The Åland Islands – Åland
- Zamydlacz
- Sep 11
- 11 min read
When someone mentions the name "The Åland Sea" in a group, only a few immediately recognize where it is. To most, it sounds like some exotic waters to be sought out somewhere in the world. Hardly anyone can point to this interesting place on the map that separates two other seas. Two other seas? Now it's completely unclear where exactly it's located. We are used to talking about the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, and that's it. Meanwhile, the people who live in those parts call them the Baltic Sea and the Bothnian Sea, and between them lies the Åland Sea. And on it – a "handful of stones" thrown into the water, the Åland Islands, clearly separating the two bodies of water.
Seemingly far, yet so close. Sailing from Gdańsk to the capital of these islands, we have to cover a distance roughly equal to that from Rzeszów to Szczecin. However, reaching it takes several days, so a traditional week-long cruise might not be enough, especially if we also want to explore the area.
We know Greece has many islands, but probably no one knows exactly how many. Some sources say 2.5 thousand, others 3 thousand. The official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation states that Greece has 6,000 larger and smaller islands, of which 277 are inhabited, and only 53 have a population of over a thousand. The Åland Islands (and here's the first surprise) consist of 6,757 islands and islets, although only about 60 of them are inhabited.
The Sixtieth Parallel
If we set off from Gdańsk, we have about 350 NM to cover; if from Świnoujście, about 420 NM. By Baltic standards, this is already a multi-day expedition. When sailing the Baltic, we don't often spend several days at sea. It's a good time to practice navigation without plotters, for example. We are heading north. It's worth realizing that the Åland Islands are at 60° latitude. At this latitude, Greenland begins to the north, and to the south, it's almost Elephant Island (61° south latitude), from which Sir Ernest Shackleton set off on the "James Caird" on his famous rescue mission to South Georgia. It's only 6.5° from here to the Arctic Circle. Feeling a bit chilly? Not necessarily. Despite their location, the Åland Islands are not a land locked in ice. In the warmest months, from early June to early September, average daily temperatures reach 20°C. Last year, in July and August, temperatures exceeding 25°C were recorded.
Wonderful Åland
If you visit the Åland Islands in June or July, especially around the summer solstice, you can enjoy the phenomenon of the "white nights". Then the sun sets for a very short time, and it's practically light all the time. Perhaps someone will note in the ship's log: We were setting sails all night... because you took your time and the whole operation lasted about an hour...
So here we are in this strange land, which "The Song of the Åland Islands" describes as:
A land of a thousand isles and skerries,
Brought forth from the depths of the waves
(….......................................................)
Wonderful Åland, where in spring shine
The straits and bays of encroaching blue,
A delight to traverse the forests and woods,
Along with the flowery fields of our shores,
The May tree in the evening sky's glow
(…...........................................................................)
Wonderful Åland, when the foam born of waves,
Billows in clash with the mighty cliff
And indeed, there are thousands of rocky islands here, large and small. Sometimes it's a wall of greenery, which, especially in spring and early summer, shimmers with countless shades. Sometimes a small grove with a colourful little house nestled under a tree. And sometimes just a boulder protruding from the water. Some of these boulders resemble large Moomins… Perhaps they were the inspiration for Tove Jansson, who wrote the stories of these famous fairytale characters right here on the Åland Islands.
The water here is crystal clear. Many people are surprised that the Baltic can be so clean. You can see the bottom at a depth of several metres. And the colours are as if someone turned up the sharpness and saturation.
Navigation
Sailing here requires great caution and strict adherence to the marked channels. They are marked with green and red buoys and a multitude of cardinal marks of all sorts of shapes. You can find them with topmarks and without. They appear both as buoys and poles, and even as yellow and black painted stones. At night, we can expect sector lights, lighted buoys, and lighthouses. However, you must be careful, as not all the marks outlining our safe route are lit – and not because they are broken. Sailing in these regions is a good time to gain more practice in recognising navigational marks.
A Bit of History
The Åland Islands belong to Finland; in Finnish, they are called Ahvenanmaa. Although they are an administrative unit of this country, you won't hear Finnish here, but Swedish, which is the official language. Locally, you will therefore encounter the Swedish name, Åland. The islands are inhabited by just under 29,000 people, 90% of whom are Swedes.
However, the Åland Islands have not always belonged to Finland. From the early Middle Ages, they were settled by Swedes. This was the case until 1809, when after the Russo-Swedish War, they were ceded to Russia under the Treaty of Hamina and became part of the Russian Empire. During the Crimean War in 1854–1855, the islands were occupied by the British-French fleet. After the war, they still belonged to the Russian Empire, but the 1856 treaty mandated their demilitarization. In 1917, they declared independence from Russia. Although four years later the majority of Ålanders favoured Sweden, by decision of the Council of the League of Nations, the islands were awarded to Finland, but on the condition of their political neutrality, demilitarization, and autonomy for the inhabitants. The status of the Åland Islands was finally confirmed by a Finnish law in 1951. In 1994, in a separate referendum, the residents agreed to join the European Union along with Finland.
The Åland Islands Today
And one might think everything is settled. But no! This is Åland, a place strange not only because of its specific nature. Above all, it is an autonomous territory with its own parliament and government headed by a prime minister. Since the end of the Crimean War, the islands have been a demilitarized zone; no military units are allowed to be stationed or sail there. Even military aircraft cannot fly over this area. The inhabitants of the archipelago are the only Finnish citizens exempt from military service. They have their own anthem – the aforementioned "Ålänningens sång" ("The Song of the Åland Islands" or "The Song of the Ålanders"). They are so distinct that they have their own internet domain [.ax] and – although used unofficially – use the AX sticker on car license plates.
That's not all. Because on the one hand, the Åland Islands belong to the Schengen Area, so no passport controls are needed to travel there, and the official currency is the euro. But on the other hand, they have the status of a third territory of the EU, meaning EU tax regulations do not apply here. And this means that duty-free shopping is available throughout the land and sea area of Åland. This is very evident, for example, on the happy faces of Swedes taking advantage of this privilege on ferries operating between Sweden and Finland.
On the one hand, there is free movement of people, goods, and services. On the other hand, not everyone can become a full-fledged citizen of the islands. To be able to buy an apartment and avoid the Finnish military draft, one must have lived here for at least five years, possess Finnish citizenship, and prove proficiency in the Swedish language. If someone wants to run a business, they must know that two-thirds of the management in any company operating on the archipelago must be citizens of the Åland Islands (exceptions include, among others, maritime carriers).
Mariehamn
The first place on Åland worth sailing to is the capital. In Finnish, Maarianhamina, but in the local language – Mariehamn. It is the only town on the islands, with a population of about 11,000. Let's add that the entire archipelago is inhabited by just under 29,000 people. And the origin of the name? Where today's capital of Åland stands, there was once the village of Övernäs, located on an isthmus between two bays. During the time when the area of today's Finland and the Åland Islands belonged to the Russian Empire, a town was built around the settlement. In 1861, Tsar Alexander II, wanting to honour his wife Maria Alexandrovna, gave it the name Mariehamn, which in Swedish means "Maria's Port".
We can moor here in two places: on the eastern or western side of the town. Locals usually moor on the eastern side, while most yachts arriving in Mariehamn stop on the western side, in the marina with the charming name Åss. There are toilets, showers, and laundry facilities here, as well as a regularly activated Finnish sauna available within the port fee.
At one time, a trip was also included in the port fee. First, you took a bus to Eckerö, where you transferred to a ferry to Sweden. As soon as the ship cast off, the biggest attraction for travellers (mainly Swedes) was, of course, the duty-free shop, stocked with beverages with a higher alcohol percentage than the same ones available back home. In Sweden, most passengers disembarked, walking unsteadily and pulling trolleys loaded with the aforementioned spirits. The trip guaranteed a return to the Åland Islands – provided you left the ferry for a minute and set foot on Swedish soil. Once you did that, you could return to Eckerö, and from there, take the bus back to Mariehamn.
Eckerö
You can also get to Eckerö from Mariehamn by bicycle. The Åland Islands have a well-developed network of cycle paths. Getting around on them is a real pleasure, and the ride from Mariehamn to Eckerö takes about two hours. When you reach Eckerö, it's worth visiting Smart Park, a family amusement park where not only children have fun. Adults also have a great time there, for example, with laser tag wars. The Museum of Hunting and Fishing is also an interesting place, where the daily life on the islands is comprehensively presented. You can also sail to Eckerö by yacht and moor in the bay of Käringsund, located north of the town. Of course, as everywhere in Åland, you need to be careful about your boat's draft and the depths shown on the charts.
Kastelholm
It's also worth heading to Kastelholm, about an hour and a half's bike ride from Mariehamn. There you can visit the only medieval castle on the Åland Islands. Inside the building, there is an image of a white eagle on a red background. It so happened that one of the rulers of the fortress was Catherine Jagiellon, daughter of Sigismund I the Old and Bona Sforza, wife of King John III of Sweden, and mother of Sigismund III Vasa.
If you want to experience what an Åland farm looked like around 1800, it's worth visiting the Jan Karlsgården open-air museum, and then change the mood and visit the Prison Museum. A trip to the Kastelholm area can be concluded at the well-known snail farm "Ålandia Escargots", where you can sample these molluscs served in garlic butter with cider.
An Angler's Paradise
Or maybe spend time on Åland in a completely different way? It's a true paradise for anglers. The archipelago of thousands of small islands jutting into the water with bays, straits, and headlands creates a unique gigantic fishing ground. Among the skerries and extensive bays between the largest islands, you can feel more like you're on a lake district than at sea. The silence, nature, and clean, sheltered waters make it easy to escape the hustle and bustle of the world. The Baltic is not a very salty sea, and the further you are from the Danish straits, the lower the salinity, so you can fish for, among other things, pike, of which there are very many in Åland waters. Furthermore, you can find perch, pike-perch (walleye), and ide in this area. Those who prefer float fishing are awaited by bream and roach.
Fishing requires appropriate licences covering specific bodies of water. Such permits can be purchased, for example, through fishing shops or tourist information points. If you don't want to buy a licence, because you're only here for a few days, for example, it's best to hire a fishing guide who will take you by boat to the most interesting fishing spots.
"Pommern"
Let's return to the eastern side of Mariehamn. There is one more place we must visit: the museum ship "Pommern". This is a 95-meter long barque with a width of 13 m, built in 1903. On its four masts, the tallest of which was 48 m, it spread 28 sails with a total area of 3,240 m². It was a modern sailing ship for its time, and therefore, despite its large size, it was operated by only 26 people. It was excellently equipped. It had a steam engine which assisted with loading and unloading, as well as operating the bilge pump and anchor winch. There were two anchors on deck, each weighing 2.5 tons. In 1920, an additional single-cylinder engine was installed to support the steam engine. Interestingly, neither was used for propulsion. This colossus was powered solely by sail. The barque has been very well preserved, so when visiting it, we can feel the atmosphere of work and sailing from those years.
The "Pommern" belonged to the last great fleet of sailing ships owned by Gustaf Erikson, the famous shipowner from Mariehamn. He often bought sailing ships for scrap prices at a time when they were disappearing from the seas, replaced by mechanically powered vessels. He mainly transported grain from Australia to Europe on them. At its peak, his fleet numbered over 20 sailing ships. Interestingly, the last commercial voyages by wind-powered vessels took place in 1950 – but that's a topic for a completely different story...
A Galeas for Everyone
Let's return for a moment to Mariehamn. It's worth walking from the western marina to the eastern one, to the maritime quarter – Sjökvarteret. Strolling along the quays and jetties, looking at traditional wooden boats peeking out from boat houses, you might come across a real find: the Craft Centre, and in it, a boatyard building the galeas "Emelia". And there would be nothing unusual about it – after all, many boatyards build ships – if it weren't for the fact that it's done publicly here. Anyone can see how a wooden boat is built.
Galeases were small, usually coastal cargo sailing vessels from the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. They were most commonly found on the Baltic and North Seas. "Emelia" will be a two-masted gaff schooner with a hull length of 25.6 m (32.5 m with the bowsprit) and will take up to 27 people on board. It is being built entirely using traditional methods, from oak wood. It is a copy of the galeas "Emelia" built in 1889. What is unusual is not only that the boat is being created publicly but also that anyone can become a co-owner. The regional government of the Åland Islands covers 25% of the costs, estimated at 2.3 million euros; the rest comes from business and public funds. So you can finance part of the construction, but it doesn't have to be a large contribution; it could be, for example, the purchase of a single plank. And that's not all; there is also the possibility of taking part in building the galeas as a trainee! Of course, then you need to make an appointment in advance and reserve more time. And finally, when "Emelia" is ready – expected in 2026 – you will be able to sail on it by chartering the ship or joining a cruise.
A Pyramid in the Middle of the Sea
Leaving Mariehamn and the Åland Islands, almost at the western end of the archipelago, on one of the islets, you will see a distinctive pyramid-shaped building. It's a replica of the old pilot station on Kobba Klintar. It's worth stopping there to feel the strange mood that overcomes us when we enter a white pyramid somewhere in the middle of the sea between Sweden and Finland. You can soak up the peace, interesting architecture, and beautiful views – both of nature and the large ships entering and leaving Mariehamn.
Or maybe we just want to sail the waters of the archipelago, stopping in small ports or mooring directly to the islands? Exploring Åland this way can be an unforgettable adventure. It's best to sail on not-too-large yachts with a shallow draft. To do this safely, it's good to have, besides electronics (which are not always precise), detailed paper charts, for example in the form of an atlas. Immersing yourself in this swarm of "stones", we will feel as if we are on another planet, sometimes almost deserted… And yet it's so close.
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