Naantali is a small coastal town about fifteen minutes west of Turku, best known internationally as the home of Moominworld — a theme park built on Kailo Island devoted to Tove Jansson's beloved characters. Families with young children come from all over the Nordic countries for it, and with good reason: it is charming and completely uncommercial in spirit.
Beyond the Moomins, Naantali has a pretty medieval old town of wooden houses, a fifteenth-century convent church, and a harbour lined with restaurants and ice cream shops. The town has been a spa destination since the nineteenth century, and the Naantali Spa still draws visitors year-round. In summer, the guest harbour fills with sailboats and the old town comes alive with small galleries and craft shops.
The Kultaranta garden, the Finnish president's summer residence, opens its grounds to the public for one weekend each June — a rare chance to see one of Finland's finest gardens. The archipelago around Naantali is part of the Turku Archipelago, one of the largest in the world, and boat trips through the islands are a highlight of any summer visit.