Two Days in Turku

Ravintola Indima

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "A Colourful Curry at Indima"

Indima Indian Restaurant, Turku Photo - Ravintola Indima, Turku, Finland

Quote:

This fairly large Indian restaurant is situated a five minute walk from the Turku marketplace, opposite the famous pub housed in a former public toilet. The first thing that struck me on entering the restaurant was how colourful it was; admittedly this is from a lack of any discernible scheme rather than an effort to incorporate some kind of colourful design but it's jolly all the same. It's also a strange mix (from the point of view of a self-appointed British expert on Indian restaurants) of cafe style and traditional "curry house" as it's quite spacious and airy yet it has some of the ornate and often over the top things that you find in the typical Indian restaurant in the UK such as a...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 23, 2008

Ravintola Indima
Maariankatu 2
Turku
+358 (2) 2517690

Cheer!
Flag

Old Bank (The)

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Make a Beer Withdrawal at the Old Bank"

The Old Bank, Turku Photo - Old Bank (The), Turku, Finland

Quote:

The Old Bank is another in Turku's brilliant collection of quirky drinking places. As the name suggests this "bar restaurant" (as it's described) is housed in a former bank - the regional headquarters of the bank no less, as the interior is rather more ornate than even some of the more striking old banks; basically you can tell that this was not an avareage bank.If the part granite exterior and the funky "jugend style" clock aren't impressive enough, step inside and take a look at the interior with it's elaborate pillars, relief friezes and even stained glass windows. One of the draws of the Old Bank is that they pride themselves on having over 200 beers available, more than 20...Read More

The Old Bank is another in Turku's brilliant collection of quirky drinking places. As the name suggests this "bar restaurant" (as it's described) is housed in a former bank - the regional headquarters of the bank no less, as the interior is rather more ornate than even some of the more striking old banks; basically you can tell that this was not an avareage bank.

If the part granite exterior and the funky "jugend style" clock aren't impressive enough, step inside and take a look at the interior with it's elaborate pillars, relief friezes and even stained glass windows.

One of the draws of the Old Bank is that they pride themselves on having over 200 beers available, more than 20 of these are available on tap. They are domestic and international beers and cover the range from light to dark. On this occasion, though, we stuck to Finnish beers and enjoyed a Koff and an Aura - both priced at 4 Euro 10. Whisky lovers will be in rapture as the Old Bank specialises in it with many interesting whisky realted curios around the pub.

An interesting feature is a glass dispaly cabinet containing branded beer glasses of varying ages and styles. It's fun to scan the shelves looking out for ones for your favourite beers or unusual brands you've sampled on your travels.

The pub has several rooms which makes it quite cosy and means you can usually find a quieter spot if that's what you want. The main bar has mostly leather armchair seats but there are a couple of gloriously worn out sofas which you fall into and can't get out of!

On the way to the toilets you pass some old brewing equipment though this is for display only as the Old Bank is not a microbrewery.

As well as beers and whisky there is food available but this is limited to sandwiches and snacks.

The pub is popular with a diverse range, and is especially popular with an afterwork crowd. Although it's lively it's never noisy in that "loud music and unruly youngsters" way that some city centre pubs get.

Opening hours - Sun 4pm–1 am, Mon–Tue noon–1 am, Wed–Thu noon–2 am, Fri–Sat noon–3 am. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 21, 2008

Old Bank (The)
Aurakatu 3
Turku
+358 (2) 274 5700

Cheer!
Flag

Bed and Breakfast Tuure

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Bed and Breakfast Tuure - a Good (if Characterless) Choice"

Bed and Breakfast Tuure Photo - Bed and Breakfast Tuure, Turku, Finland

Quote:

This bed and breakfast is situated close to the bus station and jut five minutes walk from the very centre of town. We arrived in Turku by train and walked the route in ten minutes so the location is good yet still quiet.Look hard, it's not easy to spot. The doorway looks like all the doorways on the block which is full of shops and offices. There is an entry buzzer to let you in, once you check in you'll have a key for this door. The B and B is up a couple of flights and there's no lift. It's not too bad but people with mobility problems should be aware of this.We hadn't booked in advance but there was a room available. We were checked in without fuss and while the owner wasn'...Read More

This bed and breakfast is situated close to the bus station and jut five minutes walk from the very centre of town. We arrived in Turku by train and walked the route in ten minutes so the location is good yet still quiet.

Look hard, it's not easy to spot. The doorway looks like all the doorways on the block which is full of shops and offices. There is an entry buzzer to let you in, once you check in you'll have a key for this door. The B and B is up a couple of flights and there's no lift. It's not too bad but people with mobility problems should be aware of this.

We hadn't booked in advance but there was a room available. We were checked in without fuss and while the owner wasn't effusive she was friendly enough. The bedrooms are off the main corridor as are the shared shower rooms. This does mean a certain amount of noise as people come in and pass your room or go along to the toilet but we found that the people staying were older rather than young packers and so they were considerate.

There are two computers giving free internet access at one end of the corridor. You need a staff member to sign you on.

Our room wasn't large but there was enough room to move around two single beds. There was also a table and a wardrobe. The floors are tiled with rugs rather than carpeted which made it seem a bit clinical but the decor was fresh and the room was well-maintained. The weather had started to cool when we were in Turku and the room was a good temperature at night with the heating coming on in the early evening.

The shower rooms were small and each contained a toilet as well as a shower and washbasin. There was always hot water and we were fortunate that we never seemed to have to wait long for a shower room to be free. The staff were good at keeping the floor from becoming too wet at busy times.

Breakfast was included in the price and was served upstairs in a spacious room which had a small kitchen attached. Breakfast is served as a buffet with all the food on a table in the centre of the room. Drinks were on a separate table. As well as cereals, there was a variety of breads and cheeses and cold meats, scrambled eggs, several different kinds of tasty sausages and cooked mushrooms. There was fruit and one morning there was a delicious fruit pie homemade by the B and B owner. You could go back as many times as you wanted and it was an excellent breakfast to set you up for a day's sightseeing.

There are a number of restaurants in the immediate area of the B and B if you don't want to go into the centre of town. Parking may be an issue as this is a commercial area but you may be lucky and find a spot at the right time.

A safe but good choice. A quick look at the website shows prices have risen recently and as of October 2008 a double room costs 50 Euro including breakfast. This place may lack character but it is excellent value. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2008

Bed and Breakfast Tuure
Tuureporinkatu 17C

233 0230

Cheer!
Flag

Uusi Apteekki

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Uusi Apteeki"

Uusi Apteeki, Turku Photo - Uusi Apteekki , Turku, Finland

Quote:

Turku hs some rather special and unique pubs but this is surely the best of them all. The name translates as 'New Pharmacy' and the building did indeed previously house a pharmacy. In fact the old shelves and cupboards have been left in which make this a very striking interior. All the 'pigoen holes' behind the bar have been used to store glasses, bottles and other items and the rows and rows of shelves around the seating area hold empty beer bottles from around the world. It's great fun to walk round the pub looking at the bottles, spotting ones you may have drunk on your travels and perhaps new ones you'd like to try. Some of the bottles are unsual shapes with really interesting and colour...Read More

Turku hs some rather special and unique pubs but this is surely the best of them all. The name translates as 'New Pharmacy' and the building did indeed previously house a pharmacy. In fact the old shelves and cupboards have been left in which make this a very striking interior.

All the 'pigoen holes' behind the bar have been used to store glasses, bottles and other items and the rows and rows of shelves around the seating area hold empty beer bottles from around the world. It's great fun to walk round the pub looking at the bottles, spotting ones you may have drunk on your travels and perhaps new ones you'd like to try. Some of the bottles are unsual shapes with really interesting and colourful labels.

On one wall there's a collection of quirky clocks that look like faces made from old mechanical parts and CDs and the long wall in the corridor that runs along towards the toilets is a giant noticeboard for all kinds of events going on in Turku and the archipelago.

The pub is jointly owned by six friends who also staff it. We met two of them. It's a real regulars pub but they were just as friendly to us tourists too. We asked about the liquorice spirit we had heard of and the barman poured one each for us and even told us how to make it ourselves (we did when we got home - so thanks for that!).

There are abou twenty beers on draught which is quite a number but what a choice! Czech beers dominate but there is a good mixture of lagers, white beers and darker brews. There are some Finnish beers and some good ones made by some microbreweries. There's also quite a selection of malt whiskies.

The staff are beer experts and can recommend something based on what you like. We probably stayed too long and sampled too many of the beers based on more and more recommendations!

The customers are a mixed crowd; late twenties upwards on the whole, some office workers coming out for a post-work Friday evening drink, and a lot of regulars who looked like they choose their own working hours. No music is played in the pub and this was quite nice. The pub was by no means quiet and there was a good hum of conversation all afternoon and evening.

This is definitely a must-visit place in Turku and one which is very memorable. If you only have time to visit one pub in Turku you should certainly make it this one

Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on July 2, 2008

Uusi Apteekki
Kaskenkatu 1
Turku 20700

Cheer!
Flag

Puutorin Vessa

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Puutorin Vessa - Take your Sense of (Toilet) Humour!"

Puutorin Vessa, Turku Photo - Puutorin Vessa, Turku, Finland

Quote:

Turku is full of interesting and unusual bars but this one must surely win the prize for the most bizarre. This bar is housed in a former public toilet, a fantastic round building in the middle of the square at Puutori. The bar is on a slightly lower level and the seating is around the outer edhe on the upper level. It's old-fashioned and not that comfortable but it's certainly very quirkly. There are ceramic models of toilets all over the place, along the bar, on shelves, on the walls and a very funny (and slightly worrying) toilet suspenbded from the ceiling with a pair of ladies legs hanging over it. For tourists beer is served in a miniature chamber pot; I found this one st...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2008

Puutorin Vessa
Puutori
Turku 20100
233 8123

Cheer!
Flag

Panimoravintola Koulu

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Panimoravintola Koulu - Another Turku Institution"

Panimoravintola Koulu, Turku Photo - Panimoravintola Koulu, Turku, Finland

Quote:

Turku is crammed with microbrewery pubs and this one is also a large restaurant although we only had beers on our visit. It's housed in a former school a large and imposing building int he centre of Turku near the Hansa Shopping centre. The restaurant is upstairs; you get to it up the huge staircase accessed from the long main corridor. The bar is at the end of the corridor on the ground floor level. When you enter you really don't know where to look. There is historic clutter all over the place, most interestingly a wooden rowing scull hanging from the ceiling. You can also see the copper stils and the associated brewing equipment. Buy your drinks at the bar and sit at either...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2008

Panimoravintola Koulu
Eerikinkatu 18
Turku 20100
+358 (0)2 274 5757

Cheer!
Flag

Kauppahalli (Market hall)

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Kauppahalli - Sampling and Foodie Souvenirs"

Kaupphalli Turku (Covered market) Photo - Kauppahalli (Market hall), Turku, Finland

Quote:

Foodies should definitely make a point of visiting the kauppahalli (covered market) to sample some traditional Finnish delights and maybe take home some food souvenirs. As well as selling fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables and meat, there are stalls selling local homemade produce and deli goods. This is a good place to buy things like reindeer sausage - you may be able to pick up some vacuum-packed meat that can be taken home. The more adventurous may be interested in a tin of bear meat to take home.This is not such a varied market hall as the one in Helsinki but if you can't visit that one, this one is not bad. There are some places to have sandwiches made up for takeaway...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 7, 2008

Kauppahalli (Market hall)
Eerinkinkatu

Cheer!
Flag

Turku Castle

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Turku Castle - you Could Stay all Day"

Turku Castle Photo - Turku Castle, Turku, Finland

Quote:

At the far end of town, close to the ferry terminals you'll find Turku Castle. We were staying near the centre and decided to walk to the castle. We took the riverside path which takes you past the magnificent vessels that are now museum ships. We walked and walked and walked and had imagined we'd see the castle come into sight above is, but this castle does not occupy an elevated position like many do so it suddenly appears in front of you just past the maritime centre. You can also get there by bus and that stops right outside the castle and takes about ten minutes from the market square. The castle was founded in 1280 and grew gradually. You can take a guided tour or you can...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2008

Turku Castle

262 0300

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Turku Journals

Upload Photos