fmkgb

Hi,
I will be visiting Finland mid July. Thinking of taking the ferry from Turku through archipelago and getting off in Mariehamn. I can schedule my excursion so that it corresponds with Sjodagar Festival July 12-19, 2015.

Has anyone experienced that festival? Is it worthwhile to visit Mariehamn during the festival or better before the festival? (sometimes a small town is so overwhelmed by the festival that one can't experience the true town--and sometimes festivals are fabulous). Best to experience the beginning or the end of the festiva? (there is a website but it's not in English)

Would 2 days be too much time in Mariehamn?

Any personal suggestions for hotels? I like a good location and don't want to overspend but do like life's luxuries. I will not have a car.

Particularly interested in impressions of Sjodagar Festival and any off the beaten track things to do on Alands.

Thanks in advance.

jpatokal

Mariehamn is tiny, pop. barely 10,000 and the ferry is much larger than any building in town.

Given that I'm a Finn and had never heard of Sjödagar ("Sea Days") before your post, I wouldn't worry too much about the festival taking over the town. That said, it is a very small town and wouldn't need all that much to get overwhelmed, so don't take my word for it.

In general, the thing to do in Åland is to bicycle. Road traffic is sparse and the islands are pancake-flat, yet well connected with bridges and ferries.

tsastor

Hi. I may be one of the few here who do have experience of this festival. To enjoy the festival itself, it helps to have some interest in coastal seafaring / handicrafts / Scandinavian folk music / old wooden boats. It tends to become more busy towards the end of the festival which is partly overlapped / followed by the Rockoff music festival and US car cruising event in the centre of town. Which means you can have slightly different interests to enjoy the last weekend And in the reverse, the beginning of the week is significantly more quiet.

Two days is definitely not too much, especially during the festivals. I could use half a day on the tall ship Pommern and the nearby Sjöfartsmuseet alone, half a day visiting the rest of Mariehamn, half a day on the beach and nearby park, one day visiting Kastelholm castle and the former Bomarsund fortifications (you need transportation to both of the last) and one to two days touring other Åland islands with the local ferries. And these are in addition to the festivals.

The main hotel in Mariehamn is the Arkipelag with its nightclub and Casino. Hotel Savoy is a former Scandic hotel. The Park Alandia has a nice location. I don't have experience in overnighting in these though.

Hope this helps!

fmkgb

Thanks so much for both the replies. tsastor: as I am refining my trip it appears that I would only be able to attend the festival towards its end. I have great interest in handicrafts and local culture, some in folk music and seafaring but none in the Rockoff concert, car cruising, biking, or lying on a beach. I am starting to think that perhaps it would be more interesting for me to visit a town up north or in the lake region and save Mariehamn for a future trip when perhaps I will take the ferry to Stockholm and see more of the archipelago.

Later today I will be placing another post specific to that question and would appreciate input on 1) if you think I would learn and enjoy more to see a town outside Helsinki, in the lake region or in Lapland rather than Mariehamn and the festival and 2) If I can only visit one town, which would you suggest. I will be flying from Berlin and can make a connection in HEL to Rovaniemi or Mariehamn or likely anywhere else AY flies (I plan to spend 4-5 days in Helsinki at the very end of my trip).

I also have some interest in opera and was considering the Savonlinnan Opera Festival. Would I take a bus or train there if I were coming from Helsinki? Do you know if the quality of the opera is high?

Thanks much for your time and input.
Sharon

tsastor

Sharon, it sounds to me that you may want to leave Mariehamn before the weekend of July 17th to 19th. Although Mariehamn is a quiet little town, that probably is the most lively weekend of the year. There may also this year be shiploads of Swedish - and to a slightly lesser extent Finnish - tourists pouring in, some on motorcycles or vintage US cars.

I am a big fan of opera and know Savonlinna as well. It is in the lake district. The Opera is definitely high class and the festival itself may seem even elitist. If that doesn't bother you, then I would suggest taking the train although you do have to switch trains at one point. I have taken public transport there once, flying in and taking the train back. The Opera requires overnighting in Savonlinna as the performances end quite late.

fmkgb

Thanks. It's Looking like I have 4-5 days free. Flying from Berlin to Finland 7/16 and wanting to be in Helsinki 7/20 or 7/21 (though 7/25). Would you spend those 4-5 days in the North (e.g. Ravaniemi or other suggestion) or where? Again, I'm more interested in museums, cultural and learning experiences than in outdoorsy sports and beach experiences. I prefer upscale (but not outrageously priced) and want to see how the Finns live, not touristy locations. I had a look at the Savonlinna Opera schedule and I'm not terribly interested in what is offered during that time period. If that is an interesting town and you think it will be fun during festival time even if I don't attend a production, I would still consider that or a nearby destination.

Open to any suggestions you have for my 4-5 open days.

Thanks again for your input.

tsastor

Regarding how ordinary Finns live, I think most spend their time in the summer in their private summer cottages.

I think I also have to hand over to some more knowledgeable person regarding Lapland. I know some places there, but to me Lapland is a winter destination for skiing.

But regarding Savonlinna, yes it is a beautiful place with a nice medieval castle (where the Opera festival is held). There is a lively marketplace, cruises on the lake with old steamers and some nice art galleries in the city.

You can't avoid the opera guests, of course...

Btw. have you considered Tallinn, Estonia, with its medieval old town? Or a two night cruise to Stockholm?

fmkgb

Tallinn is my backup if I can't organize Lake/Northern Finland. I was in Stockholm for a week last year so if I take the cruise I'd just go as far as Mariehamn, but I think I'll save that for another time period that doesn't coincide with a rock concert.

Thanks again for your guidance. I Need to do more reading.
s/

jpatokal

If you haven't been to Tallinn yet, it should be your top priority. Savonlinna Castle is nice and all, but Tallinn's old town is about 100x larger and more impressive.

Also, visiting Mariehamn en route to Stockholm isn't quite as straightforward as it sounds, since the ferries stop there in the dead of night (which, among other things, complicates hotel stays) and three one-ways (HEL-MHQ-STO-HEL) costs a lot more than a round-trip cruise.

tsastor

No problem. I think the beginning of the Sjödagarna and/or similar activities in e.g. Kastelholm would suit you best. It would be easy to tour Finland with some kind of railpass too. I'm sure there are similar activities inland as well. Hope you have a nice journey!