Western Harbour (Mariehamn)

The Western Harbour (Swedish: Västerhamn, Finnish: Länsisatama) is one of two harbours in the port of Mariehamn, the regional capital of Åland, in the Archipelago Sea part of the Baltic.[4]

Western Harbour, Mariehamn
Ferries in the port of Mariehamn
Native name
Västerhamn – Länsisatama
Location
CountryFinland
LocationMariehamn, Åland
Coordinates60.093056°N 19.927222°E / 60.093056; 19.927222
UN/LOCODEFI MHQ[1]
Details
Operated byMariehamns Hamn AB
Type of harborcoastal natural
Wharfs6
Draft depthmax. 9.2 metres (30 ft) depth[2]
Statistics
Annual cargo tonnagec. 46,000 tons (int'l) (2018)[3]
Passenger trafficc. 2.5m (int'l, total) (2018)[3]
Website
mariehamnshamn.ax/en/

Passenger traffic and duty-free sales

Most cruiseferry routes between southern mainland Finland and Sweden, as well as between Estonia and Sweden, call at Mariehamn.[5] This is largely due to Åland being outside of the EU customs regime, which allows vessels calling at an Åland port to sell duty-free goods.[6][7][8]

With an average of 15 daily ferry sailings,[9] and approximately 20 international cruise ships visiting Mariehamn each year,[4] the Western Harbour is the third-busiest international passenger port in Finland with c. 1.25 million annual passenger arrivals (2.5m total passenger movements) in 2018.[3]

The shipping lane into the Western Harbour has a maximum depth of 9.2 metres (30 ft) and a minimum navigable width of 200 metres (660 ft).[2]

The harbour remains ice-free most winters, or is only covered by thin ice.[2]

Attractions

The museum ship Pommern, a four-masted iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1903, is moored in the Western Harbour as an exhibit of the Åland Maritime Museum.[10]

Mariehamn's other harbour, the Eastern Harbour (Swedish: Österhamn, Finnish: Itäsatama), is mainly used for smaller leisure boats and yachts, and is one of the largest leisure marinas in the Nordic region.[11]

References
  1. "UN/LOCODE - Finland". United Nations. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  2. "Fairway Card - Mariehamn" (PDF). Vayla.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  3. "Traficom International Maritime Statistics 2019" (PDF). Traficom.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Transport and Communications Agency. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  4. "Port of Mariehamn". MariehamnsHamn.ax. Port of Mariehamn. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  5. "Maarianhamina". Itamerensatamat.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  6. "How A Tiny Baltic Archipelago Could Kick Start A Retail Revival". Forbes. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  7. "A part of Europe to remain forever duty-free". Irish Times. 10 November 1998. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. "The special status of the Åland Islands". Åland Post. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  9. "Passenger Traffic". MariehamnsHamn.ax. Port of Mariehamn. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  10. "Åland Maritime Museum". SjöfartsMuseum.ax. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  11. "Maarianhamina Österhamn". Itamerensatamat.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 October 2020.
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