For more than 700 years, the stone fortress of Turku Castle has stood guard on the banks of the Aura River. Over the centuries, it has served as a royal palace, an administrative center, a prison and barracks for the Russian navy. It was heavily bombed during the Second World War; following the war, it was completely restored and turned into a historic monument. The halls and chambers reflect various points of the castle’s history and include a grand Renaissance-style banquet hall, the King’s and Queen’s Halls, which date from the 1550s, and the 18th-century Castle Church.
