Sund (Sund)
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The municipality has a population of 0 and covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. The population density is undefined PD/km2.
The municipality is unilingually Swedish.
The old Medieval post route from Stockholm, Sweden to Turku, Finland passes through Sund.
Many pre-historic sites in Sund survive from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.
The medieval church of Sund, dedicated to John the Baptist, dates from the 13th century. It is the largest church in Åland. Inside the church there is a 5 m tall crucifix, the tallest in all of Scandinavia.
Kastelholm Castle (Kastelholms slott), the only castle in Åland, is partially in ruins. The castle was built on a small island that was surrounded by water and moats filled with several lines of poles. It was first mentioned in 1388 in the contract of Queen Margaret I of Denmark, where a large portion of the inheritance of Bo Jonsson Grip was given to her. The heyday of the castle was in the 15th and 16th centuries. King John III of Sweden kept his deposed brother Eric XIV in captivity in the castle in the autumn of 1571. Today, partially restored, it has become a popular tourist attraction. The whole castle opened to the public in 2001.
The Bomarsund Fortress (Bomarsunds fästning) is one of the most interesting historical places in Sund. After Sweden lost the Finnish War of 1808–1809, fought against Russia, both Åland and Finland became part of the Russian Empire. Russia began to build a fortress in Sund in 1830 in accordance with the orders of Emperor Nicholas I. People of various cultural backgrounds came to Sund from all over Russia to build the fortress. A town, Gamla Skarpans, was built and another settlement, Nya Skarpans, was established inside the fortress. However, the fortress, designed for 5000 men and 500 cannon, was never finished: in 1854 during the Åland War, part of the Crimean War, a joint Anglo-French naval force captured and demolished it in the Battle of Bomarsund. Today, in addition to the fortress, there are the ruins of Gamla Skarpans and two watchtowers nearby, all open to visitors. The island of Prästö is located next to the Bomarsund Fortress. The island is known for its six Russian military cemeteries and for two museums show-casing the history of Prästö and Bomarsund.
The Outdoor Museum Jan Karlsgården (Jan Karlsgården friluftsmuseum) is next to Kastelholm Castle. There are old buildings from all over Åland, such as windmills, a steam sauna and a blacksmith's shop.
The Prison Museum Vita Björn (Fängelsemuseet Kronohäktet Vita Björn) is also near the Kastelholm Castle. Originally built in 1784 to serve as a prison, it operated until as recently as 1975. Today it is a museum.
Map - Sund (Sund)
Map
Country - Åland_Islands
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Åland is situated in an archipelago, called the Åland Islands, at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea belonging to Finland. It comprises Fasta Åland on which 90% of the population resides and about 6,500 skerries and islands to its east. Of Åland's thousands of islands, about 60–80 are inhabited. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Roslagen in Sweden by 38 km of open water to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is contiguous with the Finnish archipelago. Åland's only land border is located on the uninhabited skerry of Märket, which it shares with Sweden. From Mariehamn, there is a ferry distance of about 160 km to Turku, a coastal city of mainland Finland, and also to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR | Euro | € | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| SV | Swedish language |
