aboa vetus & ars nova

If you have started the riverside walk from the Turku Cathedral and remained same side of the river and you have spare 8 eur you can visit the Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova just to enjoy the nice building and the permanent exhibition “The ruin area of Aboa Vetus” – the other exhibitions have been in most of my visits minor disappointment, but I am not considering myself as a real art lover so if I would be lack of time or traveling with low budget I might want to skip this one

I really enjoyed the archeological portion of the museum, a truly fascinating look into the past that is very grounded to the area and culture, with enhancements to make it interesting for all ages.The art section was interesting. Though the art itself was not my taste, the dichotomy of the new art to the beautiful rooms that held it, and the ancient stones below, was pretty fascinating.

It was very intesting to see some of the early (14th century) history of Turku. Be aware that one needs to be careful of the uneven footing.

Stone walls and cellars of the medieval city. The place itself is impressive with thick stone walls and arcs. Not much items displayed, join the guided tour to get more information about the site and the items.

We were lucky, we went underground to see the old house and artifacts first. Those were nice and we spent most of our time there. The modern art section was just a hogwash. People just exhibit crap under the title of modern art. Then we went to see the section where Picasso and Salvador Dali works were exhibited. Except for some pieces everything else was utter nonsense. I was amazed at what people put up in the name of art, just because it was from somebody famous. Most of it wasn't even comparable to toilet paper. I did jot down my feelings on the guest book, not that it matters much.

I think the service was good and the food was quite tasty. My last visit there was about four years ago.

Museom and history information center. Built on top of a acrheological dig. Just about all of Turku history to see here. Absolutely a delight. Cafe availeble also.

We had the privilege of eating right next to the old excavations in the main entrance and it was simply stunning. The museum has very interesting details and I suggest a guided tour if you can arrange that.

This is a museum of history and contemporary art. A must see part of Turku for those who love history and are interested to know what was Turku like at it's medieval times. You can see underground area of ruins that are oldest in Finland.I did go and see the art section also but I can't review it. Maybe too experimental for me?

Interesting museum to wander around, but I totally recommend going on a tour for the insight into both parts =)

apparently they found the many century old remains of the city when they started excavating for a modern art museum. we really liked the subterranean vault and artifacts..just enough to be interesting without too much. Modern art exhibits are transient; not normally my thing..but I went from a snort of philistine derision to quite enjoying it by the end...give it a shot!

The most pleasant surprise even to the Finnish tourist. I had no information at all about the existence of this attraction. Sure, I knew that Turku in Finland is a really old city. The hotel staff told us the place. Old Turku had been dug up and brought up in a nice way. Less frequently, Finland has one well-preserved old city of habitation. I definitely recommend everyone visit at least interested in history.

We saw only the excavations becausevthe other part was closed. The museums was interesting. We were there for an hour and our 3-year-old daughter did not get bored either, because there was a lot to do for the children! Nice place.

Since it is underground and an actual excavation site the temperature is pretty low making it a nice spot for a warm day. They have lots of activities for kids and everything is written in English. They also have guided tours at no extra cost and update the exhibits all the time.

It was a pity that we only got to see the Aboa Vetus because the Ars Nova exhibition was being re installed. But Aboa Vetus was awesome! It was like "clear maze" with many medieval houses to visit. Also there were lots of stories and "activities" like medieval Turku quiz and doll house. If Ars Nova had been open, I would have reviewed full 5 stars.