The capital of the Åland Islands is the small town of Mariehamn, known as Maarianhamina to the Finns. The Åland Islands are halfway between Finland and Sweden in the Gulf of Bothnia. Åland is nominally independent, with its own flag, number plates and stamps, although it is officially part of Finland. Visitors with a hire car can explore much of the beautiful archipelago, but with a total of 6,5 islands to see, a boat is useful too. It's a traditional area where the highlights include midsummer dancing poles and wooden windmills. One of the main attractions is the restored 19th-century traditional farmstead at Kastelholm.
Mariehamn stands on a peninsular in the south of the main island of Åland. The old town of low-rise pastel-painted wooden houses is laid out in a grid pattern between two harbours. The town is a busy stopping point for ferries and duty-free shoppers, so these east and west harbours are the centre of most tourist activities and easily accessible with a Mariehamn car rental. There's a maritime museum, a 19th-century museum ship and an old Dutch steamer to visit here, as well as one of Scandinavia's biggest yacht marinas. The old town contains the Aland Parliament building, along with notable historic houses and churches, while Mariehamn airport is two miles northwest.
