First stop in Turku is our hotel which is in the downtown area. Here we first find parking and get our room before meeting our relatives. And then after greetings and some gifts are exchanged it is time to go explore Turku starting with Turku Castle.
The castle is relatively close to our accomodation and soon we are inside exploring. The castle was the center of the historical province of Finland Proper, and the administrative center of all of Finland. Together with Turku Cathedral, the castle is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Finland and is also the largest surviving medieval building in Finland. It has been restored in 1980s and it is really quite an impressive place to visit.
We continue exploring the courtyards moving from one to another and admiring the stark buildings. There are few decorations, it looks more like a fortress than a castle really.
The austere theme continues throughout the courtyard with the forbidding keep in the middle of it all. And then after exploring for some time it is time to move on and continue to explore Turku proper.
