Experience in Turku, Finland by Laura

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What is it like to live in Turku? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Turku has more than 180000 inhabitants and it's the 5th biggest city in Finland. It is a small city which stands out by being peaceful and beautiful. As it is the oldest city in Finland, it has many cultural events, historical places, and monuments. There are also a lot of possibilities for indoors' and outdoors' activities. There are many sport you can try out in Turku. For example in Kupittaa park there is plenty of space for outdoor activities in summer and winter. Check out the city website.

What is the student lifestyle like in Turku?

It depends highly on students, of course. Most students work and study at the same time. Exchange student life differs from native's, but I don't really have the experience of the first mentioned.

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How much does it cost to live in Turku?

It depends on what you compare it with. Taking into account the size of the city, living here is tolerable, at least if it is compared to other European capital cities, like Helsinki in Finland. On average, I guess it's higher than else in Europe.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Turku? Is there any advice you can give?

Difficulty depends on what kind of accommodation you wish for. The university provides plenty of apartments/rooms for exchange students. According to my knowledge, double rooms are extinct form of living.

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What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Eating in restaurants can be quite expensive and Finnish people usually prefer to cook at home. I myself eat quite "internationally" but from "finnish cuisine" (which can be impossible to describe) my favourite is definitely the fish, and from that, especially the salmon.

What places would you recommend visiting in Turku?

I recommend visiting the riverside by the city centre, public swimming areas (lakes and seas like Uittamo, Ruissalo, Littoisten järvi, Kakskerran Järvi) the public sauna, archipelago, handcraft's museum, the Ruissalo Natural Park. On wintertime, there are many public and free iceskating and skiing places. You may also try skating on open sea ice or kayaking in the city centre.

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Is it good to eat out in Turku? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

As I mentioned before it's quite expensive (from 10-20 euros), although lunchtime is a bit cheaper (from 8 - 20). It feels like there has been a restaurant invasion in Turku - city centre seems to bee full of them. Many are good, but just avoid chain restaurants.

Is the nightlife good in Turku? Where is good to go?

There are many kinds of clubs and bars in Turku. Some stay open till 4 am, majority close at 2 am, some at 12am. The heavy drinking culture can be seen in the city centre on weekends.

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What advice would you give future students headed to Turku?

Be careful with the budget, living in Turku is quite expensive. Besides, getting known to locals can be tricky too as Finnish people tend to be a bit "shy". The vast majority of Finnish people speak quite good English though, but people aren't usually chit-chatters. Maybe the best way to get to know with locals is to start some hobbies.