While Jesper and his camera have been on an adventure in Slovakia, I have enjoyed a relaxing weekend in Mariehamn. It’s been great with delicious food, old friends, and a lot of naps. This town is actually quite small. That gives it both some advantages and disadvantages. Living in a (fairly) big city, I can sometimes feel overwhelmed with choice. In a town of 10,000 people, you do not have that problem. However, I can see that Mariehamn has developed and it actually offers quite a bit to its visitors. Instead of telling you about my mom’s cooking and all the naps, I will first give you some tips for a relaxing weekend in Mariehamn, the Åland Islands.
Tips for a Relaxing Weekend In Mariehamn
- Try the sauna! All Finns love a visit to the sauna and if you’re a foreigner, you should give it a try. I used my parents’ sauna (a lot of people have one in their home) but Mariebad swimming pools and spa is a great place for tourists.
- Go to the spa! In Stockholm, I feel that there are too many spas to choose from and I end up going nowhere. In Mariehamn, there are not so many salons to go to. Mjuk och len is one of them. I had an amazing massage there on Friday. The price was quite decent as well.
- Don’t forget to eat well. On Saturday I went for lunch with one of my oldest friends. At first, we were quite disappointed because the place we wanted to eat at was full. Imagine that! Our second option turned out to be just as good. There are a few cafés and restaurants that will surely contribute to your relaxing weekend in Mariehamn.
- Pop into to bookstores. There are only two of them but they are well-equipped. I was especially happy to find that the yearly book sale (in Swedish Bokrea) had already begun. It was surprising because the very same sale starts on February 22 in Sweden. Book-lovers might also enjoy a visit to the public library. It’s a fantastic place for browsing books and collecting your thoughts. And it’s huge for such a small town.
All in all, it was a great and relaxing weekend in Mariehamn. However, it was also nice to return home and now I’m looking forward to an amazing week here in Stockholm! As I came home today (Monday), it feels like this week is going to be a lot shorter than normal.
Have a nice week!
