Aland
Aland
Capital city description
Mariehamn, the capital of the Aland Islands, is the largest municipality in terms of population and the only city on Åland. The town was founded in 1861 when Åland was part of the Russian Empire. The city is the center of both politics and business on Åland. The name Mariehamn comes from Maria Alexandrovna, married to the Russian Tsar Alexander II. Here is a large port, Västerhamn, where there are daily ferries, known as the Åland boats, to Stockholm, Tallinn, Turku, Helsinki, and Kapellskär. At night, the Turku ferries call at Långnäs in the municipality of Lumparland instead.
This cozy coastal town is best to explore with its idyllic wooden houses, small cafes, and summer terraces. There are quite a few museums in the city, most of which are related to the sea: the Aland Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Maritime District, an art gallery and the most famous is the Pommern sailing ship museum.
Climate
AlandIsland's climate is moderately cold, with an average January temperature of about -4 ℃ and in July about 15 ℃. Winters are relatively mild, and summers are slightly cooler than summer in Sweden and Finland. Summer lasts from June to August, and winter from December to March. The mean summer temperature ranges from 17 ℃ to 18 ℃, while at night, there are about ten ℃. In winter, the average daily temperature is around 0 ℃, while the night temperature is around -5 ℃. The coldest month is February.
It's raining steadily all year round (in the winter months, there is snow), except that in June to December, the average rainfall is higher, while the average rainfall is less during the late winter months.
Languages spoken
Åland is a monolingual Swedish-speaking area, unlike the rest of Finland, which is bilingual. Many people speak or understand some Finnish in practice, but not everyone by a long way. However, most people, nearly all of them, speak English.
Fun/Fascinating Facts
- In Aland Island, each season is attractive for fishing in its way. Winter fishing is unique and, perhaps, the best in the Aland Islands. There is the same variety and abundance of fish in winter as in summer. Furthermore, ice fishing is simply excellent in its uniqueness. The seabed topography with edges, ridges, and considerable drops in depth makes fishing under the ice-rich and exciting.
- Aland Islands are an excellent place for cycling. The roads are fantastic, the terrain is flat, and the numerous islands are connected by a network of bridges and ferry connections.
- Many of the Åland people have summer houses on the smaller islands. Most of the time, you will have to own a boat to get there in the summer or use a hovercraft or snowmobile to get to your island when the water freezes over in the winter.
- Most of the houses in Åland are the same red color. The paint, named ‘Falu Red,’ was made from copper found in a Swedish mine in Dalarna. The copper was oxidized to get rid of the iron, which produced a by-product called red soil. It was discovered that the minerals in this red soil help preserve wood from rot.
- The things that make Åland unique are its unspoiled archipelago and the stunning bedrock, worn smooth by glacier ice, that gets its red color from the area’s rapakivi granite.
Unique Customs/Traditions
- Åland has a lively music scene. There are several choirs and ensembles, and the Åland Institute of Music, which has about 300 students, plays a vital role in local musical life. The Ålandic archipelago has inspired many writers, both now and in the past. Sally Salminen, Anni Blomqvist, and, more recently, Ulla-Lena Lundberg are three local talents who have attracted a large readership.
- Theatre in Åland has its roots in the youth movements which arose at the end of the 19th century. Today, significant productions generally form a collaboration between professional artists and amateurs.
Popular universities
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Åland University | Established in 2003, Åland University of Applied Sciences is a university of applied sciences (a polytechnic) in Mariehamn, Åland Islands. It is the only higher education institution in the Åland Islands. The education at the Åland University of Applied Sciences is conducted in Swedish. | |
| Rockoff Festival | Rockoff Festival is the biggest music event on the Åland Islands, a group of islands in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden. The festival is held in the city center of Mariehamn, in the Åland Islands The venue is "Torget," the central square in Mariehamn. Every summer at the end of July, the capital Mariehamn will liven up with more than 40.000 festival visitors during nine days. The festival offers a wide range of music, food, and drinks. The venue is "Torget," the main square in Mariehamn. | |
Festivals & Events
Midsummer
Date: June
Midsummer is one of Åland’s most famous festivals. Ålanders make the most of the long daylight hours and love to celebrate in the garden, the countryside, or the archipelago with their family and friends.
People decorate their houses with wreaths and bouquets of summer flowers. Many people go to the village maypole to decorate the pole with greenery and flowers and raise it in the company of others from the village and summer guests.
Rockoff Festival
Date: July
Rockoff Festival is the biggest music event on the Åland Islands, a group of islands in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden. The festival is held in the city center of Mariehamn, in the Åland Islands The venue is "Torget," the central square in Mariehamn.
Every summer at the end of July, the capital Mariehamn will liven up with more than 40.000 festival visitors during nine days. The festival offers a wide range of music, food, and drinks. The venue is "Torget," the main square in Mariehamn.
Åland Harvest Festival
Date: September
Åland Harvest Festival is held on the second last weekend of September annually. During the folksy, lovely event, the local farmers will have the chance to showcase their fresh raw produce for visitors. During the Harvest Festival, you can visit the Open Farms all around Åland and enjoy different activities and programs and sample and buy delicious local products. You have the opportunity to discover Åland countryside and to meet humble and down-to-earth people and local producers in stunning surroundings.
Aland Sea Days
Date: July
Aland Sea Days held in mid-July, maritime matters are the typical theme of the event. The main venue for the street party is the Maritime Quarter in the eastern harbor of Mariehamn – a vibrant maritime environment with boatbuilding, smithery, and other crafts.
The Åland Sea Days offer a program from morning to midnight for five days. Each day has a particular theme and program. The Sea Days will begin on Wednesday with the Maritime Safety Day. Thursday is Handicrafts Day, Friday is Folk Music Day, Saturday is Maritime Day, and Sunday is Children’s Day.
Tirana International Film Festival
Date: November
Each year in November, Tirana International Film Festival takes place in Albania. First held in 2003, it mixes short pieces with full-length features. A nationwide event, the festival has received patronage and endorsements from several international names from across Europe and America.
Attractions / Top Sights
Åland’s Maritime Museum
When to visit: February, June and July
The Maritime Museum in Mariehamn is renowned worldwide and provides an exciting look into the lives of seamen and gives an insight into their experiences during periods of naval conflict and housing various maritime artifacts from the 17th-century onwards.Åland’s Maritime Museum shows a vivid overview of Åland’s maritime cultural heritage to every visitor. The museum is richly illustrated with exciting objects, beautiful interiors, and interactive stations. Together they make for a vivid overview of Åland’s maritime cultural heritage.
The top two floors of the Maritime Museum are devoted to trade by sailing ships. Here you can climb up a good mast, test your abilities as a helmsman in the ship’s bridge simulator and step into the captain’s cabin from the sailing ship Herzogin Cecilie, which sank off England in 1936.
Bomarsund fortress
When to visit: February, June and July
The Bomarsund fortress is a popular tourist attraction in Aland. Built from 1832 to 1854, Bomarsund Fortress was constructed for Russian contingents on the island when Aland was Russian territory. It serves as a defensive structure; the fortress was aimed to house thousands of soldiers.
Bomarsund fortress was like a settlement inhabited by military and civilian populations known as 'Skarpans' that grew up around the fortress. In 1854, the fortress was destroyed during the Crimean War. Even though the fortress was ruined, it remains a famous monument and stands testimony to the region's rich history.
Kastelholm Castle
When to visit: In summer
Kastelholm Castle, also known as Kastelholms Slott or Kastelholman Linna, is a medieval castle located on the Åland Islands. Kastelholm is one of only five surviving Finnish medieval fortresses that are also architecturally substantial. Established in the 1380s, Kastelholm Castle was a military and administrative center for the region, forming part of the Swedish Empire. Successive Swedish and Danish governors continued maintaining and expanding Kastelholm Castle for over two hundred years. The castle was briefly home to Swedish King Gustav I before becoming the monarch.
Today, visitors can view the ruins of Kastelholm Castle, and the site is also the home of the Jan Karlsgården Open-Air Museum, which recreates 19th-century life in the region. Kastelholm also features one of our top tourist attractions in Finland.
Aland's churches
When to visit: In Summer
Every municipality in Aland has at least one church that is worth seeing. Twelve are medieval stone churches, while three are newer wooden churches with roots in the Middle Ages. In addition, there are the ruins of two medieval stone chapels and the remains of a wooden chapel alongside the navigable channels.
The churches are usually built of red rapakivi granite and located centrally by the parish's prehistoric grave field close to the harbors of the time. Aland's churches were lavishly decorated with frescoes and wooden sculptures. Later building phases were added to the characteristic western tower, sacristies, and church porch.
Kumlinge
When to visit: In summer
Kumlinge is a municipality consisting of about 800 islands in the northeastern Aland archipelago, an autonomous territory of Finland. Kumlinge, which is also the name of the largest island in the group, means "rocky passage.". Besides the intricacy of islands to explore, a central attraction is an old Finnish coast guard station, now converted to a resort and marina, with a 130ft (40m) observation tower that provides sweeping views over the area.