Åland - Islands of Opportunity To get to Åland you’ll need to cross the sea - what will you find when you arrive? Seafarers and boat builders? IT experts and chip manufacturers? Farmers and opera singers? There’s a simple answer: All of the above and then some. Åland is just this diverse. Just as active and modern as it is tranquil and traditional. Åland is a patchwork of islands strewn across the middle of the Baltic sea. It has one city, Mariehamn, and a vibrant countryside. You’ll always be close to the sea, washed by briny sea breezes. Åland is a country in the middle – a mixture of Sweden and Finland seasoned with influences from the time when Åland was part of the Russian Empire. Today, Åland is self-governing and, thanks to its autonomy, able to create a society according to its own needs and conditions. THE ÅLANDERS are an enterprising people. They are used to doing things themselves and relying on their own abilities. But, they never turn away from the world at large, either. They have sailed the seven seas and returned with new ideas and
dreams. In many cases, they also came home with the wherewithal to realise them. IN ÅLAND, tradition and modern thinking go hand in hand. Windmills are restored and midsummer wreaths are made while high-tech companies serve customers all over the world. These two worlds can easily be brought together on such a small scale. THE CLIMATE IS temperate and summers are typically sunny. Åland is said to have the most hours of sunshine in the Nordic countries from May to August. It tends to be windy – usually blowing in from the southwest – and numerous wind turbines provide Åland with green power.
Åland’s original centre is where the village of Långsbergsöda is located today. This is where the very first Ålanders arrived. One might wonder just how they managed to find their way to Åland, which was an expanse of barren islands in the middle of the wide open sea, but the waters surrounding it were rich with seals, fish and sea birds and the first Ålanders were devoted hunters and fishers. IF YOU WOULD LIKE to learn more about Åland, visit the cultural history museum of Åland. A new permanent exhibition presents 7,500 years of Åland history, from the first inhabitants in the stone age to modern-day society.
MAIN ISLAND ATTRACTIONS THE MEDIEVAL CASTLE OF KASTELHOLM in Sund. JAN KARLSGÅRDEN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM in Sund.
ÅL A N D T R AV E L M A GAZ INE 2022
THE CROWN PRISON VITA BJÖRN in Sund. FINSTRÖM MEDIEVAL CHURCH.
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www.visitaland.com
