The maritime town Mariehamn is best experienced on foot.
Sights
Visit the Åland Museum and Art Museum, The Maritime Museum, The Museum Ship Pommern, the library and the Maritime Quarter. A stroll up to Badhusberget in the western harbour offers a view across Mariehamn, and the sea in the west.
Shopping
Most of the shops are located in the Sittkoff galleria (shopping mall) or the pedestrian street called Torggatan. It also pays to walk slightly outside the town centre. At Köpmansgatan 11 you will, for example, find Judys Hantverk & Inredning (handicrafts and home decorating). Judy offers both her own ceramics for sale and Korpi & Gordon’s great designs.
Then continue to the Maritime Quarter in the eastern harbour. Here are the SALT Craft’s Centre, the jewellers Guldviva Smyckessmedja and P-Å Silversmeden, SEA-Design, a boat building museum and the ecological Café Bönan.
Sun and Sea
A stone’s throw from the town centre is the beach Lilla Holmen. Here your children can swim, play in the sand, climb on the pirate ship or say hello to the animals in the aviary. There are beaches also at Nabben in northern Mariehamn, at the Gröna Udden camping ground and at Espholm, south of Mariehamn.
The swimming centre Mariebad also offers fun bathing experiences. Apart from adventure baths and an exercise pool, the centre also offers an outdoor beach that both young and adults will enjoy.
Active day
The maritime walk “Sjöfartspromenaden” is perfect if you can’t sit still. A map of the walk can be purchased from the Åland Tourist Information at Storagatan 8.
You can also rent a bicycle from Ro-No Rent and bike to Järsö. The 10 km long bicycle ride offers bridges, road banks and the beautiful archipelago nature. Once you arrive at Järsö, a cup of coffee awaits at Stickstugan Hantverk & café.
Good food
There are plenty of cosy cafés, fine restaurants, pizzerias and other food places in Mariehamn. It is just to pick and choose.
Architecture
Finland’s first female master builder, Hilda Hongell, was born in Mariehamn in 1867. Many of her buildings can be seen and admired if you walk along Mariegatan and Södragatan.
In Mariehamn there are also several buildings by the architect Lars Sonck (1870-1956). Among others, the City Hall, the maritime school, S:t Göran’s church and the ÅSS Paviljong.
Visit Åland