Cultural history gems - at museums and in everyday life

CULTURAL HISTORY GEMS

- at museums and in everyday life

Explore the events that formed Åland since people first set foot upon its shores thousands of years ago. At that time, life was centred around hunting and fishing. Today, the islands have just celebrated their first 100 years as an autonomous part of Finland.

A journey through Åland’s history begins at the Cultural History Museum of Åland. The museum’s main exhibition presents the first 7,500 years of the island group, taking you the visitor chronologically through its history, from the first Ålanders to today’s modern, autonomous society. Along the way, the stubborn islanders have hunted seal, farmed and fished, sailed the seven seas and existed as part of both Sweden and Russia. Today, Åland stands on its own feet as part of Finland.

YET, WE STILL FIND MANY memories from exciting periods all over Åland. If you want to start at the very beginning, head over to Långbergen hill, which is higher than its name suggests. It was here that the land first poked up out of the sea after the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. Up on the hill, you’ll find traces of the old shore-

SIGHTS WORTH SEEING

CULTURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF ÅLAND, Mariehamn. LÅNGBERGEN - Nature path and Stone Age settlement. KALEN - Hiking trail and ancient ruins. HAMNÖ - Culture path, monastery ruins and seafarer’s chapel.

www.museum.ax

Begin your voyage through time at the new Visitor Centre!

The ruins of the Bomarsund fortress are a powerful reminder of the time when mighty nations exploited Åland, using it as a pawn in their power struggle with far-reaching consequences for society. The exhibition presents the fortress area and tells the story of a dramatic chapter in Åland’s history. The story continues among the ruins in the beautiful, natural setting. Walk the hiking paths to cemeteries of five different faiths and up to scenic viewpoints, offering wonderful, panoramic views of the nearby archipelago.

lines, which are now 100 metres above sea level. Here is a nature path and one of the oldest Stone Age settlement sites in Åland.

Also of interest is the Kalen hiking trail on Kökar, with its cairn and traces of seal hunting from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. While there, don’t forget to visit Hamnö, an important harbour during the Middle Ages, where you’ll find the ruins of a Franciscan monastery.

ÅLAND ADOPTS CHRISTIANITY EARLY As early as the end of the 1100s, the first churches were already being built. These were made of wood and replaced by stone churches in the 1200s. The stone churches at both Finström and Jomala are still standing. Today, they are considered two of the most well preserved medieval buildings in Finland. There are a total of 16 churches and several chapels to visit in Åland.

THERE ARE SEVERAL remnants of the middle ages in Kastelholm. in the year 1400 Åland became an administrative province of Sweden, with Kastelholm Castle serving as the administrative centre. The heyday of the castle occurred during the rise of the Vasa dynasty, when King Gustav Vasa and his sons held the throne in Sweden. For example, King Erik XIV was imprisoned in the castle together with his wife Karin Månsdotter.

Behind the castle is the Jan Karlsgården open-air museum, Ålands Skansen, with older buildings from the 1800s and even more stories about olden times. AFTER BELONGING TO SWEDEN, Åland and Finland became part of the Russian Empire after the Finnish War of 1808-1809. At the same time, Åland was made the farthest western outpost of the Russian Empire, and construction of the massive fortifications at Bomarsund began in 1830. The fortress was later destroyed by French and English forces during the Crimean War in 1854, but the ruins remain to this day. At the new Visitor Centre, you can experience the rise and fall of Bomarsund with sound and images before heading out to the fortress site itself.

SIGHTS WORTH SEEING

BOMARSUND FORTRESS RUINS - New Visitor Centre. JAN KARLSGÅRDEN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM - Kastelholm. KASTELHOLM CASTLE - Kastelholm. ÅLAND’S CHURCHES - Visit www.kyrkor.ax/startpage/