Vinterweekend i Åbo - julstämning och julmarknader

We have had a lovely winter weekend in Turku, filled with Christmas atmosphere and Christmas markets, combined with museum visits and good food. Really cosy to make such a short winter trip in December!

Table of contents

To Turku with Finnsirius

We travelled to Turku (or to Naantali just outside Turku, to be precise) with Finnline's new super cruiser Finnsirius. This ship is fantastic, with very nice design, several good restaurants and a fantastic spa. You can read more about the ship and our cruise below:

READ MORE: Winter cruise to Finland - Christmas atmosphere on Finnsirius

Winter weekend in Turku - with Christmas spirit

We made this trip both to enjoy the cruise and to experience Turku in winter, together with Peter's brother Micke and his wife Nilla. We arrived at Naantali early in the morning, and since we had a car with us, it only took 20 minutes to drive to Turku.

We parked at the hotel (Scandic Hamburger Börs, which has a great location) and started with a coffee. Then it was time to go out on the town, to experience our winter weekend in Turku.

Turku is a very nice city with a long history. It is nice to walk along the Aura river, and there are plenty of museums, cafés and restaurants.

We checked out Turku Cathedral, which was inaugurated in 1300 and where Karin Månsdotter, who was married to Erik XIV and was Queen of Sweden from 4 July to 29 September 1568, is buried. Right now there was a nice Christmas tree set up in front of the church.

Christmas market in Turku - Old Town Square Christmas Market

Two different Christmas markets are organised in Turku, and we started by exploring the Old Town Square Christmas Market. This market is open on Saturdays and Sundays for four weekends before Christmas.

This is a traditional Christmas market where you can find crafts, Christmas decorations, gifts and local delicacies.

In our company, we found some great bargains, including rag socks. We also took the opportunity to enjoy a mug of hot mulled wine, which was not bad in the cold.

Museum visits - Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova

After strolling outside in the winter cold for a while, it's nice to break off with an indoor activity. We decided to check out Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova, a museum of archaeology and contemporary art. On the ground floor you can see excavations from the medieval city of Turku, which is both interesting and fascinating.

Lunch at Tintå

Another highlight of a trip like this is enjoying good food. At lunchtime we popped into Tintå, a cosy spot along the western bank of the river. Among other things, this is a place for wine lovers - there are over a hundred types of wine - but there is also a menu of other things to eat, such as gourmet pizzas and other exciting dishes, inspired by different parts of the world.

The pizzas have interesting flavour combinations such as goat cheese, strawberry and pistachio or prosciutto and figs. It was very good!

Christmas market in Turku - Salu Square Christmas Market

After lunch, it was time to visit the second Christmas market, the Salutorget Christmas Market. This Christmas market is open every day from the end of November until 22 December.

Vinterweekend i Åbo - Salutorgets jultorg

At this Christmas market you'll also find crafts and gifts, but above all there's a big focus on food, so it might be better to come hungry.

The market is organised around a free carousel, and there is a wide range of food carts, where you can try everything from Finnish Christmas cakes to... Swiss raclette and Asian specialities. What we particularly liked here is that they have set up small glass houses, so you can eat in a cosy environment, sitting on traps, protected from the swirling snow.

A beer at the Koulu brewery restaurant

Turku is home to the cosy brewery restaurant Koulu, which means 'school' in Swedish. The restaurant is indeed located in an old school, and the environment offers everything from classrooms to old school desks. In addition, there are lots of beer and cider varieties, as well as a large selection of whiskey. This was a nice stop!

Accommodation at Scandic Hamburger Börs

We stayed one night in a hotel in Turku, on the Scandic Hamburger Börs which is located right by the New Market Square. This hotel is both stylish and cosy, and above all it is perfectly located for exploring Turku. There is also a large restaurant, a lovely rooftop bar, and a sauna and gym.

We got a room with a lovely view of the New Market Square. We were also happy with the rest of the room: comfortable beds, nice shower and good bathroom lighting, which automatically turns on, a bit dimly, when you get up at night.

Dinner at the Más restaurant

After a long day in the city, we decided to have dinner at the hotel. We booked a table at the hotel restaurant Más, and were then greeted by my (Helena's) name at our booked table.

The restaurant focuses on tapas and we chose to first order a smaller number, and then supplement with a little more when you know how much more you want. A good strategy we have come up with! There were hot shrimp, spicy meatballs, strong sausages, halloumi and everything else. Delicious!

Breakfast at Scandic Hamburger Börs

After a night of much-needed rest, we were back in the hotel restaurant - this time for breakfast! Here we found everything from croissants and Karelian pies to fruit and yoghurt with granola. After that, we were ready to roll!

A lovely winter weekend in Turku

So, a short but lovely winter weekend in Turku was over. Well, we still had the journey home with Finnsirius to look forward to.

In short, we can say that we really appreciated this cosy little break from everyday life. Do you also like short trips and cruises? Have you visited Turku, during summer or winter?