Turku

Turku is a beautiful city located on the southwestern coast of Finland. It sits right at the mouth of the Aura River, which flows through the heart of the city. Because it is by the sea, it is a very busy place for ships and boats.

The city is quite large, with over 200,000 people living there. It is the third-largest urban area in all of Finland, making it a very important place for people to live, work, and play near the water.

Did you know Turku is the oldest city in Finland? It is so old that nobody knows exactly when it started, but people officially count the year 1229 as its birthday! A long time ago, it was the most important city in the country.

It was even the capital city for a short time. Even though the capital moved to Helsinki a long time ago, Turku still keeps its special history alive with its old buildings and stories from the past.

Turku is a very fun place to visit! In 1996, it was named the 'Christmas City' of Finland. It is also famous for being the 'Food Capital' of the country.

People love to eat at its fancy cafes and restaurants. Some people even call it the 'Paris of Finland' because the food is so good. People here speak two languages, Finnish and Swedish, which makes the city a very interesting place to hear different sounds and learn new words every single day.

Turku has a long history of learning. A very long time ago, in 1640, a special school called the Royal Academy was started there. This school was so important that it eventually moved to Helsinki and became the famous University of Helsinki.

Today, Turku is still a great place for students. It remains a busy center for culture and business, helping people learn and grow. It is a city that truly values knowledge and has been a hub for smart ideas for hundreds of years.