The Pommern and Maritime Museum

At the heart of Mariehamn, Åland's small maritime capital, lies one of the finest ship museums in the Nordic world, centred on the magnificent Pommern, a four-masted steel windjammer moored beside the quay. Once part of Åland's famous fleet of great sailing ships that carried grain around the world between the wars, the Pommern is beautifully preserved just as she was, and can be explored from hold to deck, offering a vivid sense of life aboard a mighty cargo sailing vessel. Beside her, the excellent Åland Maritime Museum tells the archipelago's proud seafaring story through ship models, figureheads, instruments and evocative displays. Together they make a memorable tribute to the islands' deep bond with the sea.

What you actually see

• The Pommern - the preserved four-masted windjammer.
• The ship's decks - the exploration from hold to rigging.
• The maritime museum - the seafaring displays and figureheads.
• The ship models - the models and instruments of the age of sail.

When to go

May to September, the summer season, is the best time to visit, when the ship and museum are fully open and Mariehamn is at its liveliest; the harbour setting is loveliest in the long, bright Nordic summer days. Opening is more limited outside the main season.

Honest expectations

The Pommern and museum are chiefly a summer attraction, and their appeal is naturally strongest for those drawn to ships and maritime history, though the great windjammer impresses all who see her. As a beautifully preserved four-masted windjammer and an excellent maritime museum celebrating Åland's proud age of sail, though, they are a genuinely memorable highlight of Mariehamn.

Nearby

The town of Mariehamn and its harbours lie around the museum.