Åland’s museums and sights offer exciting time travels.
Discover Sund
The municipality of Sund is rich in cultural history and two of Ålands first and foremost sights are located here. At the ancient monument area of Kastelholm you can explore the medieval castle, the open-air museum Jan Karlsgården and the Prison Museum Vita Björn. After Kastelholm waits the Russian fortress ruins in Bomarsund. In the area are also a culture trail and two museums; one in the small pilot station and the other in the telegraph house in Prästö.
Good food during the Sund trip can be had at Jan Karlsgårdens Wärdshus & Café in Kastelholm or at Furulundsgården in Bomarsund.
The Mail Route
The statelyEckerö Mail & Customs House was built in 1828 in Empire style and used to be Russia’s border to Sweden. Today the buildings house exhibitions with art and handicrafts, a post office, café and a mail route museum which tells about the mail route peasants’ treacherous lives. By car you can follow the historical mail route dating back to the 1600’s. It stretches across Åland – from Storby in Eckerö to Hullvik in Vårdö and then out in the archipelago all the way to the Finnish mainland.
A shipping town
Mariehamn is by tradition a shipping town. Get acquainted with the memories and stories from the era of the sailing ships at the Åland Maritime Museum and the Museum Ship Pommern in the western harbour.
In the eastern harbour on the other side of town is the maritime Quarter, home port for several beautiful sailing ships, still in use. You can also make an outing to Skeppargården Pellas in Lemland.
Åland Art
Art is big in Åland. There are several active artists that are happy to receive visitors in their studios. You can also discover the treasures in the galleries and museums of Åland. Visit the Åland Art Museum and the Önningeby museum.
John Granlund