First impressions of Turku

Our academical year in Finland has started off quite well! We had the chance to get to know the city and we figured out basic daily life activities. Besides figuring out the finish educational system we also got to know our surroundings.

Turku is the oldest town of Finland and has a special charm due to its cozy, but still lively atmosphere. On the one hand you have the city feeling as there are four universities and on the other hand you can find a lot of nature within the city. The beautiful Aurajoki River, which floats through Turku, offers space for fishing, walking or just sitting down and relaxing. There are several boats in Aurajoki, where you can have lunch and dinner or meet with some friends and enjoy a boat tour.

Thanks to our bikes we had the chance to get around Turku quite independently. One of our first stops was the harbor as we were so excited to see the open sea. Therefore it would have been helpful if we have had taken a glimpse at the map. We quickly found out that Turku is located on the waterside, but due the many archipelagoes and islands you cannot get the sea view we had expected. So we rode around with our bikes and soaked in the lovely weather and the breathtaking view along the river and up to the city.

While discovering Turku we made out some different shopping possibilities regarding foodstuffs. We recognized relatively quickly that the healthiest option for students’ purses is and remains the well-known Lidl. Although there are still some price differences compared to Germany it is even much cheaper then for example the typical finish grocery stores like S-Market or Siwa. When we walked through the rows we realized not only the higher pries but also some differences in the assortment of Lidl. It seems that Finns prefer low-fat products as there is 0% milk in the fridges and only 1,5% yoghurts.

All in all we feel very well and safe here in Turku. Although you do not understand anything at the signs in the streets or in the shops, expect you have already learned some Finnish, really everyone in willing to speak English with you. And one of the first things we noticed in the finish population is their helpful and friendly nature besides their diffidence. So far we had no situation where someone just kept on walking while we were trying to ask something in the streets.

See you next week! 
Raisa and Katharina :-)