State Visit to Finland - Day 3

In the morning, The King and Queen visited Aker Yard’s shipyard in Turku. Aker Yard has three shipyards in Finland, building cruise vessels and ferries. At the moment, the Turku shipyard is building the world’s largest cruise ship, the Independence of the Seas. Their Majesties were given an introduction and a guided tour of the shipyard.

Forum Marinum

Later in the morning, The King and Queen attended the seminar “The Maritime Sector and the Environment” at Forum Marinum. The seminar explored the possibilities for reducing the negative impact of maritime activities on the environment.

Forum Marinum includes a national museum for the merchant navy and the navy, and after the lectures there was time for a quick tour of the museum, guided by Managing Director Seppo Sarelius.

Turku Cathedral

After lunch in Turku Palace, The King and Queen visited Turku Cathedral. The cathedral is Finland’s national shrine, and considered to be one of the most notable architectural monuments in Finland.

It was built as small parish church, and consecrated as the church of St. Mary around the middle of the 13th century. The church, originally made of wood, and later rebuilt with stone, was consecrated as the Cathedral in 1300. It was gradually extended, reaching its current scale at the beginning of the 19th century.