Travels:Aland

The Finnish weather has being very kind with us so far, sunny days did not leave. For this reason, spending a weekend in Mariehamn (the main town of Aland) is being an awesome experience.

Aland is a complex of islands in Finnish territory and it is located between Finland and Sweden. The islands are in total more than 6.500 and the official Language is actually Swedish.

Getting to Aland from Turku is pretty simple, there are two different ferry lines (Viking Line and Silja Line) that go there daily and it takes about 5 hours.

The ferry time is pretty awesome itself, 5 hours sailing in the Baltic sea through the Archipelago, enjoying the beautiful landscapes.

The town center and countryside in Mariehamn are lovely. The nature and the architecture of the building are very beautiful.

We were so lucky to meet a friend’s friend who showed us around and told us that some stuff about the town.

She told us that most of the houses in town follow the style established by Finland’s first woman master builder, Hilda Hongell.

During the time we were in Aland there was a very famous and characteristic festival: Aland Harvest Festival.

For this reason, many farms all around Aland where open to visitors and it was possible to visit them and buy the typical, homemade products. We spent the all afternoon going from farm to farm, enjoying the sun and the magic atmosphere.

On Sunday morning, just before our departure, a new friend drove us to one of the typical cafeteria on the main island.

She explained to us that some people (especially during summer) open the door of their home and gardens to set up a temporary cafeteria for visitors and other locals. The cafeteria was just beautiful and the cakes where the best.

Talking to the locals I was impressed to see how different they are from the other Finnish people.

I had the feeling that they like to consider themselves like a population a part from both Finland and Sweden.

They love being unique and they would not give this privilege up for any reason.

I wish I could have spent more time on the island in order to discover more about this unique place.

 

 I suggest the trip to everyone.