Mariehamn is the only town and capital of the Åland Islands, the autonomous Swedish-speaking archipelago between Sweden and Finland. It is the main port of call for the Viking Line and Silja Line ferries that run between Stockholm and Helsinki, and for many travellers it provides a first glimpse of Åland.
The town is small and strikingly attractive, with wide tree-lined streets and green spaces everywhere. In spring, cowslips — the national flower of Åland — bloom profusely. Mariehamn is narrow from east to west, and you can walk from the ferry terminals on the western shore to the eastern harbour in about 20 minutes.
Near the western ferry terminals is the museum ship Pommern, a four-masted barque built in Glasgow that sailed the grain trade between Europe and Australia until the 1930s. It is said to be the last intact four-master in the world and is well worth the modest entry fee. The adjacent Maritime Museum covers Åland's long seafaring history.
Five bus routes run from Mariehamn to destinations across the islands. Routes 4 and 5 connect to the free inter-island ferries, which make exploring the outer islands easy and surprisingly scenic.