Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [75]
Birka
The Viking trading centre of Birka (12 00 40 00; www.vikingastaden.se; 11am-6.30pm late Jun–mid-Aug, 11am-3pm May-late Jun & mid-Aug–early Sep), on Björkö in Mälaren lake, is now a Unesco World Heritage site. It was founded around AD 760 with the intention of expanding and controlling trade in the region. The village attracted merchants and craft workers, and the population grew to about 700. A large defensive fort with thick dry-stone ramparts was constructed next to the village. In 830 the Benedictine monk Ansgar was sent to Birka by the Holy Roman Emperor to convert the heathen Vikings to Christianity, hanging around for 18 months. Birka was abandoned in the late 10th century when Sigtuna took over the role of commercial centre.
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IDIOSYNCRATIC ISLANDS
If you’re after an offbeat island jaunt, consider catching a boat across Åland, which is popular with local day-trippers. Technically Finnish but officially autonomous, the Åland islands (population 25,400) sport their own flag and culture. It all goes back to a League of Nations decision made in 1921 to quash a Swedish-Finnish spat over sovereignty. Åland took its own flag in 1954, and has been issuing its own stamps (prized by collectors) since 1984. Both the euro and Swedish krona are legal tender here. A number of Swedish dialects are spoken, while a few Ålanders speak Finnish.
Although Åland joined the EU along with Finland in 1995, it was granted a number of exemptions, including duty-free tax laws, which allowed the essential ferry services between the islands and mainland Finland and Sweden to continue operating profitably.
The islands are a hit for summer cycling and camping holidays; there are medieval churches, ruins and fishing villages to explore. The capital (and only town) of Åland is Mariehamn. In summer it heaves with tourists, but still manages to retain its village flavour and the marinas at the harbours are a picture-perfect sight when loaded up with gleaming sailing boats. The main pedestrian street, Torggatan, is a colourful and crowded hive of activity, and there are some fine museums – enough to allow a leisurely day’s exploration. Åland’s most striking attraction is the medieval castle, Kastelholm, in Sund 20km northeast of Mariehamn. You can only visit on guided tours, which run frequently (in English) from June to August.
For more information, click onto www.visitaland.com or contact the main companies operating between Sweden and Åland. Of these, Viking Line (www.vikingline.aland.fi) and Silja Line (www.silja.com) continue on to Finland, while Eckerö Linjen (www.eckerolinjen.fi), Ånedin Linjen (www.anedinlinjen.com) and Birka Cruises (www.birkacruises.com) operate only between the islands and Sweden. Once on the islands, you can happily pedal almost anywhere thanks to the bridges and handy network ferries.
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The village site is surrounded by the largest Viking age cemetery in Scandinavia, with around 3000 graves. Most people were cremated, then mounds of earth were piled over the remains, but some Christian coffins and chambered tombs have been found. The fort and harbour have also been excavated. A cross to the memory of St Ansgar can be seen on top of a nearby hill.
Exhibits at the brilliant Birka Museum (11am-6.30pm late Jun–mid-Aug, 11am-3pm May-late Jun & mid-Aug–early Sep) include finds from the excavations, copies of the most magnificent objects, and an interesting model of the village in Viking times.
Daily cruises to Birka run from early May to early September; the round-trip on Strömma Kanalbolaget’s Victoria from Stadshusbron, Stockholm, is a full day’s outing (Skr270). The cruise price includes a visit to the museum and a guided tour in English of the settlement’s burial mounds and fortifications. Call 12 00 40 00 for details; boats leave around 9.30am. Ferries do not run during the Midsummer holidays.
Boats also leave from Adelsö (Hovgården) to Birka (Skr100, including museum entry); call 12 00 40 00 for details. Summer cruises to Birka depart from many other places around Mälaren, including