PORT OF TURKU

The 'Port of Turku' is the oldest port in Finland, and it is mentioned in the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi's 1154 book ''Kitab Rudjar''. The port spans a wide area on the southern coastline of the city of Turku, from the mouth of the River Aura to the district of Pansio. It is one of the most important ports in the country, with over four million tonnes of cargo and over four million passengers per year passing through. It is also the only port in Finland with train ferry services, and its location at the southwestern corner of Finland means that it is most efficiently situated to serve the Baltic Sea.
Daily passenger ferry traffic is operated from Turku to Åland and Stockholm, and weekly ferry destinations include Travemünde, Hamburg, Lübeck, Antwerp, Harwich and Paldiski. There are also less frequent connections to popular holiday destinations such as St Malo and several cities in Spain. The most important operators of ferry services are Silja Line, Viking Line and SeaWind Line.
'Port of Turku' (Finnish ''Turun satama''; Swedish ''Åbo hamn'') is also the name of a district of Turku, with boundaries roughly corresponding with those of the port's area. As of 2004, the district has a population of 44.
'Turku Harbour' is the half-official English name of a railway station in the port, used in the English timetables and "next stop" announcements on VR trains. The station has services to and from Helsinki and towards Pieksämäki (mostly terminating or starting in Tampere). All services to and from the Turku Harbour also call at Turku Central railway station. The station Turku Harbour is used mainly by people wishing to board a ship at the port. The port also handles train ferries.

Contents

External link

External link

★ Port of Turku website