Experience island hopping in the Finnish Archipelago

The coast and the archipelago are not the part of the country that I would describe as typically Finnish – that would rather be the lake land in the west and the untouched nature in northern Lapland. Nevertheless, this area has a lot to offer: History and culture can be experienced here. Old ramparts, lighthouses and museums, unique birdlife and natural highlights, and, of course, the people who have always inhabited the islands and shaped coastal life, are attracting more and more tourists. An eventful journey begins.

I am especially enthusiastic about the Archipelago Trail. From Turku it leads as the "Great Archipelago Ring Road" to the archipelago islands of the Archipelago Sea. It is only exhausting when the wind blows too strong, there are hardly any vertical meters. And the ferries, which take me from one island to the next, provide an additional break. I take my time on this cycle path. There is too much to see to race. The wonderful nature, the red houses, churches, museums or art galleries invite me again and again to a stopover. And one thing is for sure: I completely forget everyday life in the quiet seclusion.

Russian fortifications were built on Örö, in the very southwest of Käsnäs in World War I. On the west coast near Rauma there is the fortress island Kuuskajaskari, which has a lot to offer with surveillance towers, trenches, shooting ranges and four cannons. One of the cannons is even still working, so be careful when discovering it!

Life on the islands is certainly not always easy. Depending on the weather conditions and partly cut off from the mainland by ice, the winter is especially hard – or the transition period when the ice is not thick enough anymore to walk on, but too thick to travel by boat.

On Kaunisaari near Kotka I learn more about the way of life of the islanders in a museum and watched local works on handicraft stands and in art galleries. Near Porvoo are the Pellinge Islands, which have been inhabited since the 16th century and therefore have a lot to tell. In summer there are many different events taking place here, from a midsummer festival to boat races and agricultural flea markets.

Not to forget, of course, the Åland Islands: The location between Sweden and Finland has always given the archipelago a special position. The Swedish-speaking inhabitants live mainly in the capital Mariehamn. It has a mild coastal climate and is said to have the most hours of sunshine in the Nordic countries.