The potter Judy runs her shop and workshop in this old dairy locale. Judy greets all visitors with a warm smile and enjoys chatting about her handicrafts. You can watch her at the potter's wheel or decorating the ceramics of her own designs or you can just look around in the shop.

The artistic handicraft tradition is alive and well in Åland. The Åland art crafters combine old handicraft traditions with new creativity. In the craft shops you'll find creations made of natural materials such as wood, textile, wool, leather, metal and clay.

Derek Coombes is a marketing executive from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. When he first came to Åland, it was love at first sight. That’s why he came back with his family. This is his story.

In summer 2010, a two-hundred-year-old ship was found at the bottom of the Sea of Åland. The wreck turned out to be a treasure trove. Its cargo included 160 bottles of champagne that were almost two centuries old. Some of the bottles were from the Veuve Clicquot champagne house. That’s how Fabienne Moreau first discovered Åland.

"A huge success". The first shows of digital opera at the Stadshuset in Mariehamn were a success. The performances from the Metropolitan in New York have been shown in several smaller places in Sweden and in Finland. Now you can combine a weekend in Mariehamn with opera of the highest calibre.

How did a Turkish pirate ship end up as a model in an Åland church? In the past, models of ships - known as votive ships - used to be set up in churches as a symbol of gratitude to divine providence. A truly special votive ship hangs in St Anna's church in the Kökar group of islands in the remotest part of the Åland archipelago.

This is the fifth year that there has been a Voices for the Baltic Sea event. This year it will be the grand finale of Mariehamn's 150th birthday celebrations! In the course of the evening, Åland's top singer elite will be taking the audience on a musical journey including everything from opera to rock 'n' roll.

In the Middle Ages, the Crusades passed by Åland. At that time, the island state was right in the middle of the Scandinavian artery, a sailing channel that these days is called the Valdemar Fairway. The motorway of the times was mentioned in writing in Latin in the 1200s. The fairway runs from Arholma to Åland and the Finnish archipelago. A number of traces of medieval times have been preserved in Åland.