The Åland Islands are one of the best places for fishing (35 photos). When is the season. When is the best time to go. Aland Islands in winter

The Åland Islands are a place for "gourmets", those who have had enough of traditional routes. This amazing archipelago in the Baltic Sea belongs to Finland on paper, but in reality the inhabitants of the islands are more likely to mentally gravitate towards the Swedes, and most of them speak only Swedish.

I love Åland for the absence of crowds of tourists, commercial enticements like “photo with a dinosaur” and annoying sellers of excursions. Here you can fully feel the very local flavor that travelers usually hunt for. It is not faked, not adapted for a tourist - in Aland you really have to live according to local laws.

If you are a lover of nightlife, beach activities and foam parties, I do not advise you to go here in any case: it will be boring. But fans of outdoor activities, fishing and beautiful sunsets should definitely visit these northern islands.

With a probability of 80%, you will be a pioneer among your friends: it is unlikely that any of them have been to Aland. What can we say about Russian tourists, even if the Finns rarely visit this archipelago. For them, Ahvenanmaa (the Finnish name for the islands) is a sore point, the Alanders are considered almost separatists. Many residents of Suomi believe that the inhabitants of the archipelago do not learn Finnish out of harm, in order to demonstrate their disrespect. I do not dare to argue whether this is so. And since the national throwing of the Finns is still alien to you, I wholeheartedly advise you to spend your vacation in the Alands.

How to get there

The best way, in my opinion, is to go to Aland by ferry. It's convenient, fast and cheap. There is also an option to fly by plane, but it has many significant disadvantages.

By plane

So, why didn't the plane please me? The first and main reason is the price of flights. There are regular (twice a day) flights to the capital of Aland, Mariehamn, from Turku and Stockholm. On the Finnish side, they are served by Finnair, known for its excellent service, security and extortionate ticket prices. In the summer season, the cost of an hourly flight - Mariehamn (Turku - Mariehamn) can easily reach up to 200-250 EUR. Next Jet planes fly from Stockholm, a ticket will cost about 150 EUR.

In addition to biting prices, the flight to Mariehamn is bad with restrictions on baggage and hand luggage. That is, there may be problems with the transportation of fishing equipment, tents and other attributes of a tourist traveling to actively explore the archipelago.

If the prices for flights are not very important and you are not going to take a lot of luggage with you, you can safely book plane tickets. You can see all the offers currently available, for example,.

The flight still has one plus: the airport is only three kilometers from the center of the capital of Aland, Mariehamn. But even here everything is not so flower-candy. You won’t be able to leave the airport by public transport; there are simply no buses or trains running there. The only suitable option is a taxi, which is not very affordable: for a 3-kilometer drive to the center of Mariehamn you will pay about 20 EUR.

In general, I advise you to think carefully before deciding to fly to Aland: air travel has much more minuses than pluses.

By car

Taking a car with you to Aland is a good idea: with your car you can get to hard-to-reach parts of the archipelago where public transport does not go.

Since no tunnels or bridges have been built on the island, it will only be possible to reach it in this way using a ferry. Therefore, our conversation about auto travel smoothly flows into a paragraph about the features of traveling by water. The only thing I want to note here is that do not forget to book ferry tickets in advance, because the number of places on the deck for cars is limited. In the summer season, you sometimes have to wait for weeks for free places to transport a car.

By ferry

The most successful and cost-effective way to travel to Aland. Dozens of large ships and small ferries from Turku and Naantali go to the islands. There are many competing companies that carry out such transportation: Eskerö line, Viking Line, Silja Line, Finnlines, Ålandstrafiken.

Getting by sea, you can add new interesting touches to your trip. For example, buy an evening cruise from and enjoy all the delights of such trips: shopping, good restaurants and nightclubs, live music. We most often combine a summer trip to Aland with a one-day visit to Stockholm: in the evening we leave and spend the night on a ship, the next morning we land in Stockholm and walk there for 5-6 hours. And on the way back on the same ferry we sail to Aland.

If you don't have a lot of time and you don't want to spend it on the road, you can take a ticket for a small fast ferry from Turku or Naantali. This trip will last about 4-5 hours. If you decide to choose a small ferry, look for tickets on the Ålandstrafiken websites, the rest of the companies I mentioned above sell tickets for large cruise ships.

Tickets for large ferries cost about 30 EUR without a cabin, a standard cabin for 4 people will cost about 100 EUR. Small ferries are even more democratic: a ticket for them will cost about 20 EUR. If you take a car with you, get ready to pay another 40–50 EUR.

Another advantage of traveling on small ferries is that they, as a rule, arrive directly at the port of Mariehamn. From it to the city center is no more than a kilometer, you can walk on foot or take a taxi. Large cruise ships that follow the Helsinki - Stockholm route usually stop at night at the port of Långnäs, from which you have to go to Mariehamn about 30 kilometers. At such times, getting to the city by public transport will not work, you need to order a taxi in advance. Therefore, if you are traveling without a car, it is best to take a ticket for a small ferry.

Clue:

Aland Islands - time is now

Hour difference:

Moscow 0

Kazan 0

Samara 1

Yekaterinburg 2

Novosibirsk 4

Vladivostok 7

When is the season. When is the best time to go

The best time to visit Aland is definitely summer. It is pleasant here, not hot: the temperature rarely rises above +25 °C. The season lasts from May to the end of September, at which time the main island entertainments are available: boat trips, fishing, cycling. And in May, farmers markets and fairs open in Mariehamn, where you can buy fresh and tasty organic products: berries, fruits, fish and meat.

Do not be afraid of the dominance of tourists in the season: there are, of course, more of them here than in winter, but not as many as in some Italy-France. Since the islands themselves are not very densely populated, visitors simply dissolve among the locals, you are unlikely to feel their presence at all. The same applies to the cost of recreation: Alanders are not too spoiled by the abundance of tourists, so they do not have the habit of raising prices a lot during the season.

You can monitor tours to Aland on search engine sites, for example,.

Åland Islands in summer

Summer in Aland is beautiful, although a little unpredictable. It can rain at any moment, even when it seems that there is not a cloud in the sky. I can’t stand the heat, so the local +23–25 ° C degrees in June - July are ideal for me.

The biggest beauty of summer on the islands is that almost everywhere you can ride a bike. Fans of two-wheeled friends are generally expanse here: Aland seems to be created for cycling. The relief on most of the islands of the archipelago is flat, the coastline is not very long, and the scenery along it is stunning. You can rent a bike (more on that below) and spend a few days on two wheels exploring the beauty of the island.

And the beauty of the summer months is that you can live in campsites and tents, ride boats and boats, enjoy the white nights. If you come to the islands at the end of June, you will get to the celebration of the summer solstice of Juhannus (Midsommar in Swedish). This is a fun folk holiday, which is widely celebrated in Finland and Sweden: fires are lit, songs are sung, and fishing competitions are organized.

In general, in all respects, summer is the best time to get to know the archipelago. I repeat, there are not very many tourists here even during the season, but if you are completely misanthropic and want to relax almost alone, come here in August. Classes are already starting in schools in Sweden and Finland, there are very few vacationers in the Alands.

Aland Islands in autumn

In the autumn it is worth coming to Aland except in September - early October. And then, if you are not a very heat-loving creature: already at the end of August it gets noticeably colder on the islands, the temperature stays at + 15–18 ° C.

If the coolness does not scare you, you can still stay at campsites, go fishing in the summer, enjoy sea cruises and bike rides. And, of course, to take amazing pictures: the autumn nature of the archipelago is very picturesque, the rocks along the coast seem to be on fire.

Aland Islands in spring

In March - April, it is still quite cold in Aland, and most importantly, it is very windy, so you won’t be able to enjoy the natural delights of the archipelago at this time. Yes, and traveling by ferry in early spring is not always a successful undertaking, sometimes it is so stormy that you are afraid to even move once again (I remember my ferry trip to Sweden on March 8 last year, which I spent lying face down on the sofa by the window).

But May is a completely different matter, at this time it is always warm and sunny in Aland (it often turns out that May is much better and hotter than June here). Another plus of a trip in late spring is that there are almost no problems with places for cars on ferries, you don’t have to buy tickets in advance.

Aland Islands in winter

I advise only the most desperate extremals to go to Aland in winter. For it is cold (very cold!), dark and rather dull. The most complete misanthrope will be frightened: even Marienhamn completely dies out in winter, after 16:00 the probability of meeting an elk on the street is much higher than stumbling upon a person.

And what's the point of traveling to the archipelago in winter? You can’t ride bikes and boats in particular, there are almost no ski slopes and resorts here.

conditional areas. Descriptions and features

Aland consists of 16 prefectures, 10 of which are located on the largest island of the Manner-Ahvenanmaa archipelago.

Prefectures of the Åland Islands on the map:

The following deserve the attention of tourists:




I advise you to get acquainted with the above prefectures of Aland first of all, because the most “delicious” places of the archipelago are concentrated in them. If you are going to the islands for a week or more, you should also look at other Aland prefectures: Geta, Hammarland, Saltvik, Lemland, Lumparland, Brändö, Föglö, Kumlinge, Kökar, Vårdö. All of them are pretty and picturesque, each one has enough interesting walking and cycling routes.

What are the prices for holidays

Åland can hardly be classified as a budget tourist destination. The region is considered one of the most economically successful in Finland. For the Alanders, this, of course, is happiness, which cannot be said about tourists. You will have to fork out literally everything: from accommodation to tickets for public transport. Especially predatory prices for hotels: a day in an average three-star hotel will cost you 100-120 EUR per season.

Most often, I book hotels on, and you can compare prices from different resources. You can check if private owners offer apartments for rent.

Dinner in a restaurant for two (main courses, desserts, 2 glasses of wine) from 70 EUR.

The only good news for tourists is that there are not very high prices for entrance tickets to museums and exhibitions: on average, about 8–10 EUR. Well, a nice bonus: for children under 12 years old, admission is almost everywhere free. We go to Aland every summer, so we have worked out several ways to save money for ourselves:

Main attractions. What to see

The main attractions of Aland are natural, there are many picturesque bays and bays, rocky coasts. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you will have to spend a lot of time outdoors, stock up on comfortable clothes, shoes and umbrellas / raincoats.

A good idea is to rent a boat and bicycles for the entire stay: with their help, you can thoroughly explore the islands and not depend on public transport, which does not always work perfectly in Aland.

However, the abundance of natural beauty does not mean that a lover of historical places will be bored in Aland. On the contrary, there are a lot of interesting things here for them, because at one time the islands belonged to both the Russian Empire and Sweden. In Marienhamn and other prefectures of the archipelago, it is very interesting to observe how three cultures so dissimilar to each other are combined.

There are few tourist streets on the islands, and almost all of them are located in Mariehamn.

Be sure to visit:

  • Stora gatan. The central street of the city, which is full of souvenir shops, cafes and shops with local Aland handicraft souvenirs.
  • Torggatan. The main shopping street of the city, all the best shops of Mariehamn are located here and in the nearby lanes.
  • Esplanadi. Walking street, very pleasant and very lively in summer. There are always a lot of young people, musicians and tourists here.

Going to Aland for one day is a real crime, because you definitely won’t have time to see all the delights of the archipelago. If it so happened that you decided to stop by here for a while on the way to Sweden, I advise you to stay on the main island and devote your time to Mariehamn and Jomala. And then go to Sund to see the historical places of the archipelago.

Mariehamn

It is worth starting your "tour" from the shopping streets of Mariehamn Stora gatan and Torggatan. Here you can admire the old wooden houses, which are very much like traditional Russian huts, buy local souvenirs. Walk to the City Hall and St Görans kyrka Cathedral.

Then head to the Maritime Museum and don't forget to see the monument to the Russian merchant Sitkov and the sailing ship Pommern along the way. This short tour will take you about 4 hours. Distances in the city are short, but if you rent a bike, keep within 3-3.5 hours.

Yomala

After that, at the Mariehamn bus station, take the Lemland - Mariehamn - Jomala bus and go to Jomala to see the local medieval church St Olofs kyrka. Together with the road, a tour of the church will take about 1–1.5 hours.

Here, in Jomala, I advise you to remember about lunch and visit a cozy restaurant at the Ulfsby Gård farm. It is located near the church, within walking distance. This place serves incredibly delicious lamb dishes and berry desserts.

sund

There is no direct bus Lomala - Sund, you will have to transfer in Mariehamn, so the journey will take you about 1-1.5 hours. On the spot, immediately go to see Kastelholm Castle and Bomarsund Fortress. This will take you about 2.5 hours.

In principle, if you have time to visit all of the above places, you can make some kind of picture about Aland. But still, the main charm of the archipelago is its natural wealth and opportunities for outdoor activities. Therefore, the islands can hardly be considered a good destination for a one-day trip.

Top 5

Beaches. Which is better

Aland has many wonderful beaches, both wild and equipped. Of those that I visited myself, I can advise the following:


The best beaches of the Åland Islands on the map:

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

All the prefectures of Aland are full of churches and cathedrals: wooden and stone, medieval and relatively young (there are about 16 in total). But I advise fans of architecture and history to pay attention to these:





Museums. Which are worth a visit

There are quite a few museums of various profiles on the islands, but if we discard the local history ones that are not so interesting to us, I can advise 4 of the most curious:



parks

All the Åland Islands are one continuous park, there is a lot of vegetation, lakes and beaches, bike paths and picnic areas.

But still, I advise you to pay special attention to these:

  • smart park. This is not so much a natural as an amusement park in Eckerö. There are water rides, an autodrome, and various competitions and games are held almost every day. There is a toy laboratory where children are shown interesting experiments and told about the structure of the world. Fans of outdoor activities will also like the park: here you can rent boats, segways, bicycles, and have picnics. Address: Eckerö, Eckerövägen, 388.
  • Kobba Klintar. This natural site is worth a visit for the magnificent seascapes and the view of the port of Mariehamn. There is a cafe in the park that serves incredibly delicious freshly baked donuts and other tasty treats.
  • Neto and Järsö. These places can hardly be called parks. Rather, they are walking trails on the island of Lemland. The trails are easy for beginners, short (about 2 kilometers each) and very scenic. From them you can admire the seascapes and mini-islands that surround Lemland.

Food. What to try

Food in Aland is a special topic, it is original, tasty and almost always made only from local organic products. There are a lot of farms here, where most establishments buy meat, milk, vegetables and fruits. Often there are restaurants right next to the farms, where they cook only from the freshest ingredients.

This is also why it is almost useless to look for budget restaurants on the islands. Food is expensive, the average second course (meat plus side dish) will cost 20–25 EUR. There is very little street food here, it is practically non-existent. If you decide to camp and cook for yourself, I advise you to visit the markets of Marienhamn or Jomala: they sell fresh fish, meat, cheeses and pastries. However, one should not hope that prices will be very low: local products are also expensive in the markets. The cheapest way to buy food is in Lidl, Prisma, City-Market, S-market.

Aland cuisine is interesting in that it has incorporated something from Russian, Finnish and Swedish, but at the same time retained its originality. The main edible product of the locals is, of course, fish, they have thousands of interesting recipes for its preparation. It was here that I first tasted salmon marinated in resin liqueur.

I doubted for a long time, but in the end I was very satisfied. Another important component of the local cuisine is lamb, you can safely try it in all restaurants, it will always be delicious.

A separate story - drinks in the Alands. Here they prepare delicious cider from local apples and blueberries, drink wine and beer. Fans of the latter should definitely go to the village of Grelsby in Finström prefecture. The so-called “slow beer” is brewed on the local farm, the preparation process of which lasts from 4 weeks. I myself am not a fan of the foamy drink, so I can’t tell you about its taste, but my friends, beer drinkers, first of all, upon arrival on the islands, just go to buy beer in Grelsby.

Top dishes to try in Aland





Intermediate level:

  • Indigo Restaurant & Bar. Mariehamn, Nygatan, 1;
  • Bistro Koppar Grytan. Jomala, Sparvagen, 1;
  • Cafe La Strada. Mariehamn, Torggatan, 6;
  • ASS Paviljongen. Mariehamn, Sjopromenaden;
  • Ovningsrestaurang Hjorten. Mariehamn, Strandgatan, 1A.
  • Smakbyn. Sund, Slottsvagen, 134 (Kastelholm);
  • Nautical. Mariehamn, Hamngatan, 2;
  • Bagarstugan Cafe & Vin. Mariehamn, Ekonomiegatan, 2;
  • Strandhugget.Sottunga, Strandhugget, 1.

Grocery shopping in Aland is also distinguished by a certain elitism. That is, hunting with huge bags for sanctioned cheeses, ham and milk is not worth it here: the prices for all this goodness on the mainland of Finland are much more humane, so leave this kind of purchase for later.

But it is very possible to buy something from high-quality pure Aland products here. For example, in these stores:

  • Mercedes Chocolaterie(Eckerö, Eckerö Post & Tullhus). This store is worth a visit even if you are not going to buy anything. It is located in a beautiful old post office building, very interestingly decorated inside. Here you can buy excellent handmade chocolate souvenirs, marzipan sweets, dark chocolate bars with local berries and fruits.
  • Stallhagen(Godby, Getavägen, 196). The same beer shop that I mentioned above and which my beer friends adore. There are both "permanent" and "seasonal" beers. Tasting of new products is arranged almost every day.

Holidays

Juhannus/Midsommar (Ivan Kupala Day)

The most interesting thing that can happen to you in Aland is the celebration of the local day of Ivan Kupala, or Juhannus, or, as the Swedes say, Midsommar. It falls on Friday from 19 to 25 June.

In fact, this holiday is widely celebrated in both Finland and Sweden, but for some reason it is especially loved on the islands of the archipelago. Most often, I happened to find Juhannus on the mainland of Finland, and I can say that he is much more modest there than in Aland. Here, from the very morning, everyone is actively preparing for the holiday: they decorate houses, weave wreaths, and prepare treats. All day people have fun, go to dances, burn bonfires. Many gather in companies and go to rest in cottages or campsites.

Where to go

Be sure to visit the evening fire on the central square of Mariehamn. There will be dances, songs, competitions and, of course, you will be offered traditional treats: salted herring, new potatoes with dill, grilled meat and local cider, beer or sparkling wine.

Fishing competitions are usually held in Eskerö on this day, you can get a good prize. In any case, no matter which prefecture you live in, there are many interesting things there. Just take care of food and drinks in advance: it will be difficult to find an open store on this day even in Mariehamn.

Harvest Festival

An interesting and very favorite local event. It usually takes place on the last weekend of September. These days, the farms of the archipelago open their doors to everyone: you can drive from one to another, taste local products and watch how jams, wines, juices, etc. are prepared. In addition to gastronomic entertainment, farmers try to organize an active program for guests: horseback riding , various lectures and master classes.

Where to go

In principle, you can visit any of the farms, almost all of them participate in the holiday. Be sure to go to Smart Park, where the opening of the festival takes place: they organize an entertainment program for children.

Christmas

The Alanders do not particularly like the New Year, as, indeed, the Finns and the Swedes. It is celebrated very modestly here. But Christmas is another matter, it is the main day of the local calendar. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself (December 24-25), Alanders gather with their families at the table, give gifts and go to the sauna.

These days in the cities it is useless to wait for an entertainment program. But about a month before Christmas, the festive rigmarole will begin to be felt very clearly: almost every day concerts, fairs are held on the islands, restaurants invite you to gala dinners.

Where to go

At the end of November, visit the opening of the Christmas season in Mariehamn, a fair and a big festive concert. Usually this action ends with fireworks on the market square. Don't forget to take the kids: Santa will be handing out gingerbread cookies, candies and glögs - traditional hot berry drinks with spices.

Safety. What to watch out for

Actually, becoming a victim of scammers in Aland is about as easy as getting a sunstroke in Lapland in January. That is, it is practically impossible. The locals are very calm, friendly and peaceful.

In the already super-safe Finland, the archipelago is considered one of the most peaceful places. If in the mainland of Suomi you can be embarrassed by gypsies or refugees from the Middle East in the evening, then there are practically none in Aland (at least I didn’t see a single one). Here you can safely walk in the evenings and at night, leave the car open, forget things in public places: they will return them to you anyway!

We often hitchhike in the evenings, if we need to get from the campsite in Eckerö to Mariehamn - we never met suspicious personalities, all the drivers were very nice and friendly. They never even took money from us. So you can relax and enjoy your vacation in peace: Aland is definitely not one of the places where you need to be on the alert.

Things to do

In the summer, Aland is full of places for active leisure, you can dedicate a new hobby every day. Among the most popular entertainment, I will highlight these:

  • Golf and tennis. Again, thanks to the calm, flat terrain, Åland is full of good golf courses. My friends especially like the places near the Kastelholm castle (for example, Linnankenttä) and the playgrounds in Eckerö (Eckerö Golfklubb). There are also enough tennis courts that can be rented by the hour. The most popular are in Mariehamn near Idrottspark.
  • Horseback riding. When I watch young Åland riders, it seems to me that these children were born in the saddle. Horse riding is so popular here that many wealthy Alanders have private stables. Beginners are happy to learn how to communicate with horses. Horseback riding is available at Stall Aftonsol (Hammarland), Midgård Islandsstall (Sund), Ridklubben Sleipner (Maariehhamn), Stall Rosenqvist (Eckerö) schools.
  • bars. I will say right away and honestly: there is a real problem with bars, pubs and nightclubs on the islands. What is a bar in the understanding of the Alanders will seem to us more like a bistro cafe. In pubs, Alanders adhere to their favorite concept: food should be prepared only from local products, and drinks should be expensive and of high quality. Rock music is played in all establishments, local bands are invited to perform on Saturdays and Fridays. For most of our tourists, the opening hours of bars come as a surprise: almost all of them close at 2:00 on Friday and Saturday, and at 00:00 on weekdays. Nevertheless, I will mention those places in the archipelago that, with a good imagination, can be mistaken for bars:
    • Pub Niska(Mariehamn, Sjokvarteret). A good place for those who like to enjoy not only drinks and music, but also "bar" food. Here they cook the best pizza in Mariehamn, again, only from local products. The waiters once boasted to us that even pizza cheese is brought from a farm on the island of Eckerö.
    • Tullkallarn Pub(Degerby, Lotsuddsvagen). Quite a stylish establishment, located in the premises of the former warehouse of the local customs. Again, in our understanding, it is difficult to call it a pub: pizza and various snacks are served here, but you can order only light drinks from drinks: beer and ciders, wines, cocktails. For stronger alcohol, the institution simply does not have a license. However, the bar is worth a visit for its unusual decor and delicious fish snacks.
    • Pub Ettan(Mariehamn, Torggatan, 1). In my opinion, the most traditional bar in Aland. At least the locals love it and often gather here in the evenings for a glass of beer. There is not much food and a rich selection of drinks. Local musicians play every Saturday and Friday.
  • shopping. I can hardly call Aland an ideal place for shopping. It is oh so far from Milan outlets and Stockholm shopping centers to local shops.
    But on the other hand, there are enough cute shops with local souvenirs and designer things on the islands that are worth paying attention to. Basically, they are all concentrated in Mariehamn.
    • Handmade shops. I can recommend the following:
      • SALT. Shop for local goods in Mariehamn's maritime quarter (Sjökvarteret). Here you can buy products made of fabrics, ceramics, wood and iron. Everything is very expensive and high quality.
      • Labelled. Åland designer Linda Karlsson's shop in Mariehamn (Torggatan, 15). Lots of interesting recycled items: dresses, bags, sweaters. There are souvenirs for the house. In general, the design is not for everyone, but green peace style adherents will like it.
      • Gretas butik. Semi-secondhand, semi-handmade shop where you can find interesting vintage jewelry and home goods. It is also located in Mariehamn (Skarpansvägen, 23).
      • Judy's Hantverk & Inredning(Jomala, Hindersvagen, 1). Pretty colorful pottery shop by local designer Judy Kuitunen. All products are bright positive colors. Here you can also find hand-made textiles from other Åland artists.
      • Guldviva(Mariehamn, Sjokvarteret). I wholeheartedly recommend this store to crazy trinket fans like me. Here you can buy interesting silver and gold items from local designers. From time to time, really unique things come across, so you can safely go here for gifts to friends and female relatives.
    • Branded stores. I will warn you right away, branded items are very expensive here. Large sales on the islands are not so common (mostly after the Christmas holidays), so the chance to profit from something luxurious is not so great. If prices are not so important to you, you can pay attention to these stores:
      • Ziz Zaci(Mariehamn, Torggatan, 9B);
      • Boutique Niccola(Mariehamn, Norragatan, 1);
      • Tara(Mariehamn, Torggatan, 13);
      • Martin's(Saltvik, Dragödavägen, 57).
    • Large shopping center - Maxinge Center. Actually, the only shopping mall in the Alands, where you can find inexpensive clothes, accessories, appliances, cosmetics, etc. In addition, there are a lot of cafes, restaurants, playgrounds. There are also grocery supermarkets. It is located, oddly enough, not in Mariehamn, but in Jomala. Address: Jomala, Sparvagen, 1.

extreme sports

There are not so many extreme entertainments on the islands because of the notorious flat terrain that cyclists love so much. But there is one extreme sport beloved by the locals - sea kayaking.

Åland has ideal conditions for rowing for both beginners and experienced ones, because there are many closed bays and open beaches.

Do you want to work out, take a leisurely kayak trip along the coast and enjoy the beautiful scenery? Choose the beaches of Yomala or Sund prefecture: they are reliably protected from strong winds. If you consider yourself an experienced rower, head straight to Degersand Beach. This is an open beach, within its limits there are almost always gorgeous waves, and you will have to work hard so that the boat does not capsize.

Kayak and rescue equipment can be rented from a reputable local company. A single kayak will cost you 50 EUR per day, a double kayak will cost you 90 EUR per day. You can rent them for a short time, for 2 hours. It will cost 35 EUR for a single kayak and 60 EUR for a double kayak. Special kayaks for surfing cost from 55 EUR per day. The same company offers rowing guide services and group tours along the routes.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

As you already understood, Aland is a very atypical corner of Finland, so you won’t get off with traditional sweaters with deer and magnets from Yolupukki as souvenirs. Otherwise, no one will believe that you have been to the islands. So, the most interesting gifts from here:





How to get around the islands

Public transport in Aland is not as well developed as we would like. Its only available type is buses. There are no trams here, and certainly for the sake of 25 thousand people, no one would build a metro. There are also ferries from island to island.

In general, the most convenient and profitable option for travelers is to come to the islands by car. If this is not possible, I advise you to rent it already in Mariehamn, although it will be much more expensive. You can compare offers using various aggregator sites, for example,.

For those who still decide to use public transport services, I advise you to be patient and use the Internet. Both buses and ferries do not run so often, sometimes you have to wait 20-30 minutes, others and even an hour. So it's best to check the schedules on the website of the local carrier company Ålandstrafiken. You can buy tickets there right away. If you do not want to pay online, please contact the Ålandstrafiken ticket office in Mariehamn and at the marinas. Tickets are also sold on the buses themselves and on the ferries.

One bus ride costs 2 EUR, but you can also buy cards for 10, 25 or 50 times. The greater the number of trips, the more favorable the price, respectively: a card for 10 times will cost you 18 EUR, for 25 - 42 EUR, for 50 - 70 EUR. A single trip on the ferry costs 5 EUR. They sell subscriptions, you can only buy an annual card, but why should a tourist who spends two weeks on the islands at best need it?

I advise “carless” travelers to think about hitchhiking around the islands. This is common and safe here. I myself have experienced this many times myself and have never encountered problems. Just don't forget to write your destination in big letters on a piece of cardboard, and you will most likely be picked up within 10-15 minutes.

Boats are also worth paying attention to: a very convenient way to get around the islands for those who do not want to be tied to the time of the ferries. In Mariehamn, there is only one company offering "various" boats and canoes for rent, already familiar to us. Apparently, therefore, her prices are not the most democratic: a day of using an ordinary rowing boat will cost you about 100 EUR, in the case of a motor boat, add the cost of fuel. Renting for a week is more profitable: it will cost about 250–300 EUR. Canoes are slightly cheaper: about 80 EUR per day and 150 per week.

The conditions for renting boats are the same as the rules for renting bicycles: you will only be asked for an identity card, you will not have to pay a deposit.

The most familiar way of transportation for locals, everyone has a bicycle in Aland, regardless of income level and social status. Even important officials often get to work on two wheels. I advise you to move around the islands by bicycle, then you will not have to depend on not very convenient public transport. Yes, and the savings will be significant, because gasoline in the Alands is not cheap: a liter of the 95th costs about 1.5 EUR, 98th - 1.7 EUR.

If you are on the islands in the summer, you don’t have to worry too much about equipment: most of the day it is light here, the risk of getting into trouble even on the busiest routes is minimal. If you suddenly decide to ride a bike in late autumn or early spring, it is better to take care of reflectors in advance - you can buy them at any supermarket and souvenir shops. Do not forget about helmets, especially when you leave the city. You will not be fined for their absence, but for the sake of your own peace of mind, it is still better to protect your head.

Almost everywhere on the islands there are bike paths that are laid a little away from the main route. As a rule, in the area of ​​Mariehamn, Jomala and Eskerö they are well lit. In remote areas of the archipelago (like Sottunga) they often save on electricity, so make sure that your two-wheeled friends are equipped with parking lights (rental bikes are strictly checked here, so they will definitely comply with all safety standards).

So, if my arguments convinced you and you decide to rent a bike, you can contact an already well-known company. Their prices are quite democratic: a day of rent will cost 10 EUR, a week - 50 EUR. This company also has a lot of additional bike equipment like child seats, trailers for transporting animals, etc. The rental conditions are simple: you only need a passport, they don’t even take a deposit for renting bikes. Well, try to return the equipment on time, otherwise you will have to pay some kind of symbolic fine.

Taxi. What features exist

If you come to Aland without a car, you will have to use a taxi quite often. To start at least with the fact that getting from the airport or seaport to the center of Mariehamn will only work on it. Be prepared for the fact that taxis here are a luxury. When you get into the car, the meter already shows 9 EUR. There are no underground "cabbies" in the Alands, everything is official and according to the meter. Taxi prices here are so inhumane due to high taxes: a trip from the airport will cost you about 20 EUR. If you take a taxi from the distant port of Långnäs, which is 30 kilometers from Mariehamn, be prepared to fork out 60–80 EUR.

However, the general formality of taxis in Aland has its advantages: for example, all cars are equipped with terminals, and you can always pay with a card. Catching a taxi on the street is not accepted here, they are usually taken at special parking lots in ports, the airport, and on the central square. You can call and order a car by phone: the operators of local taxi companies are fluent in English.

Public transport

As I have already noted, buses are not the most convenient means of transportation around the islands. You won’t be able to completely rely on them: buses do not always have a convenient schedule. And on weekends and holidays, the number of departures is completely reduced: in small towns there may be no buses at all, for example, on Sundays. In the capital, Jomala and Eckerö, the situation is better, but still far from ideal. In any case, do not forget to use this site, then the likelihood of getting into an unpleasant situation will be minimized.

Transport rental

Car rental in Aland is quite popular, the service is offered by both local companies and branches of large international companies. According to my observations, prices for international companies are slightly lower. We rented cars from Hertz several times: the prices there turned out to be the lowest on the islands, and the car fleet is quite rich. In addition to standard cars, the manager offered minibuses and jeeps, which can be used to get into any wilderness of the archipelago. Try looking for cars from other companies: Expedia , Car Hire , Runbergs Bil & Service.

The last company is purely local, Aland, we had a short but pleasant experience with it. We rented a car for a trip to Sottunga and were very pleased with the service. No one demanded a deposit from us, they asked for a passport, which was immediately returned after a copy was made. As far as I know, all the local companies where they rent cars work according to these principles.

Car prices for all companies also differ slightly: as a rule, a day of rent costs about 80 EUR, a week - about 400 EUR. Add to this the cost of gasoline, which is by no means cheap in Aland: about 1.5 EUR - 95th, 1.8 EUR - 98th. Fortunately, the distances between the main tourist sites are not very long on the islands, and it is unlikely that you will spend too much fuel.

The best way to compare offers, as I said, is to use aggregator sites. Let's say .

Alanders are one of the calmest drivers in the world, so even an inexperienced driver will be able to navigate the islands. Even if you slow down and look for the turn you need for a long time, no one will honk and rush in annoyance. There are a few things to keep in mind when moving around the archipelago:

  • Remember about the speed limit, in cities it is 40 kilometers per hour! Moreover, in Aland, unlike Russia, there is no “corridor” of 20 kilometers per hour, an error of 5 kilometers per hour is officially allowed. However, in our experience, the camera will not detect violations up to 10 kilometers per hour.

Aland Islands - holidays with children

Aland is the best suited for families with children, and even with the smallest. Everything here is adapted for young tourists: in cottages, campsites and hotels you will be offered cots, in all cafes there are high chairs. And in general, the islands are very calm and safe, children can be allowed to walk alone on the playgrounds.

The beaches in Åland are well-groomed, and many of my Finns I know call them lapsiystävälliset, which literally means "friendly for children."

Things to do with kids

  • Visit Kastelholm, Bomarsund and the sailboat Pommern. All three objects are not very large and interesting, children will not have time to get tired during their visit and at the same time they will be imbued with the medieval romance of fortifications, sea stories about the adventures of a sailboat.

Ski holidays

Due to the surprisingly flat terrain in Aland, there are no more or less worthy ski slopes, so I would not advise winter sports lovers to recommend the archipelago as a vacation spot.

The Åland Islands are an archipelago in the shallow Baltic Sea. It is located halfway between Finland and Sweden. With an area of ​​​​only one and a half thousand square kilometers, it has more than 6,000 thousand. Inhabited, however, less than one percent. Yes, and of those, most inhabited seasonally. Which is quite natural for a population of less than 30 thousand people.

The map can be enlarged or reduced

This population is surprising in that, being subjects of Finland, everyone speaks Swedish. There is a legend, which is often told on long winter nights, that while at an unknown point on the island, the tongue of Jarl Harald the Silent, famous for biting it off during interrogation, so as not to betray his comrades-in-arms, is buried, all the inhabitants of the archipelago will speak Swedish.

The convenient location of the islands has long been a stumbling block between many ruling dynasties. But after the islands were given the status of a demilitarized zone in 1856 at the Treaty of Paris, everything calmed down. The past is in the past, now the islands are inhabited by a surprisingly contented and peaceful people.

The inhabitants of the islands do not even serve in the army, so pacifists from all over Sweden and Finland come to live there. However, they do an alternative service - as pilots, the need for which in the waters abounding in shallow waters never disappears.

The islands have a mild climate and are famous for the maximum number of sunny days throughout Scandinavia. When frosts rage on the mainland, a long autumn continues there. For lovers of fishing and fresh milk, there is expanse.
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The islanders have always preferred to buy cars at a car dealership, solidly withdrawing bank cards or euro rolls tied with an elastic band. Moreover, filming this process on camera to brag to the neighbors later. But now these wild times have sunk into oblivion and most consider it the best option.

We listen to the request:

"I would like to know more about the Åland Islands, the capital of the islands, Marienhamin, as well as the Archipelago Sea."

So, forward to the unknown!

The Åland Islands are located between Sweden and Finland at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. The population of the region is about 27,000 people, over 90% of whom are Swedes. James Barros in his book divides the history of the islands into three main periods:

1. Control of Sweden (1157 - 1809);
2. Control of Russia (1809 - 1917);
3. Control of Finland (since 1917).

Due to the strategic location of the islands, for many centuries the Åland Islands have been the subject of geopolitical games of several major powers. In 1714, during the reign of Peter the Great, the region was occupied, albeit for a short period, by the Russian Empire. Over the following years, Russia and Sweden fought more than once for control of the region, which constantly passed from one empire to another. Only after the military campaign of 1808-1809 did Russia eventually manage to establish control over the Åland Islands and a number of Finnish regions that were under the control of Sweden at that time.

The Åland Islands are located in the Archipelago Sea (Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet). It is part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland within Finnish territorial waters.

The Archipelago Sea includes a huge number of islands. The exact number depends on the definition of the term "island", as landmasses range from small rocks peeking out of the water to large islands with a few villages or even a city on them. There are 257 islands in the Archipelago Sea with an area exceeding 1 km² and about 18,000 islands with an area of ​​more than 0.5 ha. Including smaller uninhabited rocks and skerries, the archipelago includes more than 50,000 islands (for comparison, the number of islands in the Indonesian archipelago varies from 13,000 to 18,000). The territory of the archipelago is roughly divided into inner and outer groups of islands. The outer group consists mainly of small uninhabited islands. The archipelago occupies a triangular area with the cities of Mariehamn, Uusikaupunki and Hanko at the corners.


Islands began to rise from under the water immediately after the last ice age. Due to the post-glacial uplift of the land, the process is still ongoing, new skerries and islands are formed, old ones increase in size or unite. The current rate of ascent is between 4 and 10 millimeters per year. Since the islands are mainly composed of granite and gneiss, two very hard rocks, the rate of erosion is much slower than the rate of uplift.

Barros in his book describes how Swedish diplomats "in vain insisted on the fact that the Åland Islands have always been a province of Sweden", to which Russian diplomats replied that "we are now busy not with the old borders of Sweden, but with the new borders of the Russian Empire." According to Barros, "using the Åland Islands as a military base against Sweden, the Russians were well aware of the strategic importance in terms of the defense of Finland, as well as establishing control in the Baltic Sea."


Under the Treaty of Fredrikshamn (September 17, 1809), the Åland Islands, as well as a number of territories of modern Finland, went to Russia. The issue of militarization or demilitarization of the Åland Islands was constantly on the agenda of Russian-Swedish negotiations throughout the 19th century. Sweden demanded the neutralization of the islands "as an independent state under the protectorate of France, England and Sweden", and this demand was supported by Great Britain, but was rejected by Russia.

Mariehamn - translated from Swedish, - "Harbor of Mary." Alexander II named the city in honor of his wife. Mariehamn has two ports, a sailing ship museum, a restaurant steamer, modern high-speed yachts and cruise liners. The islanders refer to Mary as their godmother, although little is known about her. Probably because the Empress herself has never been to the city that is named after her.

In 1856, Russia, France, and Great Britain signed the "convention for the demilitarization of the Åland Islands", which ended the debate at least until the collapse of the Swedish-Norwegian alliance in 1905. In 1907, in exchange for the recognition of Norwegian independence, Russia demanded the annulment of the 1856 convention, which would allow Russia to station its troops on the territory of the islands. However, when Russia publicly announced a proposal to annul the 1856 convention, it caused an uproar in Sweden and the UK, and the issue was removed from the agenda for some time.

During World War I, Germany promised to return the Åland Islands to Sweden, but in exchange demanded Sweden's allied participation in the war. But Stockholm remained neutral and demanded the transformation of the Åland Islands into a neutral zone. At the same time, Russia, knowing that Germany was preparing to occupy the islands, was preparing military forces for confrontation. In a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov on January 1, 1915, Vice Admiral Ivan Grigorovich, Minister of the Navy, stressed the importance of the islands to Russia. "The whole territory is of strategic importance, so one of the main tasks of the navy is to keep the islands under the strict control of Russia."


The turning point began for the Åland Islands with the fall of the tsarist government in Russia, the establishment of the Provisional Government, and then the coming to power of the Bolsheviks.

After the fall of the monarchy in Russia, representatives of the Åland provinces-communes gathered in Mariehamn to jointly begin work on reunification with their old fatherland - Sweden. A request was made to the Swedish king and government to take Alands under their protection. By December 1917, the signatures of almost the entire adult population of the Åland Islands had been collected.

During this period, Finland demanded independence from Russia, and in Sweden, demands for the unification of Sweden with the Åland Islands intensified.

On December 6, 1917, Finland declared itself an independent republic (self-proclaimed, as we would say now) and denied the Alands their right to self-determination, understood as joining Sweden. At the same time, the Alands were still promised self-government. In May 1920, the Finnish parliament passed a law on Åland self-government. Alanders met this law with hostility. In the Åland parliament, elected back in 1918, there was a heated debate, ending with the two leaders Sundbloom and Berkman being arrested on charges of treason.

England intervened, offering to refer the matter to the League of Nations. On May 24, 1921, the League decided on Finland's sovereignty over the Alands, but recommended that it give the Alanders legislative guarantees of self-government, demilitarization and neutrality. Three days later, Sweden reluctantly signed the so-called Åland Treaty with Finland.

Independence of Finland

In August 1917, the Alanders held a secret assembly to discuss the issue of unification with Sweden. "A four-person delegation was formed with a mandate to convey to the Government and Parliament of Sweden the deep desire of the Åland Islands to reunite with the Kingdom of Sweden for a number of specific reasons," writes Barros. From December 25 to 29, the population of the Åland Islands held a kind of referendum and signed a petition to King Gustav of Sweden calling for unification. This message strengthened the position of the Swedish political groups that advocated the immediate occupation of the Åland Islands.


Taking advantage of the weakened position of Russia, King Gustav sent a message to Germany, Austria and Turkey demanding that the issue of the Åland Islands be considered during peace negotiations with Russia in Brest-Litovsk in order to "protect the vital interests of Sweden on these islands." Germany offered Sweden its assistance in negotiations with the Bolsheviks on the issue of joining the islands to Sweden. At the same time, Germany put forward a number of conditions: Sweden was to "allow the inhabitants of the islands to determine their future fate in a referendum, not to build any fortification outposts and bases on the islands, not to transfer the islands to any third party, and also to start negotiations to increase exports iron ore from Sweden to Germany after the war".


However, on January 4, 1918, Russia recognized the independence of Finland. Surprisingly, ahead of other European states, Sweden recognized Finnish independence on the same day. Subsequently, Helsinki will repeatedly use the argument that "Sweden and other states, by recognizing the independence of Finland, without any preconditions, actually recognized the Åland Islands as a sovereign part of Finland."

A few weeks after the recognition of Finnish independence, a civil war began in this country. While King Gustav tried to take cautious steps and avoid direct confrontation with Finland, the Swedish opposition demanded immediate control over the islands. Shortly thereafter, Sweden sent the ships of its fleet and occupied the Åland Islands. Subsequently, German troops established control over the entire territory of Finland, including the Aland Islands.

Status of the Åland Islands

The independence of Finland did not solve the problems of the Åland Islands, and the negotiations between Finland and Sweden, as well as the negotiations of the superpowers with Russia, continued. Helsinki accused Stockholm of interfering in its internal affairs by supporting the inhabitants of the islands in their desire to unite with Sweden. This increased tension in relations between the two states. The Finnish government has notified the inhabitants of the islands that it "guarantees the complete safety of the islands and urgently asks the inhabitants to avoid actions that could damage the territorial integrity of Finland, as such actions will be severely suppressed."

"In the spring of 1918, Stockholm advised the inhabitants of the islands that independence could be achieved only by building their own institutions of self-government, and also by preparing for a plebiscite at the right time regarding separation from Finland and joining Sweden."


At some point there were speculations that Finland was considering the possibility of a "territorial exchange" by transferring the Åland Islands to Sweden and receiving the territory of East Karelia in return. However, these speculations were refuted by a special statement from the Finnish government. Instead, Finland offered the inhabitants of the islands a high status of autonomy within Finland.

Negotiations between Stockholm and Helsinki did not produce results, and the parties agreed to transfer consideration of the status of the Åland Islands to the League of Nations. While the superpowers tried to mediate, the situation in both Sweden and Finland worsened. Public opinion in both countries became tougher and demanded an immediate solution to the issue of the status of the islands. As a result, the League of Nations created two special commissions to resolve the issue of the islands. The first commission was to comprehensively study the political, legal and historical aspects of the Åland problem and propose possible solutions. The task of the second commission was to develop concrete recommendations and draw up a peace agreement.


After listening to the arguments of both sides and conducting their own research, the first commission (commission of lawyers) concluded that "the fundamental question is a legal one, namely the right of Finland to sovereignty over the Åland Islands. It is necessary to discuss the question of whether Finland was a sovereign state after the collapse of its union with Tsarist Russia and whether its sovereignty extends to the islands in the same way as to other parts of Finland" (Article 314). Regarding the issue of Finland's right to the Åland Islands, the commission concluded that "Finnish independence in 1917, which was recognized by other states, included the islands." This means that "Finnish sovereignty over the Åland Islands was not in dispute, and the islands legally became part of the Finnish state."

The issue of the supremacy of the territorial integrity of the state over the right of a minority to self-determination, which is still relevant today, was also discussed by the Commission of the League of Nations. The question "Is it possible to recognize the "absolute" right of a minority to secede for the purpose of further unification with another state or declaring independence?" was mentioned in the commission's report. Quoting the commission's report, Barros writes: "Give in to the demands of any minority (on linguistic, religious or some other basis) to separate from the community to which they belong, just because it is their desire, would be a clear destruction of order and stability. within the state and would give rise to anarchy in international life.


As a result, the commission of lawyers made the following recommendations regarding the status of the Åland Islands within Finland:
. "In the province of Åland, elementary and technical schools must provide education only in Swedish. The compulsory study of Finnish, which is approved by law, should not apply in this territory.
. Inhabitants of the islands in any situation should have a priority right in matters of acquiring land on the islands. In addition, newly arrived settlers can only become eligible to vote after five years of residence on the islands.
. The Ålanders should have the right to submit to the government in Helsinki a list of three candidates for governor of the islands, and the governor should be appointed only from this list."


The commission also threatened a referendum on the status of Åland if the Finnish government rejected these recommendations. These recommendations have been added to the already existing guarantees of the autonomy of the islands, accepted by the government of Finland. The final decision on the issue of the islands was made on June 24, 1921, and the League of Nations reaffirmed Finnish sovereignty over the Åland Islands. Three days later, on June 27, Sweden and Finland signed the "Aland Agreement" - a peace treaty on the status of the islands.
The structure of the autonomy of the Åland Islands


The act of autonomy for the Åland Islands was hastily drawn up and adopted by the Finnish Parliament on May 6, 1920. At first, the inhabitants of the islands rejected this act. However, after the League of Nations debated the status of the islands, the proposed recommendations were added to the 1920 Autonomy Act. Lars Ingmar Johannson, who served as General Secretary of the Åland Parliament in the 1980s, writes that "the first popularly elected institution in the islands was the Landsting, or Åland Parliament, which was elected in a popular election in Åland and its first plenary session took place June 9, 1922" (Article 25). Later, the Autonomy Act was again revised twice. This happened for the first time on December 28, 1951, and then again in 1993. The current legislation is in full agreement with the Government of Finland and the population of the Åland Islands.


The "fundamental principle" of the Act of Autonomy was "to give the inhabitants of Åland the widest possible freedom in the management of their internal affairs in order to ensure the internal and external security of (Finland)".

The Act of Autonomy unambiguously and clearly shares the legal responsibility between the parliaments of Finland and Åland. The Åland Parliament works on a similar principle to the Finnish Parliament. It consists of 30 deputies, elected every four years, and functions as an institution that makes laws and decisions on issues of island life such as police, health care, education, communications, economic development of the region, etc. Johansson claims that " in these areas, the functions of the Åland Parliament are practically no different from the functions of the legislative and executive body of an independent state.

"Preliminary laws approved by the Åland Parliament apply on the islands and are superior to laws adopted by the Finnish Parliament. However, in areas where the Åland Parliament does not have the power to legislate, Finnish laws have the same force on the islands as in the rest of the country "Such areas include postal, customs and monetary services, courts, the criminal code, many aspects of civil law relating to family, inheritance, trade and foreign affairs."


Alanders also have a quota in the Finnish Parliament and are directly elected by the population of the island, just like the rest of the deputies of the country's parliament. All adopted legislative acts of the Åland Parliament are sent for signature to the President of Finland, who has the right to veto only in two cases: if the law adopted by the Åland Parliament "goes beyond its competence" and if the adopted act "threatens the country's internal and external security."
The Åland Parliament also makes laws regarding its own budget and taxation. Taxes, customs duties and other payments are collected from the inhabitants of the islands in the same manner as for all other citizens of Finland. At the same time, the Finnish state budget annually has a guaranteed line on deductions in favor of the Åland Islands. In addition to this, the Åland Parliament has the right to request additional funding from the Finnish state budget.


Ålanders have their own flag and local police units. Moreover, the islands issue their own postage stamps and are represented (as part of the Finnish delegation) in the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Nordic Council is a regional organization that consists of ministers and parliamentarians from the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands (Denmark), Greenland (Denmark) and the Åland Islands (Finland).


You probably noticed when sailing from Stockholm to Helsinki that the ferry makes a ten-minute stop in the middle of the journey in a city with an unpronounceable name. Maybe because the word Maarianhamina is not easy to pronounce, so little attention is paid to this city. However, very in vain. Mariehamn (Maarianhamina) is worth stopping for a couple of days. A cozy island life, so unlike life in a metropolis, or even life in a godforsaken village, will open before you in all its quiet splendor.

Marienhamn is located on a peninsula, therefore it has two ports, on the west and east coasts.

The history of the emergence of Mariehamn is connected with the Eastern, or Crimean War, which determined the further fate of the Alands as demilitarized islands. After the war, the local community turned to Emperor Alexander 11 with a petition to allow the establishment of a port city on the main island.

And in order to definitely get consent, the intercessors proposed to name the city in honor of the wife of the Emperor Maria Alexandrovna. By the royal manifesto on February 4, 1859, the founding of the city of Mariehamn ("Mary's Harbor") was "mercifully" allowed, and on February 20, 1861, a letter was signed establishing the statute of the city. From this date, its existence is counted.

The western port (Västerhamn) is of great international importance; ferries stop here several times a day on the route between Finland and Sweden.


The Eastern Harbor is one of the largest Scandinavian yacht ports.

The capital of the Åland Islands offers tourists ample opportunities for urban recreation: many hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes and museums will gladly meet their visitors. Not far from the city center is Lilla Holmen - a beautiful beach for the whole family and the Mariebad water park with a spa.


Getting to Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands, is most interesting by ferry, and going from Stockholm to Helsinki, and not vice versa: in this direction, the ferry arrives not at four in the morning, but at midnight, which is much more convenient. Do not be surprised by the very paradoxical pricing: getting from Mariehamn to Helsinki is even more expensive than from more distant Stockholm to Helsinki.


Mariehamn has quite a few museums for such a small town. This is, firstly, the famous Pommern sailing ship, The Maritime Quarter and the Åland Maritime Museum, the Åland Museum, the hunting and fishing museum, the art museum and a little more.

Having looked into the museum from the entrance, we concluded that these are typical provincial museums, which are not worth spending much time on if you are not connoisseurs of local arts and crafts. It only makes sense to visit the Pommern sailboat. But if you do not have enough time, you can still admire it from the pier (the masts and tackle look especially beautiful against the backdrop of sunset).


Clean streets with toy houses not hiding behind fences, and silence, which is only occasionally broken by the roar of an old American car from the middle of the century (now and then I recall Stephen King's Christina). As it turned out, taxes on the purchase of a new car are very high here, so young people prefer to buy spectacular-looking "dinosaurs", bring them, literally, to a brilliant state, and in the evenings, wearing a cowboy hat, slowly drive around the city with the whole company.

Alanders are very kind to their mailboxes. Old mailboxes are wooden, hand-painted, and only a few dare to supply newfangled plastic ones.

The main attraction of Mariehamn is its hiking trails (especially in the western part of the island). The coastline is in many ways reminiscent of the southern coast of Crimea: sheer cliffs, small pine trees, winding paths. But, unlike the Crimea, where only in Novy Svet there is an equipped walking "ecological" trail, there are equipped trails everywhere (and even inside the island, they are marked with a red line on the map).

This means that every N meters there are benches, bridges, fences and there is no garbage (despite the fact that during the season the tourist load on them is corresponding). All walking routes are thought out in such a way that after 2-3 hours of a leisurely walk you will return to the city.


There are several equipped beaches in the eastern and northeastern parts of the island. The sandy-silty bottom is very flat - it will take a long time to enter the water. Because of this bottom relief, it is especially interesting to observe low tides when a significant area of ​​the seabed is exposed.

The museum sailboat Pommern is anchored in the western port. The Dutch steamship Jan Nieveen (also called F.P. von Knorring) is in the eastern harbor and has been converted into a restaurant. We also recommend visiting the city museum and the art museum.


For connoisseurs of architecture, it will be interesting to know that in Marienhamn there are several buildings designed by the famous Finnish architect Lars Sonck (Lars Sonck): the main building of the Åland Maritime College (1927), the Marienhamn church (1927), the city hall building (1939).

In the square in front of the city hall, there is a statue of the patroness of the city - Empress Maria Alexandrovna.


In 2011, Marienhamn celebrated its anniversary - 150 years since its founding. This bronze monument is a gift from the Russian side.

Sculpture on a red granite pedestal. The monument was erected in the very center of the Aland capital.

The Russian fortress of Bomarsund reminds of the military past of the Åland Islands. Now there is little left of it, only ruins, but the Alanders proudly bring tourists here. At the beginning of the 19th century, these islands, together with Finland, became part of the Russian Empire. But the history of the Alands is closely connected with Russia since the time of Peter the Great.

From this observation deck you can see the most beautiful road that runs between the islands. In the 18th century, an important postal route from St. Petersburg to Stockholm passed through Aland. Peasants living along the highway at a distance of up to 3 miles were placed at the disposal of the postal department and were obliged to deliver letters and parcels along the chain from yard to yard.

Postal workers were the first to celebrate the anniversary of the city. They issued a stamp in honor of the Russian Empress. For the miniature, the authors used one of the most famous images of Maria Alexandrovna, there is exactly the same portrait in the Hermitage.

This is also a joint project - Aland and Russian mail. Godmother of the city against the background of the historical landscape. Only local stamps are used in the Alands, so now with the help of the miniature Empress Maria, you can send a letter from Mariehamn to St. Petersburg. Very symbolic.

How to get there

Marienhamn can be reached from Turku and Helsinki, Finland, and from Stockholm or Kapellskar, Sweden.

Ferries are a reliable, comfortable and popular form of transport for traveling to the capital of the Åland Islands.

Different fish are caught in every season. In summer - pike perch and salmon, in autumn - frighteningly large pike and sea taimen, in winter ice fishing with a short rod is good, and in spring salmon, sea taimen and pike peck notably.

Since the land on the islands (and coastal waters) are privately owned, fishing is allowed only in specially designated areas. These territories often consist of many small private estates, the owners of which have united in fishing farms. There are about fifty of them in total.


For fishing, it is necessary to obtain a fishing permit or a license for the territory where you plan to fish. To do this, you need to decide in advance on the place of fishing (or rather, on the place where to live, since it makes no sense to live in one place and fish in another). The license can be ordered in advance when booking a cottage or purchased directly on the spot from its owner. The cost of licenses fluctuates quite strongly - depending on the number of fish and the size of the territory. Each territory has its own rules, they should be clarified with the owner of the cottage when buying a license.

It is necessary to immediately clarify what types of fishing are allowed in these places: pike are caught on spinning and lure, perch - on light spinning, jigs and small baubles, salmon is caught by trolling (fishing at great depths in the open sea), sea taimen - on spoon-shaped baubles and wobbler, pike perch - for large wobblers and jigs.


sources

Aland Islands or Aland- an archipelago in the Baltic Sea at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. In the east they border on the Finnish Archipelago Sea. They belong to Finland and constitute its autonomous province. Population - 27,700 people (2009). The capital is Finland's third largest port.

They represent 60 inhabited and more than 6,000 uninhabited islands. The area of ​​the territory is about 1.5 thousand km², the length from north to south is 130 km. The largest is the island of Aland, 685 km².

The official language on the islands is Swedish (it is spoken by the majority of the population). Åland Islands assigned internet domain.ax

Climate

The climate is temperate, cool, and has its own characteristics: being one of the sunniest regions among the Nordic countries, Aland boasts a long and mild autumn, when the Baltic Sea, heated by the summer sun, gradually gives off heat. At the same time, the air also warms up much longer in spring than on the continent. Freeze usually occurs in mid-January, ice melts in the second half of April or early May.

Story

In the 18th century, an important postal route from St. Petersburg to Stockholm passed through Aland.

On March 18, 1809, during the Russo-Swedish War, the Russian corps under the command of Prince Bagration occupied the Aland Islands, which, after the end of the war, were annexed to the Russian Empire as part of the Grand Duchy of Finland.

In 1832, the Russian fortress of Bomarsund was built, around which the first city grew.

In 1856, the Paris Peace Treaty awarded the Åland Islands the status of a demilitarized zone, which remains to this day.

Last changes: 06/17/2011

Transport

From mainland Finland to the Åland Islands can be reached on regular small ferries of the company Ålandstrafiken(alandstrafiken.ax ) in two ways:

The "Northern Route" starts from the harbor of Osnes in the city of Kustavi (Gustavs), located 70 km west of the city of Turku. From here you can take a ferry to the island of Brandø, and from the southern part of the island of Brandø there is a ferry across Kumlinge to the port of Hummelvik in the municipality of Vårdö. From Hummelvik to Mariehamn is only about 40 km.

The "southern route" starts from Galtby in Korppoo (80 km southwest of Turku). From Galtby you can take a ferry via Kökar and Föglö to the port of Longnäs in the municipality of Lumparland. From Langnas to Mariehamn is only about 35 km.

In addition, ferries of companies stop in Marienhamn Viking line(vikingline.ax) and Silja Line(tallinksilja.ru) on the routes Helsinki-Stockholm and Turku-Stockholm

Public transport is represented by buses with several routes. At the same time, travel by bus within Mariehamn is free for everyone.

Last changes: 19.03.2017

Tourism and fishing in the Åland Islands

The Åland Islands are popular among fishing enthusiasts. Since the land on the islands (and coastal waters) are privately owned, fishing is allowed only in specially designated areas. For fishing, it is necessary to obtain a fishing permit or a license for the territory where you plan to fish. To do this, you must first determine the place of fishing. The license can be ordered in advance when booking a cottage or purchased directly on the spot from its owner. You need to immediately clarify what types of fishing are allowed in these places.

The water in the waters surrounding the islands is marine, but with a low salt content, so the fish here are both marine and freshwater. In addition, the islands are an ideal place to relax from the noisy city life and bustle.

Last changes: 24.03.2012

Attractions of the Åland Islands





- the only medieval castle in Aland, mentioned for the first time in chronicles in 1388. The exact date of the foundation of the castle, however, is unknown. In its present appearance, the castle is a complex architectural complex, built and expanded in the period from the end of the 14th to the middle of the 17th centuries.





Bomarsund Fortress (Battle of Bomarsund) is a 19th-century fortress located in the municipality of Sund. It was founded in 1832 by the Russian Empire on the island of Aland. Destroyed in 1854 by the Anglo-French fleet during the Crimean War.

The blown-up walls of Bomarsund formed the foundation of many buildings. Houses on the islands were built from red bricks, they were used in the capital that was soon founded. The Orthodox Dormition Cathedral in Helsinki was also built partly from Bomarsund brick. The fortress has never been restored, although the muzzles of formidable cannons still look into the sea from the dilapidated walls.

Last changes: 24.03.2012 On the world map Map

July 29-31, 2012

If you go strictly south from the capital, go without turning anywhere, go along the main one, then in fifteen minutes the island will end. There will be a cafe in the garden.

If you drive straight south from the capital, drive down the main highway, drive without turning off anywhere, in about 15 minutes the island will end. There, you will find a garden with a café.


Among pines and water.

Surrounded by pine trees and water.


With a little strange but delicious food.

With somewhat strange but tasty food.


And then sit down in the living room.

Then you can take a seat in the living room.


Or in the garden.

Or in the garden.


Although no, better on the veranda.

Or, better yet, on the porch.


Sit on a bench with a cushion and drink a cappuccino with panna cotta in the absolute calm country serenity.

Sit down on a cushioned bench and enjoy a cappuccino with panna cotta in the tranquil serenity of the countryside.


And enjoy life. Just enjoy life.

And enjoy life. Simply enjoy life.


The Åland Islands belong to Finland, but the Swedes live here. The islands were once part of Russia, just like Finland. After the revolution, the Alanders decided to become independent on the sly. But the Finns did not give them, offering autonomy. Therefore, it has its own government, its own post office, etc.


Capital urn.

The trash cans in the country's capital.


An incomprehensible electrical design, similar to a portable electrical panel.

A mysterious electrical device which resembles a portable distribution board.

Ferries from Sweden to Finland stop here. On the ferries themselves, people buy alcohol in boxes, because duty-free is automatically obtained at sea. And in Aland, there are slot machines everywhere. People are happy to combine everything.

Ferries make a stop here on the way from Sweden to Finland. People stock up on cases of alcohol while on the ferries because the sea is an automatic duty-free zone. And the Ålands themselves have slot machines everywhere. A winning combination.

Automatic machines even in the store when refueling.

There are slot machines even at the gas station convenience store.


Supermarkets generally play an important role here as centers of life. Say, right behind the vegetable department you can find a post office.

In general, supermarkets play an important role as hubs of life here. For example, you can discover a post office directly behind the produce department.


The Åland mailbox is made in the form of a lighthouse.

The Åland post box is shaped like a lighthouse.



Crosswalk.

A pedestrian crossing.


Parking scheme.

A parking diagram.


Ban on motorcycles and cars.

No entry for motorcycles or cars.


Digger.


End of section with a speed limit of 50 km/h. This is the first time I see this - the sign is drawn on the back side of another valid sign (on which, accordingly, the beginning of the section with a speed limit is indicated).

The end of a 50 km/h speed limit zone. This is the first time I see something like this: the sign is painted directly on the back of another active sign (which, accordingly, marks the beginning of the speed limit zone).

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