ring Road, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, and its shorter version are an excellent way of getting the know the beautiful archipelago of Turku.

Length:
Archipelago Ring Road 160 to 250 km
Short Archipelago Ring Road 120 km

Åppi application

This application encourages students and schoolchildren to be physically active while learning more about the history and nature of Turku through stories from the shores of The Aura River. The application uses enhanced reality and has more than 20 sites.
 

Keywords: