Northern Europe
Discover Bomarsund Fortress Ruins, Eckerö Mail and Customs House, Kastelholm Castle.
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fortifications
Russian authorities built Bomarsund between 1832 and 1854, when Åland was under Russian rule. An Anglo-French attack brought the fortress project to an abrupt end. Its surviving ruins preserve evidence of that military episode, whose aftermath was connected with Åland's demilitarisation and remains significant to the islands' history.
Source: Visit Åland
architecture
Completed in 1828, Eckerö's Mail and Customs House served the postal and customs authorities at the western edge of the Russian Empire. Its restrained empire-style architecture, associated with Carl Ludvig Engel and Carlo Bassi, gave an official face to a place where travellers and mail crossed the Åland Sea. Today the historic building houses exhibitions, linking its working past with Åland's cultural life.
Source: Ålands Museum
architecture
Kastelholm is Åland's medieval castle, first mentioned in writing in 1388. It grew through several stages while Åland and Finland formed part of the Swedish realm. Fires and abandonment left parts of the complex ruined; restoration has preserved its surviving buildings and made its changing form legible. The tall stone house, higher keep and roofless walls together tell a longer story than a single finished medieval design.
Source: Ålands Museum
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