Åland Islands

Finland's Swedish-speaking autonomous archipelago, offering island cycling, maritime history and peaceful Nordic summer days.

Åland is an autonomous region of Finland at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea, made up of thousands of islands. Its official language is Swedish, and it has demilitarised status. The capital, Mariehamn, has a maritime museum and the four-masted barque museum ship Pommern, while the main island has the medieval Kastelholm Castle and the ruins of the Bomarsund fortress. The islands are fairly flat, ideal for cycling, boating and island-hopping by car. Summer, with its long daylight hours and pleasant weather, is the best time to visit. You can get there by ferry from Stockholm, Turku and elsewhere, or via Mariehamn Airport.

Destinations

• Åland Islands (Mariehamn)

Itineraries

• Mariehamn & Sund Castle Cycling Tour – Based in Mariehamn and Sund, explore sailing ships, medieval castles, and Russian fortress ruins.
• Åland Main Island Cycling Loop – Cycle around the main island of Åland, connecting pilot stations, west coast custom houses, Geta hills, and Sund castle…
• Åland Island-Hopping Cycling Tour to Turku – Island-hop from Mariehamn via Föglö and Kökar, cycling and taking ferries all the way east to Turku.