Every design for Mariehamn

Ever stepped off a ferry in the Western Harbour and found yourself under linden trees a few minutes later? That is Mariehamn, the capital of Åland and the seat of its government and parliament, a Swedish-speaking town that holds a large share of the islands' people. Summer brings visitors in their crowds, yet the place keeps the easy pace of a small seafaring town.

The Pommern sets the tone. The four-masted barque, moored in the Western Harbour as part of the Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum, recalls the years after the First World War when Mariehamn was known for its Grain Fleet, and the statue Mannen vid ratten honours the sailors the sea kept. Across the narrow peninsula, the Eastern Harbour holds one of the largest marinas in Scandinavia and the old Dutch steamer F.P. von Knorring. In between run the Esplanade with its lindens, the pedestrian stretch of Torggatan and Södragatan, one of the oldest streets, still lined with wooden houses. The Ålands museum and the Nabben wetland are a short walk away.

Everyday life runs between the two harbours, with the sea never more than a few streets away. When the ferry rounds the point and the masts of the Pommern rise over the Western Harbour, Mariehamn people know they are home.