Things to do in Lemland

Lemland is a municipality east of Mariehamn, home to 2,139 people at the end of 2025. Most of it is water: of 965 km², 852 km² is bays, sounds and sea. The sights follow two threads. One is the Middle Ages and the 19th-century era of farmer shipowners, with the church, the seafarers’ chapel and the sea captains’ farms. The other is the coast and the archipelago, from Herröskatan in the south to the lighthouse island of Lågskär far out in the Sea of Åland.

Below you will find every sight in one place, each with a short description and a link to its detailed guide where there is one.

What is there to see in Lemland, Åland Islands?

Sight	Type	Detailed guide
Lemström canal	Canal from 1882 with a swing bridge	Lemström canal
Lemland church	Medieval stone church in Söderby	Church and chapel
Lemböte chapel	Medieval seafarers’ chapel	Church and chapel
Pellas	Summer museum, built 1884	Pellas
Järsö and Nåtö	Islands along a causeway	Järsö and Nåtö
Herröskatan	Nature reserve with a bird tower	Herrö
Bistorp stenåkrar	Nature reserve	No separate guide
Rödhamn	Old outer harbour and guest harbour	Rödhamn
Lågskär	Lighthouse island in the Sea of Åland	Lågskär lighthouse

History and culture

The Lemström canal

The canal separates Lemland from Jomala and links the water east of Mariehamn with Lumparn. It is 350 metres long and was built in 1882, when Åland belonged to the Russian Empire. A swing bridge from 1983 crosses it and opens for boats on the hour during the season. Read more in the Lemström canal guide.

Lemland church

The church in Söderby is built of red rapakivi granite and is one of the oldest in Åland. The nave dates from the late 13th century and the tower from around 1317. Inside are wall paintings from the 1290s, uncovered during the 1957 renovation. See Lemland church and Lemböte chapel.

Lemböte chapel

This small stone chapel is dedicated to Saint Olav and once stood by a sheltered natural harbour on the medieval sailing route between Sweden and Finland. It is partly a ruin under a wooden roof, reached along Kapellstigen, about 700 metres from the car park. It is covered in the same guide as the church.

Pellas, the sea captain’s farm

Pellas was built in 1884 by the farmer and shipowner Erik Petter Eriksson in Granboda village. It is now a summer museum about Åland’s farmer shipowners, with a small café in the main house and an exhibition about the four-masted barque Herzogin Cecilie. Read the Pellas guide.

Söderby and the old vicarage

Söderby is the municipal centre, with the council offices, the school and the shops. The church stands here, next to the parish’s largest Iron Age burial ground. Lemland’s vicarage was built in 1798; according to the municipality, a plot to kill King Gustav IV Adolf was hatched there in 1808, and came to nothing when the guardsman meant to carry it out backed out, claiming a bad cold.

Nature and the archipelago

Järsö and Nåtö

These islands are reached along a causeway of about 10 km that links a string of islets, according to the municipality’s tourist brochure. Nåtö has a nature trail through a restored wooded meadow, and further south lies the Järsö recreation area. Read more in the Järsö and Nåtö guide.

Herrö and Herröskatan

Herröskatan, Lemland’s southern tip, is a nature reserve. A 1.6 km trail crosses the shore rocks to a bird tower, past ruins and quays from the Russian period (1809 to 1917) and fortifications from 1939 to 1945. Cattle graze the area from May to October and dogs must be kept on a lead. See the Herrö guide.

Bistorp stenåkrar and Bistorpberget

Bistorp stenåkrar is one of the municipality’s two nature reserves. The Lemlandsleden trail climbs Bistorpberget, 77 metres above sea level, with views over Lumparn and large boulder fields left by the inland ice.

Knutsboda

The rocky hills by Knutsboda village were painted by the artist Victor Westerholm. His painting The Rocks of Knutsboda is in the collection of the Finnish National Gallery. There is no separate guide to the area.

Rödhamn

Rödhamn is a group of four islets where sailors have sheltered from storms on the Sea of Åland since the Middle Ages. The rocks bear carved names and coats of arms, and the island has a radio beacon museum with equipment from the 1930s. Read the Rödhamn guide.

Lågskär

Lågskär lies about 15 nautical miles south of Mariehamn. The lighthouse was completed in 1920, but a stone cairn already guided sailors there in the 17th century. More in the Lågskär lighthouse guide.

Lemlandsleden: several sights on foot

Lemlandsleden is 25 km long and can be walked in stages. The first part runs from Lemström to Söderby with views over the sea and islands. The second part goes from Söderby up Bistorpberget and through the villages of Norrby and Granboda, past Pellas, towards Lumparsund. There you can still see the remains of sunken ships, including the schooner Leo, according to Visit Åland. The trail is marked with white-topped posts and white ribbons on trees and stones.

How to plan a visit

Distances are short, and the canal, the church, Lemböte and Pellas can all be visited in one day by car or bike. The outer islands need your own boat or a planned trip. For practical details, see the guides on getting here, where to stay, the weather and visiting Lemland with kids.