🇦🇽 Åland Islands

Hej! I’m sharing a glimpse of my experience visiting beautiful Ålands. I was there just at Christmas (2023). Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.
Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried and liked. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and does not cover all the wonderful local features and places ☺️.

🗺 Places: Mariehamn, Eckerö.

🏛 Top sights visited:

1. Eckerö
   • Post Office (Post- och Tullhus)
   • Museum of Fisheries and Navigation (Ålands Jakt- och Fiskemuseum)
2. Mariehamn
   • Maritime Museum (Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum)
   • Pommern Ship (Pommern)
   • Central Park (Esplanaden)
   • The Sea Quarter (Sjökvarteret)
   • The Town Hall (Mariehamns Stadshus)
   • St. Görans Church (S:t Görans Kyrka)

🎧 Local musicians:

• 🇦🇽 Johanna Grüssner (singer). Genre: folk
• 🇺🇳 Julia Clara (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇺🇳 Henrik Klingenberg (keytarist). Genre: metal
• 🇺🇳 Cim Dahlle (singer). Genre: rock

🥘Local food & drinks:

• Ålandic Pancake with Cream and Prune Jam (Åländsk Pannkaka med Sviskonkräm och Snömos)
• “Buried” Whitefish (Gravad Sik)
• Ålandic Apple Juice (Brand: “Grannas Äppel Åland”)
• Ålandic Beer (Brand: “Stallhagen”)

🎬 Local movies:

• Devil’s Bride (Tulen Morsian). Year: 2016. Genre: horror / drama

🪔 Authentic features:

• Ålandic Cargo Shipping (Ålands Sjöfart)
• Ålandic Ship Building (Åländsk Skeppsbyggnad)
• Ålandic Harvest Festival (Skördefesten)
• The Lilla Jul Celebration (Lilla Jul)

💐 National flower: Cowslip Primrose (Gullviva)

🦉 Local wisdom: “Even when the storm rages, the spinning wheel sings its song in the peace of the cottages.” / “Ryter än stormen, i stugornas ro spinnrocken sjunger sin visa.” — Ålandic proverb

👨‍🎓 The oldest university: Åland University of Applied Sciences (Högskolan på Åland), Mariehamn, est. 2003.