The Old Town of Turku covers the historic centre and the university area. Here, history can be found in many layers, from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Several nationally valuable buildings are in the Old Town – with the soaring Turku Cathedral the most im-posing landmark. We are developing the area by respecting and drawing on its history. The development work is guided by the development plan for the historic centre of Turku and the university area. The plan was completed in 2021.
The goals of the development work of the Old Town include increasing and diversifying its service and event offering, so that the area is vibrant throughout the year. This is done with operators in the area and the city’s residents.
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Art House Turku – contemporary art in historic spaces
Art House Turku opened in the heart of the Old Town in the spring of 2022. The cultural centre, which combines various art forms, serves as a lively meeting place for artists and people experiencing art.
Art House Turku consists of six buildings built between 1800 and 1920. The buildings have been renovat-ed, including workspaces for artists, exhibition spaces, a cinema and a café. The facilities can also be rented for both public and private use.
In the summer of 2025, some of the old storehouses on picturesque Luostarin Välikatu will be transformed into atmospheric summer restaurants. With the addition of restaurants and boutiques selling unique products, the medieval street line will come to life once again.
Turku Old Town Celebration
The operators in the Old Town have joined forces and organise an annual Old Town Celebration. The celebration takes place in June on the Saturday before Midsummer. The summer event offers plenty of cultural activities. It also offers a great opportunity to get to know the operators in the area.
Greenery and cosiness
With good reason, it can be said that the Old Town area is a green oasis. There are numerous historic parks in the area, such as Brahe Park, where a statue of the 17th-century Governor-General Per Brahe has been erected. Or Cathedral Park, which becomes a cosy terrace in the summer. The parks in the Old Town area are part of Turku National Urban Park.
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Development of the area and cooperation
The development of the Old Town began with the preparation of a development plan. The participants in the preparation of the plan were the University Properties of Finland, the Åbo Akademi University Foundation, the Turku and Kaarina Parish Union, the City of Turku, the University of Turku, the Turku University Foundation, the Turku Student Village Foundation and Åbo Akademi University.
The City Board approved the Old Town as a strategic land-use project on 22 November 2021. It also con-firmed the objectives of the project and the measures selected based on the development plan.
Development plan in Finnish:
The Old Town is part of the Cultural Riverbank. The Cultural Riverbank is a culture-filled urban space stretching from the Old Town to Linnanniemi on the banks of the River Aura, which will be developed into Finland’s largest and most surprising cultural hub.
With the universities located in the area, the Old Town is also strongly linked to Culture Campus Turku and the Study in Turku cooperation project.
- Cultural Riverbank (link coming soon)
- Culture Campus Turku
- Study in Turku
