St Olav Waterway - 6. Åland Islands

Ferry Galtby - Kökar - Sottunga - Långnäs

Lindhagens naturrum infopoint hut

Kökar museum

There is the permanent exhibition “Another Kökar” that shows life on Kökar in the 19th century up until the 1940’s through a fantastic collection of photos and films. In the main building there is also the old church organ from 1911, photos, old furniture and textiles.At the museum area there are old buildings, but also new houses built according to old style. There is a boat exhibition with old boats and functioning boat engines, a log-house, a furnished cottage and a cowshed with agricultural tools. There is also a pottery and a wooden forge. The unique outside lavatory with ventilation and six sitting holes can be seen at the museum area. Down by the sea there is a boathouse, a fishing cabin and a stone pier with a caisson. / The folklore society of Kökar cooperates with the society Kökarkultur i det nyskapande hantverktsprojektet Kökarform.in the innovative craft project Kökarform. / The aim is to create handicrafts with their roots in old objects and traditions from Kökar.

Ferry Galtby - Kökar - Sottunga - Långnäs

Kökar

A unique, modern miniature society where you can find a hotel, several guest houses and three guest harbors  In summer time there are several restaurants and cafés, guided boat trips, as well as a fantastic folk  museum and beautiful hiking trails. Although Kökar is a small municipality, there are high-quality childcare, a school, health care and a elderlyhome. There is also a new grocery store, a bakery with a coffee shop, post office with banking services and pharmacy, as well as a library. / Historically unique, because of its strategic location next to the natural deepwater fairway  closely west of Kökar. There is also Otterböte Bronze Age settlement from about 1000 BC, ruins of a medieval Franciscan monastery from around 1450, remains of fortifications from the world wars, and Kälskär, with the baron Göran Åkerhielm's fascinating garden plant and constructions.  There are also so many exciting stories! Stories both about people who came here, but also those who lived here for centuries, mainly by the sea: The Kökar inhabitants. In Kökar's folk museum you will find the stories about fishermen, farmers, emigrants, teachers and researchers.  / Bursting with beautiful views! Besides the fact that the sea is always close, the variety of smooth red and grey rocks, rocky mountains, lush forests, animal and bird life, together with spectacular weather powers, can make any excursion exciting. The nature and wildlife that Kökar offers is an experience! / Information about services on Kökar: www.kokar.ax  / Accommodation is listed on this map / Welcome to Kökar!

Kökar Church - S:t Anna

The church is also located along the Danish Itinerary, the so-called Valdemar-route.The best known artifact of the church is the bowl of a font of Gotland limestone from the 13th century style, which belonged to the medieval church. Above all, Kökar is well known as the location of one of the Finnish medieval Franciscan Convents. It is not mentioned in the written sources until the 15th century. You can still visit the ruins of one of the monastic buildings, which today houses an exhibition of the archaeological artifacts and the history of the site. / More information here. 

Maria Magdalena church, Sottunga

During the Great Northern War (1714-21) between Sweden and Russia, the chapel burnt down, and after the homecoming of the inhabitants of the islands who had escaped the enemy, it was noted that the altarpiece was destroyed together with the entire chapel. Luckily the foe did not get hold of the money ches, and a new church was built by 1730.  / More information here. 

FÖGLÖ CHURCH

Of the medieval church only the tower and the western part of the nave remains.The original church was a typical Åland archipelago church, with a nave from the 14th century, and a square chancel possibly added later. The west tower was not erected until the beginning of the 16th century. Around the church is an impressive precinct wall of stones, with owner’s marks still intact to mark those who delivered the stone.A small reliquary cross from the beginning of the 15th century was discovered in archaeological excavations around the high altar. According to a piece of parchment the relics inside the cross belonged to Mary Magdalene. / More infromation: https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/foglo-church/ 

Långnäs

Skärgårdsfärjorna och kollektivtrafiken på Åland https://www.alandstrafiken.ax/en  / Finnlines färjor för cyklar och bilar till Nådendal och Kappelskär, inga fotpassagerare. Finnlines: På Nådendal–Långnäs–Kapellskär-rutten ingår buffetmåltiderna ombord i priset. https://www.finnlines.com/sv/bokning   / Vikingline och TallinkSilja nattavgångar till Åbo och Stockholm för passagerare, cyklister och bilar. / https://www.vikingline.fi/  / https://fi.tallink.com/ 

LUMPARLAND CHURCH - ST. ANDREW

The present chapel church of Lumparland was finished in 1728, having had several predecessors. Each of them destroyed, latest in the Great Northern War (1714-21). It was first mentioned in 1544, and around one century later it was reported that “the chapel stands in a wet meadow, always unlocked, the windows are broken and it has been seen filled with goats”. The big altar-painting was signed by Victor Westerholm in 1887.Saint George in Mariehamn is the most recent church in the Åland Islands. The brick church was designed by Lars Sonck. The foundation stone was laid in 1926 and the inauguration took place the following year. The ceiling is ornamentally decorated and the stained glass windows depict saints and apostles. The church has the largest organ of the Islands, with 37 celeste. / More information : https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/lemland-church/ 

Lemland church

They are probably contemporary with the fragmentarily preserved paintings on wooden planks from a paneled flat ceiling, dendrochronologically dated to the 1290s. One of the finest wooden sculptures in Åland is the Lemland Madonna holding the infant Jesus in her lap. She was carved in oak in the 1320s. The church also houses two crucifixes from the 14th century, together with other late medieval figures. / More information: https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/lemland-church/ 

Lemböte chapel

“Linaboete” is mentioned in the so-called Danish itinerary, written down some time in the middle of the 13th century, but there is no mention of a chapel. Thus Lemböte lies along the old sailing route, which according to the Danish itinerary started at Utklippan in Blekinge (in former Denmark), to Tallinn in Estonia. The chapel, consecrated to Saint Olof, of medieval origin, was situated at a natural well-sheltered harbor called the Western Harbor, or the so called Chapel Bay. / More information about the chapel is found here: https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/lembote-chapel/  / There is a St. Olav stamp for stamping pilgrims passes in a box outside the chapel.   / Text by Åsa Ringblom https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/lembote-chapel/ 

Önningeby Museum

open on demand outwith the main season. 

Saint Olav's church Jomala

Saint Olof’s church in Jomala is centrally located in Åland, immediately adjacent to the largest Iron Age graveyard. It was erected in the middle of Jomala plain, which is abundant in limestone, but without direct contact with the sea. / Yet the church tower serves as a characteristic landmark for seafarers from afar. It has generally been seen as one of the oldest stone churches in entire Finland. In ground plan, proportions, and in the use of stone sculptures in the decorative program, it radically differs from all other Åland churches. / The building history of Jomala church is not yet fully investigated. Archaeological excavations on the site revealed no traces of a possible older wooden church. But there were plenty of signs of ecclesiastic activity during the beginning of the 13th century, i.e. during the Romanesque period. / Text © Åsa Ringbom 2012, full text here. /

Visit Åland

Accommodation along St. Olav Waterway is placed on this map. Aditional accommodation is found on AirBnB.  

MARIEHAMN CHURCH

The foundation stone was laid in 1926 and the inauguration took place the following year. The ceiling is ornamentally decorated and the stained glass windows depict saints and apostles. The church has the largest organ of the Islands, with 37 celeste. / More information: https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/mariehamn-church/ 

Mariehman harbour

Vikingline / TallinkSilja 

HAMMARLAND CHURCH

The tower has a rare location to the south of the church. The interior is dominated by whole covering intertwining foliage ornamentation and brick imitations on arches and window frames. The medieval wooden altar-piece from the 15th century, destroyed in the 1830s, can be totally reconstructed. / https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/hammarland-church/ 

Eckerö church

The present, rather low, nave was erected towards the end of the 13th centuy, but coins from the beginning of the 13th century have also been found, thus suggesting an earlier chapel on the same site. Wooden sculpture of a Gotland Madonna and a little crucifix are medieval as a the fragmentarily preserved wall-paintings.  / https://www.kyrkor.ax/churches/eckero-church/ 

ECKERÖ POST- & TULLHUS

In 1636, Queen Christina of Sweden established a postal route between Sweden and Finland. Mail was transported by boat from Grisslehamn on the island Väddö in Sweden to Storby, Eckerö. The mail route continued over land across Åland via Hammarland, Finström, Jomala and Saltvik to Bomarsund in Sund. From there, the route continued over land and sea via Vårdö, Kumlinge and Brändö to Gustav’s parish on the Finnish mainland. / After Sweden lost the war against Russia in 1808-09, Åland and the rest of Finland were incorporated into the Russian empire. The humble post office in Storby, which suddenly sat along Russia’s new border to the West, was not deemed grand enough to represent the empire and was replaced by a stately structure built in the Russian empirical style; it was completed in 1828. The building was designed by architects Carl Ludvig Engel and Carlo Bassi and is considered to be one of Engel’s most important architectural works. / The building has belonged to the municipality of Åland since 1994 and is administered by the Government of Åland. Today the building is a tourist destination that is open seasonally. The main building houses the postmaster’s office, space for exhibitions and public events and living quarters for visiting artists. The north wing contains the mail route museum, maintained by Eckerö’s local heritage association. / 15 May – 19 Septemberevery day 10 am -18 pm / Free admission to the main building / Phone+358 (0)457 530 1435 / Åland Government call centre+358(0)18 25000

Eckerö Linjen

https://www.eckerolinjen.se/en