Seeking the Sacred – A Medieval Pilgrimage Route in Turku

Seeking the Sacred – A Medieval Pilgrimage Route in Turku (Åbo in Swedish) leads you to the most important spiritual and cultural sites in medieval Turku and its surroundings.

The route of pilgrimage covers the churches and other sites named in two letters of indulgence from the year 1396. Follow in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims and learn about the key spiritual and cultural sites in medieval Turku and Finland. You can walk the entire route and visit all of the holy places listed in the letters of indulgence, or take a shorter circle in central Turku. Some of the sites are a visible part of modern Turku, but for some places, our knowledge is based on archival or archaeological materials. Walking the route gives you a chance to escape the everyday and imagine yourself on a medieval pilgrimage.

The route order does not follow the sequence prescribed in the letters of indulgence. You can either walk the entire route (approx. 10 km) or just the section within the current city centre, which includes four sites (Turku Cathedral – Dominican Convent of St. Olaf – Saint George Hospital – Holy Spirit House), covering about 3 km. If you wish, you can also follow the medieval order as instructed in the letter of indulgence, visiting each site on its designated weekday.

The route in this case would be: “On Monday at the Church of St. Catherine, on Tuesday at the Cathedral of St. Henry [=Turku Cathedral], on Wednesday at the [St. George] Hospital, on Thursday at the Holy Spirit House, on Friday at the Dominican Convent of [St. Olaf], and on Saturday at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Räntämäki.” (Excerpt from the letter of indulgence)

You can find the route map on the Citynomadi.com website, and after completing the pilgrimage, you may collect a pilgrimage certificate from the information desk in the entrance hall of Turku Cathedral.

You can also return to the starting point at Turku Cathedral Square by bus from the various sites. Check the schedules via the Föli route planner through this link.

There are cafés and restaurants along the way, but it’s a good idea to bring water and snacks with you. Toilets can be found near the churches. For church opening hours, see the Road Side Churches website via this link.

As you set out on this route, take a deep breath and allow yourself to step into a medieval pilgrimage. Pilgrimage invites us modern-day travelers as well to slow down and find calm. By walking at a slower pace, you may notice interesting details in the cityscape and let your heartbeat settle into its natural rhythm. A pilgrimage is always a journey of the heart. May your journey be joyful.

The route was created based on unique medieval source material collected in the research project Pilgrimage in Motion, conducted at the Centre for the Study of Christian Cultures at the University of Turku. The route guide was produced in collaboration with the Pilgrimage Centre. The guide is available in three languages. The project has been funded by the Urban Research Programme of the City of Turku.

Research: Anni Hella & Pilgrimage in Motion research project
Illustrations: Elina Helkala
Layout: Jani Käsmä

Download the pilgrimage map here.

Find the route on Citynomadi via this link.