The eastern harbour is the busy commercial port — the large Baltic ferries dock here, and the waterfront is animated by their arrivals and departures, typically early morning and evening. The harbour area is pleasant to walk along and has a café or two with water views. The Silja and Viking Line ferries are enormous — seeing one dock is genuinely impressive simply as a logistics spectacle.
For visitors arriving by ferry, the eastern harbour is the first part of Mariehamn they encounter; it is a ten-minute walk across the narrow peninsular town to the western harbour and the Pommern. The contrast between the massive modern ferries and the hundred-year-old sailing ship is worth noting.