Mariehamn

Summer is the main season. Days are long, swimming is possible, and the museum ship and island attractions are open. Late spring and early autumn are quiet and still pleasant for walks and cycling. Winter is dark and cold, and some sights close.

The biggest event of the year is Midsummer in June. Nearly every village on Åland raises and decorates a midsummer pole, and visitors can join in.

• Pommern is a four-masted barque built in 1903. She is the symbol of Mariehamn and is moored in the Western Harbour. She is open from May to September and closed from October to April.
• The Åland Maritime Museum stands next to the ship. It tells the story of Åland's merchant sailing fleet with ship models, figureheads and sailors' souvenirs. It is open all year, with shorter winter hours.
• Ålands museum is one building with two museums: cultural history and local art. It is a good rainy-day stop near the town centre.
• S:t Görans kyrka is the main parish church. Lars Sonck designed it, and it opened in 1927. Look for the glass mosaic altarpiece and the painted ceiling.
• Esplanaden is a wide avenue lined with linden trees. It runs between the Western Harbour and the Eastern Harbour and is the best place for a slow walk.
• Sjökvarteret, the maritime quarter, is a small area of boatbuilding and crafts. It has a cafe.

• Join a midsummer pole raising in June. Villagers and summer guests decorate the pole with greenery and raise it together.
• Check the Sjökvarteret site for markets and events in the maritime quarter through the year.
• Swim in summer from the town beaches.
• Hop between islands on the archipelago ferries with a bike. Distances are short.

These sights are in Sund, northeast of town. Go by car or check bus times first, because buses are limited.

• Kastelholm Castle is about 25 km from Mariehamn. Work started on this medieval castle in the 1380s. It is the only medieval castle on Åland and has a summer season (May to September), so check current hours.
• Jan Karlsgården is an open-air museum with old farm buildings. It stands a short walk from the castle. Vita Björn, an old prison museum, is nearby.
• Bomarsunds fästning lies northeast of town. Russia began this fortress in the 1830s, and British and French forces destroyed it in 1854. Ruins and monuments remain.

Mariehamn is the main town of Åland. Ferries link the town with Stockholm and Turku.

• By ferry: this is the usual way to arrive. Viking Line and Tallink Silja sail to the Western Harbour from Stockholm, Kapellskär, Turku and Helsinki. Viking Line also sails from Kapellskär, a shorter crossing than from Stockholm. Some Turku sailings call at Långnäs, about 30 km from town, so check which port your ticket uses. Check timetables, because they change by season. Ferries that call at Åland sell tax-free goods, because the islands are outside the EU VAT area.
• Eckerö Linjen: this line sails between Grisslehamn in Sweden and Berghamn in Eckerö, about two hours. Eckerö is on the west of the main island, not in Mariehamn. Plan a transfer by car or bus.
• By air: Mariehamn Airport is about 3 km northwest of the centre, so a short taxi ride. Finnair flies to Helsinki. Other regional flights to Stockholm and Turku are limited, so check current routes.
• For planning, see Visit Åland, getting there.

• On foot: the centre is small and flat. Most sights are within a 20-minute walk.
• By bike: distances are short and the land is flat. Cycling is a good way to see the town and the nearby islands.
• By bus: city and island buses are run by Ålandstrafiken. Buy the ticket from the driver, and carry some cash in case. A ticket is valid for two hours, and you can change between buses in that time. Town buses are not free.

• Is a car worth it? In town, no. The centre is small and walkable. A car or bike is useful for Sund, Bomarsund and the west coast.
• Parking: central streets often have time limits. See the town's parking map for limits and car parks.

The local dish to try is Åland pancake, Ålandspannkaka. It is a baked pancake made with semolina and cardamom. People eat it warm or cold with prune jam and whipped cream.

Most cafes and restaurants are in the compact centre between the two harbours. Near Kastelholm, Smakbyn has a restaurant, a pottery shop and a candy factory. Åland Distillery is also on site.

Mariehamn is a safe town, and normal city care is enough. Tap water is safe to drink. In an emergency, call 112.

Mariehamn was founded in 1861 and named after the Russian empress Maria Alexandrovna. At that time Åland belonged to the Russian Empire. In the 1830s Russia started a large fortress at Bomarsund, and Bomarsunds fästning was destroyed in the Crimean War in 1854. After that war, the islands were demilitarised in 1856, and they still are today.

In the early 20th century, shipowners from Åland ran large sailing ships. Gustaf Erikson of Mariehamn bought Pommern in 1923. She carried grain between Australia and Europe. Today she is a museum ship, and the Åland Maritime Museum tells the wider story.

Åland received self-rule within Finland in 1920. In 1921 the League of Nations confirmed Finnish sovereignty and autonomy for the islands. Medieval Kastelholm Castle recalls the earlier Swedish period.

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