As the temperatures continue to soar in Malta, you’re probably dreaming of cooler far-flung destinations. However, the thought of getting off one rock and hopping right on to another one is probably not appealing.
But how about dropping a bearable 10 to 15°C, staying in a little log cabin surrounded by forests,zipping around unpopulated islands in a zodiac boat, fishingfor pike or cycling through idyllic country roads with less cars than animals?
With its 6,500 rocky islands, the Finnish-owned, Swedish-speaking self-autonomous islands of Åland are located in the middle of the Baltic Sea, halfway betweenSweden and Finland.
Yes, there are some similarities with Malta – both are rocky outcrops in the middle of a large sea, both have two official languages, both have a diet high in seafood and both have been occupied during their history, but that’s about where the similarities end.
Around 27,500 people live in these exotic northerly islands, of which 11,000 live in its capital Mariehamn – a pretty town with wooden houses and green, sleepy suburbs.
Founded in 1861 during the reign of Russian Tsar Alexander II, Mariehamn is named after his wife, Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna. Over the years Åland has been owned by Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and for the past 90 years, Finland.
Today, it’s an autonomous region of Finland with its own flag, stamps and government but using the Euro. A page in the Åland Islands tourist board magazine refers to its location as: “The conference island halfway between Nokia and Ericsson”, a reference to the Finnish and Swedish telecom rivals.
In the past, around 40 per cent of Åland’s business focused on shipping but this has dropped slightly. Today, the Ålanders work mainly in tourism, shipping, finance, handicrafts and marine insurance.
The islands are grouped into 16 communities – the smallest of which has around 100 residents – and are connected by government-funded archipelago ferries.
“The ferries provide the same kind of service as highways, and are vital to connect the islands,” says Annica Grönlund at the Åland tourism board.
Many Baltic Sea cruise ships stop at Mariehamn, yet hardly anyone gets on or off. This is due to two very Nordic preoccupations: tax and booze.
When Finland joined the EU, Åland was granted a special tax exception, meaning that the ferries between Sweden and Finland can sell tax-free goods on board provided they stop at Åland, giving them an incentive to offer regular transport connections to and from the islands.
It takes around six hours to reach Mariehamn from Stockholm on the regular cruise routes, which makes it feel like the islands are a far-flung outpost in the middle of the Baltic Sea.
Yet in reality, Åland is only 40 kilometres from the edge of the Stockholm archipelago. During a very cold winter it’s even possible (though not recommended) to drive across the Baltic Sea from Åland to Finland.
If you don’t have good sealegs – although the voyage is normally quite smooth – you can fly there with Air Åland, the islands’ national airline, with the added bonus that you get a nice view of the islands from above, weather permitting.
Having visited almost all the Scandinavian archipelagos, I have to say that Åland’s is one of my favourites – partly because of the lack of traffic (on land and water) and the few houses around. It feels like it’s untouched by human hand and its location smack bang in the middle of the Baltic Sea makes it that little bit more mysterious.
The landscape resembles a mix of southern Sweden, with red wooden farmhouses, apple trees and sheep, combined with an archipelago and rolling hills. Unique to Åland is the red-coloured granite rocks upon which it was formed.
Food may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Finland or Sweden but this seafaring island nation has some pretty good specialities, most of which are sourced from local products. From its dark, slightly sweetened and moist svärtbrot to salty cheese, home smoked salmon and pike perch, to havtorns marmelad (sea buckthorn berry jam), it’s definitely something different.
Even if you’re a teetotaller, Tjudö Vingård’s apple and cherry liqueurs are worth tasting: if you don’t like the contents, you’re sure to like the bottles with their unique glass sculptures inside.
When I first visited the old wooden farm back in 2008, its then 70-year-old owner Ingmar Eriksson made me laugh with his dry humour. Quite an entrepreneur, he’d had his fair share of run-ins with some heavyweights in the alcohol industry, like Germany’s Jägermeister, who he irritated by naming one of his potent liqueurs ‘Jagar Bongo’.
“If they continue to make a big problem for us, we might have to change the name to ‘Old Meister Bongo’,” he joked back then.
When it came to his apple brandy, he said with a glint in his eye that he was tired of trying to explain to the French that: “Ålvados is spelt with a Swedish ‘å’ which sounds like an ‘o’ and is completely different from an English ‘a’.”
Shipwrecks are abundant in the rocky waters of Åland’s archipelago. Many ships sank in these treacherous waters before modern-day radar and technology were introduced, so the area is a haven for deep sea divers.
The islands made headlines in 2010 when divers discovered the world’s oldest champagne in a previously unknown shipwreck. Even though it’s not clear where the champagne was headed, the rumour is that it was bound for the tsar’s court in St Petersburg.
And if you really want to get a feel for Åland’s maritime past, a trip by kayak or zodiac boat to the old lighthouse at Kobba Klintar is a must.
For years, the pilot house used to blow a horn to warn ships passing through the archipelago.
Today, it’s the kind of place where you can take a book, enjoy a coffee and just daydream away the day.
We enjoyed a fantastic lunch of smoked salmon, Ålandic bread and salads in the old pilot house – what makes it all the more special is that there’s no running water or electricity here, so everything must be brought from the mainland and cooked the old-fashioned way.
All in all, Åland offers a little bit of everything but above all promises peace and quiet, fresh air, good food and a healthy fusionof culture, history and outdoor activities.
What to see and do
• The Bomarsund Fortress – a 19th-century fortress built bythe Russians which was once a thriving village.
• Kastelholm Castle – Åland’s only medieval castle.
• Stallhagen Brewery – housed in a building used formerly to house Russian soldiers.
• Maritime history – visit Pommern, one of the few remaining authentic four-masted cargo ships in the world.
• Traditional crafts – buy Ålandic handicrafts at SALT in Sjökvarteret, the quaint old maritime area with little red cabins and old ships, in Mariehamn.
• Award-winning cuisine – check out Michael Björklund’s restaurant ÅSS in Mariehamn; he has been named Chef of the Year in both Finland and Sweden.
• Outdoor activities – kayaking, cycling, fishing, diving, golf, hunting, kite surfing.
Practical tips
Getting there
The Viking Line or Tallink Silja ferries depart daily from downtown Stockholm (Sweden) and from Helsinki and Turku (Finland) to Mariehamn. Air Åland flies from Stockholm or Helsinki; or Turku Air from Turku, Finland.
Where to stay
• Husfjärdens Stugor, Eckerö – beautiful wooden cabins set in a forest on the coast.
• HavsVidden – Nordic-style hotel with stunning views set on 50 acres of land and on a 2.3 km coastline.
• Silverskär – Built up around an old fishing cabin, it’s a remote island only accessible by boat for that ‘cast away’ feeling.
When to go
It’s best to visit Åland from June to September to get the most out of the long daylight hours and short nights.
Winter can be an exotic experience but activities are more limited. For more information, log on to www.visitaland.com.