Mariehamn

Mariehamn

Mariehamn was founded by Tsar Alexander II in 1861. He named the city after his wife Maria Alexandrovna. Mariehamn means “Marie’s Ports.” The town, at that time, was near an old farm village named Overnas, which was in the center of the island and was part of the town of Jomala. Mariehamn grew around that village and is located today where Overnas once was situated. You can visit the Overnas cottage, located in the eastern part of Skillnadsgatan, which is the only remnant of that time.

Mariehamn is the regional center of Aland, where the government and parliament are located. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Jomala and Lemland. The native language is Swedish. It has a coat of arms that is shaped like a shield and is made of yellow and blue. There is an anchor in the lower two-thirds of the shield and three leaves across the top one-third. The anchor represents the shipping industry that makes up the main livelihood for the city, and the leaves reference the linden trees that line the city’s parks. The town is known as “The town of a thousand linden trees.”

With summer temperatures that are cooler than the Swedish and Finnish mainlands and milder winter temps than Finland’s mainland, it is not hard to understand why people love Mariehamn. There are approximately 12,000 people living in the city, and over 1.5 million people visit it yearly.

Mariehamn is a key to the ferry traffic which runs between Finland and Sweden. Because it is located in the center of the Baltic Sea, it is also a popular stop for cruises operating there. This is perhaps due to the area’s duty-free policies, where tourists can shop ‘til they drop without having to pay duty taxes. The area offers plenty of stores to visit and things to do, and most of its shopping and entertainment experiences can be taken in within walking distance of the town’s center.

Mariehamn is considered a major summer resort town. Many people from Finland, Sweden, and Europe come to Mariehamn for their summer holidays. Imagine strolling the streets and being caught up in an atmosphere where people from all over the world are speaking different languages but everyone is laughing and making memories while experiencing the island life, where long traditions and local culture are trademark. It is idyllic! In the summertime, there is a lot of activity with concerts, fairs, and conferences in the city. Mariehamn is also home to a summer and winter Jazz Festival, the Rockoff Festival, and Katarina concerts.

Stroll down Torggatan, which is the main shopping street. Here you will find ice cream kiosks, food trucks, and plenty of places to sit and rest. There is a local handicraft shop called SALT, which has local handicrafts and designs such as wooded cookware, ceramics, and wool accessories. There is also a shop that sells locally designed and crafted jewelry. The shop fronts look extremely inviting, and it would be hard not to stop in every shop on the street.

There is a wide range of restaurants that span the entire budget spectrum. You will find pizza and kebabs at lower-budget places like Draken Kebab, or for Finnish fast food you can try Hesburger Mariehamn. Mid-range restaurants like Pub Albin or Pizza Diablo offer pizza, or visit Marie Bar, a corner café that serves fresh sandwiches and baked goods. There are other restaurants that offer great food and unique atmosphere, like Restaurant Pommern, which is arranged with ship’s fittings, or Restaurang Sittkoffska Garden, which uses locally-sourced ingredients and given an unorthodox touch to some of the dishes. While locally-sourced fish is always on the menu, visitors also will find locally-sourced ostrich is served if they wish to eat one of the healthiest red meats there is.

There are numerous bars and clubs where visitors can unwind, and some of them have live music and DJs on the weekends. The bars are frequented by the locals, so tourists have a great opportunity to get to know and talk to them and learn more about Mariehamn.

To experience the history and culture of the city, visitors start at the town hall of Mariehamn and the state government building. After a day of shopping on Torggatan, shoppers can stroll up a slope where they can stop in at the town hall and also stop to rest in a park with a fountain. Pictures by the statue of Maria Alexandrovna are always a good idea, and then visit the Cultural History Museum of Aland and the Aland Islands Art Museum.

Since Mariehamn is known for its maritime history, The Maritime Quarter Sjokvarteret is a must-see. Here, visitors view boathouses and old wooden boats and then visit the seafarer’s chapel at the end of the pier. There are numerous other places they pay tribute to the shipping history, such as the Sunnan II, which is a restaurant boat that offers dinner cruises. Visit any of the marinas or harbors, or take a walk along the shoreline and watch for one of the 40 ferries to leave the area on their way to Sweden and Finland.

Walking through this city, taking in all of the culture, studying the architecture (which is a mix of Russian, Gothic Revival, and Renaissance), and feeling the vibrant energy of the locals and tourists, is an experience that will last a lifetime. From the four-masted sailing vessel, Pommern, which is the only museum ship of its kind in the world, to the award-winning Aland Maritime Museum, shopping, delicious cuisine like butter-fried perch, recreation, walks along the shoreline, and beautiful sunsets, Mariehamn definitely should be placed on your bucket list as the next experience to enjoy.