Åland

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Quick Facts

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Capital

Mariehamn

Government

Autonomous Province

Nationality

Population

26 700

Languages

Swedish

Religions

Christianity

Currency

Euro (EUR) €

Calling Code

+358 18

Time Zone

EET (UTC+2)

Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

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Introduction

Taking a ferry to Åland. A sight between the islands.

© All Rights Reserved tippjatäpp

Ǻland is an archipelago in the Gulf of Bothnia, halfway between Sweden and Finland. Though it is officially an autonomous region of Finland, the island group has strong cultural ties with Sweden. Until the early years of the 19th century, Ǻland was a part of the Swedish kingdom and Swedish is still the language spoken in Ǻland today.

With a population of under 30 000 (and that is record population, in Ǻland terms), the islands operate at a calm pace. For travellers, Ǻland is the sort of place where the main attraction is the well-preserved flora and fauna. With thick woodland areas and miles upon miles of coastline, the islands offer a getaway from the modern world. A visit to a local shipwright, whose work seems to have changed little over the past century, will make you believe you have landed in the 19th century.

Brief History

The Åland archipelo was used by Sweden as a stepping stone to colonize Finland. In 1809 when Finland was annexed by Russia, the Åland island, who were governed from Finland moved to Russia aswell. After the Crimean war, it was decided that the islands, that had always been of great strategic importance were to be demilitarisised. When Finland gained its independence in 1917, many people on the islands wanted the group of islands to go to Sweden. The case was presented to the League of Nations, which ruled that Åland should remain Finnish territory, but that the Swedish language and the culture was to be respected. Åland also gained an autonomous and strictly neutral status.

Geography

Regions

Åland consists of 16 municipalities spread across its islands.

• Fasta Åland is the main island and is home to the bulk of the population. It consists of the municipalities of Mariehamn (the capital), Eckerö, Finström, Geta, Hammarland, Jomala, Lemland, Lumparland, Saltvik and Sund
• The archipelago to the east is made up of the municipalities of Brändö, Föglö, Kumlinge, Kökar, Sottunga and Vårdö. Of these Kokar has some particularly picturesque coast and some walks that are waymarked.

Kokar Church

© All Rights Reserved davidx

Towns

• Mariehamn is the capital of Åland and the only substantial town

Sights and Activities

Bomarsund Fortress

When the Russians took the islands in the beginning of the 19th century they agreed not to fortify them. In Sund the Russians broke the treaty and started to build a fortress in 1832. Although 22 years later, in 1854, during the Crimean War the still uncompleted fortress was destroyed. Today people can visit the the remains of the fortress and see many nice cannons.

Tax Free Shopping

Looking for some discounts? Then go on the ferry between Sweden and Finland and make sure it makes a stop at Åland, which all of them do. If the ferry stops in one of the major cities then it is possible to purchase some tax free goods. One of the few cheap deals in all of Scandinavia.

Pommern Museum

The Pommern Museum is located in a unique four masted sailing vessel that was named the Pommern. Built in Glasgow, Scotland this fine ship was launched in 1903. In 1923 she was purchased by Gustaf Erikson in Mariehamn. The ship mainly carried wheat between Australia and England till 1939 when World War II broke out. Since 1957 the Pommern was moored next to the Åland Maritime Museum in the western harbour of Mariehamn.

Other Sights and Activities

• Åland Maritime Museum - Is a great museum located in the capital.

Events and Festivals

• The Åland Harvest Festival (September)
• Viking market in Saltvik - Enjoy Viking food, drink and entertainment. (July)
• The Rockoff Festival - Is Åland's largest music festival, held in Mariepark in Mariehamn (July)
• The Åland Sea Days - Highlights the maritime culture of the islands. (July)

Weather

Because of its location in the waters between Sweden and Finland, the Aland Islands have milder climate than comparable places as far north as this. This means that summers are a little cooler compared to mainland Finland or Sweden, but winters are relatively mild. Summer is from June to August, with average daily highs of around 17 or 18 degrees Celcius while nights are generally around 10 degrees Celsius. Winter is from December to March, with temperatures during the day around or slightly above zero, while nights are around -5 degrees Celcius on average in February, the coldest month. Rain (and snow during winter) falls quite evenly throughout the year, but tends to increase from June to December and be a bit lower during the later wintermonths and spring.

Getting There

By Plane

Mariehamm Airport (MHQ) is the only airport in Åland. It has connections to Stockholm, Sweden and to both Helsinki and Turku in Finland.

Air Åland and Turku Air are the only airlines that service Åland.

By Car

Although obviously you can drive to Åland directly, the ferry described below offers you to bring your own car. This gives you maximum freedom on the islands and you don't need to rent a car.

By Boat

There are numerous options of getting there by ferry from Sweden, Finland and Estonia.

Sweden

• From Grisslehamn (Sweden) to Eckerö (Åland) with Eckerolinjen
• From Kapellskär (Sweden) to Mariehamn (Åland) with Viking Line
• From Stockholm to Mariehamn with Viking Line, Silja Line, Birka Cruises and Tallink

Finland

• From Turku to Mariehamn or Långnäs with Viking Line and Silja Line
• From Helsinki to Mariehamn with Viking Line and Silja Line
• From Osnäs (Gustavs, Finland) to Åva (Brändö) with Alandstrafiken
• From Galtby (Korpo, Finland) to Kökar with Alandstrafiken

Estonia

• From Tallinn to Mariehamn with Tallink

Getting Around

By Car

Cars can be rented on several of the islands and on some routes you can take your car between the islands. Both international and local companies offer rental cars and you need your national driver's licence or international driving permit. Traffic drives on the right and rules are strictly obeyed.

By Bike

A better option than renting a car, is to take a bike and ride yourself across many of the rather flat islands, using a combination of ferries and bikes.

By Bus

Buses operates on most islands and you can find schedules, routes and prices at the Alandstrafiken website.

By Boat

There are a number of ferries operating services between the islands. You can find ferries, schedules, routes and prices at the Alandstrafiken website. The feries are always free to passengers (and to motorists if they are staying on any of the smaller islands).

Red Tape

As an autonomous region of Finland, the same rules apply to the Aland Islands.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Åland has adopted the Euro (ISO code: EUR, symbol: €) as its official currency. One Euro is divided into 100 cents, which is sometimes referred to as eurocents, especially when distinguishing them with the US cents.

Euro banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500. The highest three denominations are rarely used in everyday transactions. All Euro banknotes have a common design for each denomination on both sides throughout the Eurozone.

The Euro coins are 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, €1 and €2. Some countries in the Eurozone have law which requires cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents. All Euro coins have a common design on the denomination (value) side, while the opposite side of the 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents coins has the image of the heraldic lion on it, as it can also be found on the coat of arms of Finland. On the €1 coin, two swans fly above a typical Finnish lanscape, and on the €2 coin an image of the fruit and the leaves of the cloudberry is printed. Although the image side is different from other countries, all Euro coins remain legal tender throughout the Eurozone.

There is a 5 euro commemorative coin that was issued in 2006 to celibrate the 150th Anniversary of Demilitarisation of the Åland Islands. It's unlikely that you will encounter this coin, as most of them ended in the hands of collectors.

While the Euro is Åland's official currency, the Swedish Krona (SEK) also circulates freely in the country.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

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