Kvarken Archipelago – Seal meat, blubber, train oil and skin
Compared to other food at the end of the Middle Ages, seal meat was extremely rich in energy, which was important for man’s thermal balance in the cold climate. Seal meat has also been used for medicinal purposes, and the…
Kvarken Archipelago – Seal hunting
Historically, seal hunting has been a very significant means of livelihood for the people living in the Kvarken archipelago. When the Gulf of Bothnia coast was populated, seal hunting and fishing provided a lifeline for the first permanent inhabitants.
Kvarken Archipelago – Molpehällorna
Molpehällorna, or the island of Moikipää is made up of several smaller islands that have grown together. The island has a roughly one kilometer long highly diverse nature trail. In the yard of an old coastguard station there is an…
Kvarken Archipelago – Mikkelinsaaret
In the islands one can visit ancient monuments, such as stone mazes (‘jatulintarha’), compass roses as well as fishing camp-and harbour relics, for example. The entire Mikkelinsaaret belong to a World Heritage Site and numerous cruses are organized there in…
Kvarken Archipelago – Making Fishing Equipment and Fish Preservation
The fisherman would sit by his campfire from early in the morning until late into the night, making new or repairing old fishing equipment. The task of the women was to comb, spin and wash the flax and hemp yarn…
Kvarken Archipelago – Hunting
Hunting provided much-needed extra food in the archipelago, and was primarily pursued for meat. Hunting water birds used to be a significant way – next after seal hunting – to get fresh meat onto the archipelago household’s table.
Kvarken Archipelago – History of Fishing
Hunters and fishermen have roamed the Kvarken area since the Stone Age. Fishing and seal hunting were the main sources of livelihood from the Middle Ages up in the late 19th century.
Kvarken Archipelago – Fäliskäret, Rönnskären
Fäliskäret is a smallish, about 400 meter wide and a kilometer long C-letter shaped island that belongs to the Rönnskär archipelago and is located by the open sea. Its 22-meter high bell tower-like lighthouse is the oldest wooden sea mark…
Kvarken Archipelago – Boathouses and Fishing Huts
Throughout the ages, all coastal villages have looked for the best landing sites, and the landing place has later turned into the village harbour and boathouse area.
Kvarken Archipelago – Ancient Relics
Human activity in the archipelago is closely related to fishing, seal hunting and seafaring. Our harsh archipelago, which is very rocky and has relatively scarce vegetation in places, creates unique conditions for ancient relics, and, due to the land uplift,…
