Mariehamn

Introducing Mariehamn

Pretty Mariehamn will seem a bustling metropolis if you've arrived from some of the other entry points in Åland or have spent some time in the archipelago. It's by far the largest settlement hereabouts and is spread-out and elegant, with stately wooden houses looking over broad tree-lined streets - it has been dubbed the 'town of a thousand linden trees'. Built on a peninsula, it is framed on either side by marinas full of gleaming sailing boats. It is hectic here in summer but outside the peak season Mariehamn reverts to its somnolent, local self.

Mariehamn was founded in 1861 by Tsar Alexander II, who named the town after his wife, Tsarina Maria. Mariehamn is the administrative and economic centre of Åland. It is the seat of the lagting and landskapsstyrelse, the legislative and executive bodies of Åland, and has several good museums.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009