Weekend in Turku - spa, culture and good food

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Turku is just a pleasant boat ride away from Stockholm and is perfect for a weekend. During this trip we combined spas and good food with history, architecture and some really interesting places to visit – both in Turku and in the surrounding area.

A lovely weekend in Turku

We have visited Turku several times and in different seasons. We have been here with the camper in the summer and have done a winter weekend with Christmas atmosphere and Christmas markets. This time we were invited on a press trip with a program that included several places and experiences that were new to us.

During the trip, we discovered the Paimio Sanatorium, stayed at the central Sokos Hotel Seurahuone, visited the old prison on Kakolabacken, relaxed at the spa and ate really well. In addition, we made an excursion to Naantali. Here we tell you about the whole trip.

READ MORE: Things to do in Turku – 18 attractions and experiences

READ MORE: Winter weekend in Turku - Christmas atmosphere and markets

Viking Glory Stockholm - Turku

We went to Turku with Viking Glory. Although we have often thought about travelling with this ship, it has not happened before. Fun to finally get on board this famous cruise ship! Just as we suspected, Viking Glory is deliciously designed, not least in the Kobba restaurant.

We got the chance to peek up the (really nice!) staircase, which is usually closed to most guests. What's up there? Well, a "chambre séparée" called "Fyren" which can be booked for smaller groups. Here, at the rotating (!) table, you have the best view on the ship. In fact, you even sit higher than the captain.

The lighthouse can be booked for 12 seated guests, or up to 30 mingling guests. When booking, you can also choose from various food and beverage packages.

We ate our dinner where most guests do, in the buffet restaurant. Here we chose to focus on seafood and small bowls of delicious treats. Of course, there is a wide range of hot dishes as well.

After dinner we took a short lap to the stylish bar and the (enormously large!) shop on board. However, we did not stay late here, as we knew we had to get up early the next morning.

At the breakfast buffet, we took the opportunity to eat some good cheeses and classic Karelian pies. At the same time, we could look out over the sun rising over Finland in front of us.

It was a chilly, but beautiful, Finland that greeted us.

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

During our weekend in Turku we stayed at Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone. This hotel has a great location in the centre of the city. The hotel is a classic from the 1920s, and although it has been renovated in a modern style, you can still feel the 20s vibe, with decorative pearl necklaces in unexpected places and other neat details.

There is a nice sauna in the hotel, but we did not have time to use it.

The breakfast is also very nice, with a large and tempting selection.

Turku market hall

The first thing we did during our weekend in Turku was to visit the Turku market hall. This market hall opened in 1896, and is located in a classically beautiful building. Inside it is incredibly charming, with nice shops, nice restaurants and a delicious "train section", where you sit as if you were on a train.

The Turku market hall is very popular and is used at least as much by locals as by tourists. We visited the fish and seafood shop, among others. Herkkunuotta, where we got to try their speciality smoked pike mousse on a piece of bread - very, very good! In addition, we visited Piece of Cake where we tried the popular piisbis doughnuts. Also very tasty!

Guided city walk in Turku

The next item on the programme was a guided tour of Turku, via the company Magni Mundi. Very interesting! Turku is the oldest city in Finland and was once the second largest city in Sweden. So there's a lot of history here, including both Finland and Sweden. For example, Karin Månsdotter (Queen of Sweden from July to September 1568 and wife of King Erik XIV) is buried in Turku Cathedral.

After the guided tour, we also walked a bit on our own. It is incredibly nice to stroll along the Aura river, which flows right through the city.

Guided tour of Paimio Sanatorium

Paimio Sanatorium is located about 30 kilometers outside Turku and is known as one of Alvar and Aino Aalto's great architectural works. The building was built in the 1930s as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients and attracted international attention for its innovative architecture. Since 2026, Paimio Sanatorium has also been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, as part of the world heritage with works by Alvar Aalto.

We were given a guided tour, which was very interesting. The guide told us about the time when the building served as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients and about the architecture, with its colors, large openings for light, technical solutions and creative ideas that would improve the lives of the patients.

Among other things, we visited the large balcony where the patients spent several hours every day, regardless of the weather, to get as much fresh air as possible.

Those who wish can also stay over at Paimio sanatorium. Most of the small apartments have been renovated, while maintaining the original style.

Kakola - a visit to the prison hotel

Back in the city centre, we made another exciting visit during our weekend in Turku - at the Kakola Prison Hotel. The hotel is located on Kakola Hill, which is the second highest hill in Turku. The hill got its name because a former poorhouse here housed "mentally deficient" people, who were called kako.

For a long time, Kakola was the largest and most dangerous prison in Finland. Closed in 2007, the prison has since been converted into a modern hotel and the surrounding buildings have been converted into a restaurant, bakery and spa.

Although the hotel has been very stylishly renovated, care has been taken to retain details reminiscent of the prison era. For example, there are old prison doors and chains, and the old prison church has been preserved.

Most of the hotel rooms have been renovated into "ordinary" and very nice hotel rooms, where only small details remind of prison life. For example, the tray on which coffee and tea water is served is the same tray where inmates used to get their food ...

For those who want to go one step further, there are also hotel rooms that look more or less like a real prison cell... Apparently the hotel has hosted both brides and grooms and former prison inmates!

Beer tasting at Kakola Brewing

The area on Kakolbacken, which you can reach by the small funicular, is really nice today. Here you will find, among other things, the local craft brewery Kakola Brewing, with a taproom and pizzeria. You can also join a brewery tour and beer tasting. The beer is creative and comes in many varieties, from lagers and IPAs to imaginative fruit beers. There is also a small shop on site, where we took the opportunity to look at the range.

Kakola spa

Another place worth visiting on the Kakola hill is... Kakola spa. We came here in the late afternoon, when it was relatively quiet, and it was really a relaxing experience.

There are a variety of nice pools and of course (this is Finland!) a whole bunch of different kinds of saunas. The big pool also has a bar, so you can buy a drink and savour it at the tables in the water. Really delicious!

Dinner at Nooa restaurant

One evening during our weekend in Turku, we had dinner at a restaurant Nooawhich is beautifully situated by the river Aura. In the summer you can sit outside, but now it was of course more cosy to huddle indoors. We ate a very good three-course menu with beetroot carpaccio for starters, fish for the main course and a fruity and sweet finish. A visit that made us very happy!

Guided tour in Naantali

About 20 minutes from Turku by car is the charming little town of Naantali, or Naantali as it is called in Finnish. The town was once a popular spa resort, and is also known as the home of a theme park. The Moomin world. We were here last summer and have written two reports. This time we went on a guided tour, which was very interesting.

READ MORE: Things to do in Naantali - 15 tips for a Finnish archipelago gem

READ MORE: Visiting Moominworld in Naantali - tips and info

In summer, Naantali is a popular tourist destination, full of open restaurants, cafés, ice cream parlours and boat trips. At this time of year it was much quieter, but still incredibly charming and cosy.

Visit to Naantali spa in Naantali

Naantali can still be said to be something of a health resort. It is home to the famous and popular "Naantali spa", which is both a spa and a hotel.

The hotel has a fantastic spa, with several different pools and the opportunity to swim outdoors. An incredibly lovely place!

You can also stay at the hotel, where there are different types and classes of rooms.

For those who want to go "all in" on the Moomin theme, there are special Moomin rooms, where the common theme is the Moomins. These rooms are apparently particularly popular with Japanese tourists, who love the story.

There are also several restaurants in the hotel and we had a (very good!) lunch before it was time for us to move on.

End of weekend in Turku - return home by plane

You can of course book a return trip in the same way after your weekend in Turku, and perhaps take a ferry in both directions. We flew home instead, from Turku to Stockholm, which was quick and easy. Just have to say that we love that they have rocking chairs at Turku airport!

More to do in the neighbourhood

If you want to travel further, with Turku as a starting point, there is of course more to see and do. Here you will find tips and reports:

• Helsinki
• UNESCO City of Rauma

Have you done a weekend in Turku?

We really like the charming city of Turku, both in summer and winter. Have you ever done a weekend in Turku, or would you like to?