Discover the Åland Islands: History and Island Nature

The Åland Islands offer a range of travel experiences that cannot be reduced to a single focus: cultural history, striking landscapes and activities on the water can be found in different places. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing the sites by their themes and keeping the ferry connections in mind.

Places with history

At the Kumlinge Cultural Centre, there is an exhibition featuring around a hundred old objects. The island group of Kumlinge lies in the middle of the Åland archipelago and comprises 800 islands. A specific cultural focus and a broader view of the archipelago thus sit side by side.

Hotel Glada Laxen is located in a former sea watch station, whose 40-metre-high observation tower is still standing. On Simskäla, after Anni Blomqvist’s death, Ålands kulturstiftelse took over her house in accordance with her will and, as she wished, preserves it as a writers’ residence and museum. Different historical connections are in focus here: the former use of a station and the designation of a house as a writers’ residence and museum.

The wooden Brändö Church was built in 1893 and dedicated to the Apostle James; it houses a 15th-century altarpiece. On Kökar, the historical themes reach further back: during the Bronze Age, seal hunters set up camps there, and in the Middle Ages a Franciscan monastery stood by the harbour. The church also offers a point of comparison across time: its building dates from the 19th century, while the altarpiece is from the 15th century.

Harbour village and landscape

On Föglö, Degerby’s Lotsmuseet has an exhibition about the time when Degerby was one of Åland’s most important harbours. A map for a historical walking tour of the village is available from the tourist information office or the municipal office. The museum and the walking tour thus offer different ways to explore the local history: one focuses on Degerby’s former importance as a harbour, while the other explores the village on a historical walk.

Along the hiking trail on Seglinge are rock formations called Jättegrytor, which are believed to have formed during the Ice Age. Ängskärs fjärden in Brändö is considered an intrusion crater: magma from the Earth’s interior displaced the rock and then sank back down. The crater is estimated to be around a billion years old. The rock formations and the crater offer different points of interest for travellers who are interested in landscape and geological history as well as cultural history.

Activities and travel

A seal safari lasting around four hours with guide Kaj Lundberg takes visitors to the rocks of the outer archipelago, where seals rest on the rocks, dive or look out of the water with their heads. Allow approximately four hours for this safari. If you would like to include kayaking, consider Brändö as a destination.

The M/S Skarven ferry runs many times a day from Svinö to Degerby on Föglö; check the current timetable before travelling. Ferries run from Långnäs to Överö and continue from there to the rest of the archipelago. Check the current routes and timetables for these services too. At the wider regional level, ferries operated by Ålandstrafiken connect mainland Åland with Åland’s six archipelago municipalities and Finland’s Åboland region. Several ferries depart for Åland every day from Finland and Sweden. As timetables vary, it is advisable to check the latest departure times with the ferry operators. A specific connection to Degerby and the wider regional ferry network thus represent different levels of trip planning.

Discover more destinations: Åland’s countryside, Mariehamn city.

For the main travel overview: Åland.