The riverbank invites you to discover sounds

Journalism student and freelance journalist living in Helsinki Elisa Helenius, 36, came to Turku for a meeting and a visit at the Turku Biennial at Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova and she tested the Fabulous Aura River app during her stay. Helenius was excited about the new culture app, as she writes a culture blog and actively participates in culture events. She visits Turku often and finds the surroundings of the River Aura very photogenic.

– The river is one of the highlights of Turku. My other favourite places include cafés, the Main Library, Turku Museum of Art, Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku Castle and the Market Hall.

Helenius had seen the Fabulous Aura River mentioned in a newspaper and she feels that it had been well advertised.

– I also like the visual outlook of the app, and the number of collaboration partners is impressive.

Helenius began looking for the Fabulous Aura River tracks around the Turku Cathedral. However, she never found the first track and the application was unable to identify her location correctly. The same later happened at the Theatre Bridge. Helenius believes that the problems may have been caused by the internet connection.

After the tricky beginning, Helenius began to find tracks.

– It was nice that a short text had been written about each place where the tracks were hidden. When I listened to the tracks, I heard the splashing of water, the sound of jingle bells and church bells.

This time, Helenius did not have the time to find all the tracks and she was surprised at how long it took to search for the tracks.

– If you want to collect all of them, you are up against a challenge.

Lovely leisurely stroll for visitors

As the route goes through the city centre landscape that is part of daily life for many Turku residents,  Helenius recommends the Fabulous Aura River particularly to visitors coming from other cities. The app offers a nice frame for a stroll and Helenius suggest trying it out together with a friend.

Helenius feels that the app encourages to exercise and offers interesting discounts.

Teksti: Aino Koivisto
Kuvat: Pekka Paasio ja Aino Koivisto