Ferry from Mariehamn to Turku

Mariehamn Guide

Mariehamn is the capital of Aland which is an autonomous territory under Finish sovereignty. In common with the rest of Aland, Mariehamn is unilingually Swedish speaking with around 80% of its residents speaking it as their native language. Visitors to the town will find most of the shops and restaurants in the town located in the Torggatan pedestrian precinct in the centre of the town. The seat of power, the Sjalvstyrelsegarden, is also in the square and is made up of Aland's parliament and provincial government, the town hall and the government building. There is a statue of Tsarinna Marie Aleksandrovna, who gave her name to the town in 1861, located on the slope leading to the town. In the town there are a number of buildings designed by Finnish architect Lars Sonck, who moved to Aland as a child. Buildings of his include the church of Mariehamn, the main building of the Aland maritime College and the town hall, all built in the first half of the 20th century. Hilda Hongell also designed several buildings, although only a few remain standing.

Mariehamn is located on a peninsular and has two main harbours, one on the eastern shore and one on the western shore. Both harbours remain ice-free for nearly the whole year and both are non-tidal. The Western Harbour is an international harbour that has daily services to Sweden, Estonia and mainland Finland. The Eastern Harbour features one of the largest marinas in Scandinavia.

Turku Guide

The Finnish city of Turku is Finland's oldest and was at one time in its history the Finnish capital, although it is now the country's fifth largest city. Little remains of the city's medieval past but through its museums the city has been able to retain a strong sense of its past with a number of archaeological exhibits on display. The summertime in Turku is a popular time to visit when the natural tendency is for people to gather around the banks of the River Aurajoki, on the many boats moored in the centre of the city, and also along the lively harbour front. The central market square of Kauppatori is also a hub of activity in Turku and plays an important part in local tourism and for the city's residents. Perhaps the most popular, and eye catching, attraction in the city is the 13th century Turku Castle, complete with its two dungeons but there is also Turku Cathedral which is regarded as one of the most important churches in Finland and contains a number of interesting chapels.