City Europe
Mariehamn
Mariehamn is a small town by the sea. It is on Åland, a group of thousands of islands in the Baltic Sea.
Mariehamn is the only town on Åland, a group of thousands of islands in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland. It is a busy port town with ferries, museums and two harbors. In 2024, 15,414 people lived in its built-up area, according to Statistics Finland.
Mariehamn (Finnish Maarianhamina), a town municipality of 12 km² in Finland, is the administrative center and the only town of Åland (Store norske leksikon). Statistics Finland gives 15,414 people for the Mariehamn central locality (the built-up area, partly in Jomala) on 31 December 2024 and 11,866 in the municipality (City Population).
Photo: Kenny McFly, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Mariehamn
Mariehamn is a town on Åland, a group of islands in the Baltic Sea.
Most people there speak Swedish.
Mariehamn is the administrative center and the only town of Åland, says Store norske leksikon, Norway's big encyclopedia. Åland is a group of 6,757 islands, islets and rocky skerries in the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Finland. The town covers just 12 square kilometers.
Statistics Finland gives 15,414 people for Mariehamn's built-up area at the end of 2024. More than 90 percent of the town's people speak Swedish.
Store norske leksikon ('Mariehamn', Roger Pihl): a town municipality in Finland, the administrative center and only town of the region of Åland; area 12 km²; more than 90 percent of the inhabitants Swedish-speaking; 11,500 inhabitants (2015). Store norske leksikon ('Åland'): 6,757 islands, islets and skerries between the Baltic Sea and the Bothnian Sea; nearly 40 percent of the population lives in Mariehamn, on the main island Fasta Åland. City Population (Statistics Finland; settlements by the 2024 definition): year-end estimates, Mariehamn central locality (Mariehamn / Jomala) 13,204 (2011), 14,148 (2016), 14,978 (2021), 15,414 (31 December 2024); municipality 11,262, 11,565, 11,742, 11,866. Larousse ('Maarianhamina'): a port of Finland, 11,405 inhabitants (2014 estimate).
- Islands
- Åland, 6,757 islands, islets and skerries in the Baltic Sea (Store norske leksikon)
- People in the built-up area (31 December 2024)
- 15,414
- Role
- administrative center and only town of Åland (Store norske leksikon)
- Language
- more than 90 percent of the people speak Swedish (Store norske leksikon)
Masts over the harbor
Look at the three tall masts of a big sailing ship!
Across the calm water, buildings sit among green trees.
Kenny McFly took this photo on 25 May 2017 from Badhusberget, a hill in Mariehamn. Pine trees and pale rock are in front. Behind them rise the three tall masts of a large sailing ship, and across a calm bay, red and white buildings stand among green woods.
Store norske leksikon says Mariehamn has a maritime museum and an art museum. On Wikidata, the Pommern, a museum ship from 1903, lies about 1.1 kilometers west of the town's point.
Commons: File:View from Badhusberget Mariehamn (3) (Kenny McFly).jpg, by Kenny McFly (User:Kenny McFly; uploaded 20 March 2018 by Kenneth Wehr), own work, CC BY-SA 3.0; dated 25 May 2017; his description: 'View from Badhusberget in Mariehamn'; his own category 'Badhusberget, Mariehamn' ('Views of Mariehamn' was added by another Commons user in 2024); camera point 60.1006° N, 19.9248° E, 1.11 km W of the town's Wikidata point. Seen in the 1,280-pixel copy: pale rock and pines in front, the three masts and yards of a large sailing ship, a calm bay, red and white buildings among woods on the far shore, a pale sky; no people. Store norske leksikon: a maritime museum, an art museum and an international airport. Wikidata: Pommern (Q1775746), a museum ship from 1903, 1.10 km W; Åland Maritime Museum (Q4357413) 1.02 km W; Åland Art Museum (Q1529848) 0.19 km S.
- In the photo
- the view from the Badhusberget hill in Mariehamn, 25 May 2017 (Kenny McFly)
- Museums
- a maritime museum and an art museum (Store norske leksikon)
- Pommern
- a museum ship from 1903, about 1.1 km west of the town's point (Wikidata)
A town of ships
Long ago, Mariehamn had lots of sailing ships.
Today ferries sail from Mariehamn to other countries.
Store norske leksikon says Mariehamn got its town rights in 1861. It is a busy port town, and it once had a large fleet of sailing ships.
Ships still matter here: a large part of Finland's merchant fleet has its home port on Åland, and ferry companies are among the islands' biggest businesses. Tourism leaves a strong mark on the town.
Store norske leksikon ('Mariehamn'): town rights from 1861; a busy port town that until the Second World War also had a large sailing-ship fleet; considerable tourist traffic that marks the town. Store norske leksikon ('Åland'): a large part of Finland's merchant fleet is registered on Åland; ferry companies, banks and insurance companies are among the largest firms; tourism, especially ferry traffic, lodging and cottage rental, has grown greatly. Mariehamn received its town rights in 1861.
- 1861
- Mariehamn got its town rights (Store norske leksikon)
- Sailing ships
- the town had a large fleet of sailing ships until the Second World War (Store norske leksikon)
- Today
- a large part of Finland's merchant fleet has its home port on Åland (Store norske leksikon)
Ferries to three countries
Ferries sail from Mariehamn to Sweden, Finland and Estonia.
There is an airport near the town too.
Store norske leksikon says ferries link Mariehamn with Helsinki and Turku in Finland, with Stockholm and Kapellskär in Sweden and with Tallinn in Estonia. The town also has an international airport; on Wikidata it is about 3.7 kilometers northwest of the town's point, in the neighboring municipality of Jomala.
On Wikidata, Mariehamn has two harbors: Österhamn, the east harbor, about 0.2 kilometers from the town's point, and Västerhamn, the west harbor, about 1.1 kilometers southwest.
Store norske leksikon ('Mariehamn'): ferry connections with Helsinki and Turku on the Finnish mainland, Stockholm and Kapellskär in Sweden and Tallinn in Estonia; an international airport. Wikidata from the town point (Q48329): Österhamn (Q10728031), a harbor, 0.20 km NE; Västerhamn (Q11880050), a harbor, 1.14 km SW; Mariehamn Airport (Q1031590), 'airport in Jomala', 3.72 km NW.
- Ferries
- to Helsinki and Turku in Finland, Stockholm and Kapellskär in Sweden, and Tallinn in Estonia (Store norske leksikon)
- Airport
- an international airport, about 3.7 km northwest of the town's point, in Jomala (Store norske leksikon; Wikidata)
- Two harbors
- Österhamn (east harbor) and Västerhamn (west harbor) (Wikidata)
A sea climate with winter ice
Summers on Åland are mild, and winters are cold.
In winter, ice can cover the sea!
Store norske leksikon says Åland has a maritime climate, shaped by the sea. February is the coldest month, with an average of −4.2 °C, and July the warmest, with 16.4 °C.
On average 631 millimeters of rain and snow fall in a year, and snow covers the ground on about 57 days. Because the Baltic Sea's water is not very salty, ice forms on the sea in winter.
Store norske leksikon ('Åland'): maritime climate; coldest month February, mean −4.2 °C; warmest July, mean 16.4 °C; mean annual precipitation 631 mm (1972–2000); mean number of days with snow cover 57 (1987–2003); because of the low salt content of the water, there is ice on the sea in winter. These figures are for Åland as the encyclopedia gives them, not for a named Mariehamn station. No station table is given here: WMO and JMA have no Mariehamn normals and the DWD table did not open.
- Coldest month on Åland
- February, average −4.2 °C (Store norske leksikon)
- Warmest month on Åland
- July, average 16.4 °C (Store norske leksikon)
- Rain and snow in a year on Åland
- 631 mm on average (1972–2000) (Store norske leksikon)
Granite, forests, seals and eagles
Åland's islands are made of reddish granite rock.
Seals swim nearby, and eagles nest there.
Store norske leksikon says the Åland islands are the tops of a broken underwater plateau, made mostly of reddish granite called rapakivi granite. The largest island, Fasta Åland, where Mariehamn stands, covers 1,010 square kilometers.
Nearly 60 percent of Åland is forest. Elk, roe deer, red foxes, hares, squirrels and hedgehogs live there, gray seals and ringed seals swim among the islands, and white-tailed eagles, ospreys and peregrine falcons nest.
Store norske leksikon ('Åland'): the islands are the tops of a broken underwater plateau stretching southwest from Finland; bedrock mainly reddish rapakivi granite; stony, thin soil, though moraine gravel with lime and marine deposits give fertile soil in many places; Fasta Åland 1,010 km², nearly two thirds of the land; highest point Orrdalsklint, 129 m; nearly 60 percent forest, about 9 percent farmland; mammals include elk, roe deer, red fox, hare, squirrel and hedgehog, with gray seal and ringed seal in the archipelago; breeding birds include white-tailed eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon and eagle-owl; many migrating birds stop over.
- Rock
- mostly reddish rapakivi granite (Store norske leksikon)
- Forest
- nearly 60 percent of Åland (Store norske leksikon)
- Wildlife
- elk, roe deer, red foxes, gray seals, ringed seals, white-tailed eagles and ospreys (Store norske leksikon)
Mariehamn on the map
Find Sweden and Finland on the globe. In the sea between them are the Åland islands, and Mariehamn!
Mariehamn lies at about 60.10° north and 19.94° east, on Fasta Åland, the largest of the Åland islands, in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland.
On Wikidata, the art museum is about 0.2 kilometers from the town's point, the maritime museum about 1 kilometer west, the west harbor about 1.1 kilometers southwest and the airport about 3.7 kilometers northwest.
Mariehamn lies at about 60.10° N, 19.94° E (Wikidata point of Mariehamn, Q48329; the sheet point is 0.31 km SE of it). Store norske leksikon: Åland is separated from Sweden in the west by the Sea of Åland and from the Finnish archipelago in the east by the Skiftet strait. Wikidata from the town point: Åland Art Museum 0.19 km S; Österhamn 0.20 km NE; Åland Maritime Museum 1.02 km W; Pommern 1.10 km W; Västerhamn 1.14 km SW; Mariehamn Airport 3.72 km NW.
- Latitude
- about 60.10° north
- Longitude
- about 19.94° east
- Between
- Sweden to the west and Finland to the east (Store norske leksikon)
Amazing facts
-
Åland has more than 6,000 islands, islets and skerries!
Store norske leksikon says Åland is made up of 6,757 islands, islets and skerries, but only about 60 of its 300 habitable islands have people living on them.
Store norske leksikon: 6,757 islands, islets and skerries; about 60 of 300 habitable islands are settled.
-
The sea around Åland freezes in winter!
Store norske leksikon says the Baltic Sea's water around Åland is not very salty, so ice forms on the sea in winter.
Store norske leksikon: because of the low salt content of the water, there is ice on the sea in winter.
-
Mariehamn once had lots of sailing ships!
Store norske leksikon says Mariehamn, a busy port town, had a large fleet of sailing ships until the Second World War.
Store norske leksikon: a busy port town that until the Second World War also had a large sailing-ship fleet.
Words to know
- skerry
- a small rocky island, often too small for plants or houses
- archipelago
- a group of many islands close together
- harbor
- a sheltered place by the shore where ships can stay safely
- ferry
- a ship that carries people and cars across water on a regular route
- granite
- a hard rock made of large crystals
- maritime climate
- weather shaped by a nearby sea, with milder summers and winters
Discovery challenge
-
Mariehamn is a town on which group of islands?
Mariehamn is the only town of which group of islands in the Baltic Sea?
Mariehamn is the administrative center and only town of which group of 6,757 islands, islets and skerries?
- Åland
- Hawaii
- The Galápagos
Show the answer
Åland
Åland!
Åland, between Sweden and Finland.
Åland.
-
Which language do most people in Mariehamn speak?
More than 90 percent of Mariehamn's people speak which language?
Store norske leksikon says more than 90 percent of Mariehamn's inhabitants speak which language?
- Swedish
- Spanish
- Japanese
Show the answer
Swedish
Swedish!
Swedish.
Swedish.
-
What forms on the sea around Åland in winter?
Because the Baltic Sea's water is not very salty, what forms on it around Åland in winter?
What does Store norske leksikon say lies on the sea around Åland in winter, because of the water's low salt content?
- Ice
- Coral reefs
- Sand dunes
Show the answer
Ice
Ice!
Ice.
Ice.
-
What kind of rock are Åland's islands mostly made of?
Which reddish rock makes up most of the Åland islands?
Store norske leksikon says Åland's bedrock is mainly which rock?
- Granite
- Chalk
- Sandstone
Show the answer
Granite
Granite!
Reddish rapakivi granite.
Reddish rapakivi granite.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Mariehamn on the Åland islands, between Sweden and Finland.
- Explain why a town on many islands depends on ships and ferries.
- Describe how the sea shapes a place's climate, including winter sea ice.
- Tell the difference between a town's municipality and its built-up area.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might a town with harbors on two sides become a port for ferries?
- Why might ice form more easily on a sea that is not very salty?
- Why might most people on a group of islands live in its one town?
Try at home or in class
- Salt and ice: with a grown-up, freeze a cup of fresh water and a cup of very salty water and compare them.
- Island count: on a map of Åland, count how many islands you can see, then compare with 6,757.
- Ferry routes: draw lines from Mariehamn to Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki and Tallinn on a map.
Key vocabulary: skerry, archipelago, harbor, ferry, granite, maritime climate
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Mariehamn , Store norske leksikon
- Åland – les om historie, språk, politikk , Store norske leksikon
- Maarianhamina en suédois Mariehamn , Larousse encyclopédie
- Åland (Finland): Settlements in Municipalities , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from Statistics Finland
- File:View from Badhusberget Mariehamn (3) (Kenny McFly).jpg , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.