Sund, Åland

Sund is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland and is very rich in history and culture and is one of the official 27 national landscapes of Finland.

Sund has a population of 1,052 (2007) and covers an area of 112.70 km² of which 4.20 km² is water. The population density is 9.7 inhabitants per km².

The municipality is unilingually Swedish.

The old Medieval post route from Stockholm, Sweden to Åbo (Turku), Finland passes through Sund.

History and Sights

There are many pre-historic sites in Sund from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.

The Medieval church of Sund is dedicated to John the Baptist and was built sometime in the 13th century. It is the largest church in Åland. Inside the church there is a five-meter-tall crucifix, the tallest in all of Scandinavia.

Kastelholm Castle ("Kastelholms slott") is the only castle in Åland, and 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, 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 kept his deposed brother Eric XIV in captivity in the castle in the Fall of 1571.

In the late 16th century the castle belonged to Katarina Stenbock, an enemy of the King of Sweden Eric XIV and in 1599 the troops of Charles IX invaded the castle with the help of cannons. The damages were repaired by 1631. However, due to a change in the county system, Åland was joined with the County of Åbo and Björneborg and Kastelholm lost its status as an administrative center and its overall importance just three years after the damages were repaired. In the late 17th century it became a prison but by the 1770s it was abandoned. It was partly used as a granary in the 1930s. Today it is partially restored and a popular tourist attraction. The whole castle was opened to the public in 2001.

The Bomarsund Fortress ("Bomarsunds fästning") is one of the most interesting historical places in Sund. After Sweden had lost the Finnish War of 1808-09, 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 connons, was never finished because in 1854 during the Crimean War English and French troops invaded and blew it up. Today, in addition to the fortress, there are the ruins of Gamla Skarpans and two watchtowers nearby, all open to visitors.

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. It was originally built in 1784 to serve as a prison and operated until as recently as 1975. Today it is a museum.

Economy

Tourism is one of the biggest lines of business in Sund. Agriculture is also popular, especially keeping livestock. Small businesses are also abundant and the biggest employers are the municipality and the local golf course.

External links

* [http://www.sund.aland.fi/index.pbs The official website of Sund]
* [http://map3.navici.com/NTP.bHZtIDMxMDk4ODUuODk0MDIgNjcwODQwMC41NTY3OCA4NjAgNTc0IDQgYmtnZCAzNTM0NzkwIDY5NzcyMjAgbW92ZXRvIHsgIkt1b3BpbyIgbGFiZWwgeyB9IHdhbGsgbGVnIHsgMCAwIH0gd2FsayBsZWcgeyAtMTEyIC01MyAtNDggMzA1IDk2IC05MSAwIDAgfSB3YWxrIGxlZyAiS3VvcGlvIiBsYWJlbCB9IHJvdXRlLmRyYXcgc2hpcG91dA=.uRlUS8g7rTbVd8hvS0bcoo6YBy4=.pngMap of Sund municipality]