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What to do during your stay?
Marina Melina is located in the scenic Slottsviken bay, opposite the Åland golf course. There is much to discover here, for both young and old, and most of it is within easy walking distance of the marina.
The legendary Kastelholm Castle is just a stone's throw from the marina. The castle is Åland's only medieval castle, first mentioned in 1388. The marina was also located on the same site as now around that time.
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Kastelholm Castle had its historical heyday under Gustav Vasa and his sons when Åland and Finland were part of the Swedish Empire. The castle was expanded and added to in various stages until the 1630s and is now restored to a living ruin open to visitors during the summer months.
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It is exciting to wander around Kastelholm Castle on your own during the castle's opening hours. There are museum attendants on site and there are plenty of signs where you can read about the castle's exciting history.
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If you want, you can book one of the daily guided tours that are arranged during the summer and delve deep into the castle's mythological history.
Just a few minutes from the marina is the open-air museum Jan Karlsgården, which contains examples of Ålandic rural buildings, mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum was founded in the 1930s and consists of buildings that were moved here from various places around Åland.
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Jan Karlsgården is built like a typical Ålandic farm from the second half of the 19th century and is divided into a manor house with a main house, small cottage, semi-detached houses, a loft shed and a barn, as well as a cattle farm with stables, cattle sheds, ox stables and sheep houses. The barn, sauna and forge are located further away from the manor house. The windmills typical of Åland are also represented in several different types.
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The open-air museum sometimes organizes activities that are traditionally linked to the original functions of a farm or village. For example, the Midsummer celebration where the village community arranges the traditional raising of an Åland Midsummer pole and the annual Christmas market with thousands of visitors. Every wednesday in july there is a summer market.
Kastelholm DiscGolfParc is a scenic 9-hole disc golf course located in the forrest above the marina. The courses take players past the open-air museum Jan-Karlsgården and the well-regarded restaurant Smakbyn.​
DISC GOLF
Disc golf, also called frisbee golf, is a game that suits everyone regardless of age and gender. The principle of disc golf is the same as for regular golf. In disc golf, the balls and clubs are replaced by a plastic disc. There are discs in different models and weights. Instead of holes like on a regular golf course, there are disc golf baskets. The winner is the one who goes around the course with the fewest throws.
Ålands Golfklubb is a scenic golf course with two 18-hole courses, Slottsbanan and Kungsbanan, as well as Prinsessan, a short-hole course.
The courses are located in a magnificent setting. Gustav Vasa had his hunting grounds here and from Slottsbanan you sometimes have a view of the castle with the bay that is constantly present on all holes.
Slottsbanan also hosted the Ladies European Tour 2022 and is currently ranked as one of Europe's 100 best courses and as Finland's best course!
Both golf carts and golf trolleys are available for rent.
The Åland Distillery is located next to the Jan Karlsgården open-air museum. Here you can enjoy one of their signature drinks with their home-made gin, or why not buy some to take with you on the boat?
After a 20-minute bike ride from the marina you cab find the ruins of Bomarsund Fortress. The history of the fortress and the presence of the Russian military on Åland tells of a time when enormous forces influenced Åland society.
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Åland was drawn into an international context – socially, culturally and economically – when the landscape was militarized by a foreign power. Everyday life was disrupted, but the Ålanders adapted and learned to live together with the Russian military. When world political events struck with great drama, everything turned in a very unexpected way. This is the story of how modern Åland was founded.
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A small museum is located next to the fortress that tells the story of Bomarsund's history. Here, films and objects are shown that together provide a picture of the dramatic events in the shadow of the Crimean War in 1854. But it also tells of what it was like to live and reside on Åland during the 19th century, a time that saw many great upheavals.
If you need to stock up on groceries, pick upmedicine or do some simple shopping, we recommend taking a 30-minute bike ride to Godby Centrum.
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The center is small, but here you will find most of the amenities you could need, such as a pharmacy, health center, bank, hardware store, hairdresser, gas station, etc.
The center also houses two large supermarkets where you can buy everything from food and household items to clothes, shoes and building materials.
Just a few minutes walk from the marina you find the well-known restaurant Smakbyn, run by celebrity chef Michael Björklund.
In Smakbyn you can enjoy a delicious meal, a refreshing drink or get an inspiring food experience in the form of a cooking class, a tour of the wine cellar, a drink tasting or delicious food crafts.
The building also houses Ålands Karamelleriet, where you can buy delicious snacks with Åland colors. There is also Mia's pottery workshop and Smakbyns bakery.