Åland – a place to meet

Situated right in the middle of the Baltic Sea with excellent connections, Åland is the perfect place to hold a conference. Here you’ll find meeting and conference facilities to suit every need, and many of the facilities have been awarded environmental certification. The Åland Convention Bureau will assist you – completely free of charge – in realising your plans.

The Åland Convention Bureau’s free services include – information and advice on meeting facilities, accommodations, transportation and social activities – introductory visits for relevant decision-makers and site visits prior to a booked event – introduction to local actors, businesses and authorities – access to a wide variety of PR materials, images, videos, presentations and facts – free information, such as city maps and tourist guides for all attendees. CONTACT ÅCB

conventions@visitaland.com +358 18 24 255 www.visitaland.com/acb www.facebook.com/ alandconventionbureau

MEETING VENUES

KÄRINGSUND RESORT & CONFERENCE in Eckeröš. ALANDICA CULTURE & CONGRESS in Mariehamn. HOTEL ARKIPELAG in Mariehamn. SILVERSKÄR AND KLOBBEN in Saltvik. HOTEL PARK ALANDIA in Mariehamn. ÅLANDHOTELS in Mariehamn. SHIPPING LINES ECKERÖ LINJEN, TALLINK SILJA AND VIKING LINE.

Find your dream house in Åland!

When you move to Åland, you can buy a house or plot of land in a planned area directly. Most of these areas are set in beautiful locations close to nature, some with sea views and boat moorings. An owner apartment is another alternative where you own shares in a residential property. Residential construction underway in the garden districts of Mariehamn and its surrounding municipalities is currently extensive.

Buy a house, plot of land or owner apartment!

Many municipalities have planned residential areas, where you can buy a turnkey house or a plot for building your own. Those interested in moving to Åland will also find an excellent selection of owner apartments available, where you can own shares in a block of apartments or a single-family house. You can find a list of real estate agents on our website!

We’ll be glad to tell you more!

Åland Living will provide you with more information on moving to Åland, housing and employment opportunities as well as guidance in dealing with various authorities and businesses. Read more at www.alandliving.ax

Landing a dream job in Mariehamn

Mariehamn is the smallest metropolis in the Nordic countries and Åland’s only town. Here, nature and the sea are always close by, as are the big cities all around it. When your job, house, day care centre, school and leisure activities are all within walking or biking distance, you’ll have much more free time at your disposal.

After 26 years of living in a hectic urban environment, Evelina Grandell Rosenlund wanted a life closer to nature.

“I grew up in Eastern Finland, so nature has always been really important to me,” explains Evelina. “I come from the Saimaa region, where there is just as much water as there is land. I think that’s why I was looking for a place close to the sea.”

The fact that it ended up being Mariehamn and Åland was no coincidence. As a young adult, Evelina spent several summers in Åland, and she appreciated the modern and safe island community. With family and friends in both Finland and Sweden, the idea to settle somewhere in between began to take shape.

“I subscribed to get news from the Åland Livings website. It has really useful information for anyone interested in moving to Åland,” explains Evelina.

Opportunities for growth After a few months, a listing for her dream job suddenly popped up. The Town of Mariehamn was looking for a Head of Elderly Care. With several years of experience as head of elderly care in the Enskede-ÅrstaVantör district of Stockholm, Evelina knew the position was a perfect fit for her. In June 2021, the moving van arrived in Mariehamn.

“To be useful to the community and my fellow human beings has always been important to me,” adds Evelina. “Here, in this little community, it feels even more important to contribute.”

Evelina enjoys heading up a relatively large, yet somehow still small-scale organisation. Mariehamn’s elderly care services employs a staff of approximately 180. Elderly care involves preventive work, home care services and housing services. As a relatively new Head of Elderly Care for the Town of Mariehamn, Evelina sees many opportunities for development, such as increasing the use of welfare technologies. She has already initiated a programme of change, which will address partner competences and enhance the quality of life of the elderly.

Paradise for families with children It has been easy to put roots down in Mariehamn. After living in a flat for a while, Evelina bought a house near the water, which is just under a 15-minute walk from her job.

“I can wholeheartedly recommend Mariehamn, particularly for families with children,” says Evelina. “Here, everything is close by, safe and the elementary school is outstanding! And I can almost guarantee that anyone with qualifications in care services who is interested in development and improvement will be able to find a job with us!”

”Underbart att allt är så nära, både platser

”In Mariehamn everything is close by and safe”

Familjen Könönen-Wahlstedt flyttade från storstan till sjönära villa i Mariehamn. när avstånden är korta och bilköer nästintill obefintliga finns mer tid På visitaland.com hittar du information om evenemang och aktiviteter, där kan du också boka din ålandsupplevelse. På alandliving.com finns tips och råd till dig som funderar på att flytta hit. Vare sig du kommer hit för att semestra, bo eller leva, hoppas vi att du får trevliga minnen

Evelina moved from Stockholm to Mariehamn. www.mariehamn.ax/en

Biking in Åland

Åland is a pleasant place for biking, with lovely sceneries and many places of interest. In order for you to have a safe and nice bicycle trip, here is some advice on what you as a cyclist should know. Did you know that the bike is a vehicle and its rider a driver? Thus, the same rules apply for bicycles as for other vehicles. Right-hand traffic applies for cyclists on roads and on cycle paths too. As a driver of a vehicle you must observe right of way for vehicles approaching from the right. This doesn’t mean you can simply charge ahead into an intersecting roadway without looking. You have to exercise the care that circumstances demand. This is all about interaction with other people and respect for agreements and rules of traffic. For your own safety you need to pay attention in every situtation even if you have the right of way. Please remember only children under 12 years of age can ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. Cyclists can travel side by side only when this can be done without danger, and not at all on sidewalks. Bicycles with more than two wheels, as well as mopeds, can’t be driven side by side with another bicycle or moped at all. Sign well in advance when making a turn, look behind you and make sure you can turn without risk. A safe bicycle is equipped with a bell, working brakes, white reflector in front, red in back, orange spoke reflectors (2 pcs) and lamp back and front. Use a reflective vest while biking to make sure you’re visible at a distance. Last but not least, don’t forget your helmet, it’s a cheap life insurance!

Don´t forget your helmet, it´s a cheap life insurance!

Road signs to be aware of

Walkway

This is a walkway, biking not allowed.

Walkway/cycle path

This path is divided into one part for pedestrians and one for cyclists. The symbols on the sign tell you which part is meant for which category.

Right of way

Cyclists entering a road area from a cycle path must observe right of way. This means that you lower your speed in time or stop, and you can only continue when there is no traffic with right of way. NB! As a cyclist you must always observe right of way, even when the crossing is marked in white for cyclists.

Stop sign

All vehicles must stop at this sign, this also includes bicycles.

Pedestrian crossing

All vehicles, including bicycles, must let pedestrians cross. At a crossing with no marking in white for cyclists, you should walk your bicycle across.

Bicycle path

The sign indicates distance to a location along the bicycle path.

Bicycle crossing

When you are crossing a road via a bicycle crossing, you must give way to crossing traffic.