Märket > Åland Islands > Europe
[Visited: Juni 2024]
- For days before departure, we are following the weather forecast. We are heading towards Märket by boat. An uninhabited islet where we will travel by boat, but which only has two possible landing spots for which we need calm weather conditions. Indeed, when we drive up north from Mariehamn, the capital of Ã…land Islands. Our small boats are already waiting for us, and within minutes we are outside the small harbour. It is immediately obvious that we have picked a great day for our excursion. We see a flat sea around us, and the sun is sending some warmth to our skin. Our eyes are glued on the horizon where we are eager to see the first sign of our destination. Sooner than I had expected, I notice some buildings towering above the sea, several ships behind them.
- We quickly get closer, and notice the most remarkable building on the islet: the lighthouse. A little later, I notice people scrambling over the rocks, and when we arrive, we are welcomed by a team of volunteers who work on Märket. They divide our group in two, and start guiding us around the island and telling us its unique history. In 1809, as part of the Treaty of Frederikshamn, it was decided that Märket should be divided between Sweden and Finland. Since the island was considered no-mans land in 1885, the Fins built a much-needed lighthouse because many ships ran aground in the vicinity. They logically built it on the highest point (some two metres above sea level). Formally, the lighthouse was built on the Swedish side though, and in 1985, the borders were redrawn. Where until then the line ran straight through the island, it was redefined so that the lighthouse would be entirely on Finnish soil, and Sweden received other parts of the islet so that the net amount of territory remained the same.
- Once you know this quirky story, you notice the many white markers indicating the border which has such an interesting shape. We take the inevitable pictures of our feet standing on both sides of a border line, and as we are all avid travellers loving to cross borders, we have a great time. Then, the volunteers take us inside the buildings. While the lighthouse is unmanned since decades, it does need regular maintenance and occasionally, people live here. We see the rooms, the beds, the views from the windows. And of course, we visit the lighthouse itself with great views over the islet of Märket. I wonder what it must be like here during winter, when the nights are very long and winds can pound the islet, surrounded by ice. It is time for a walk, and a couple fo seagulls chase us away from the western part of the islet. We see several ponds with water, and green vegetation inside. I dip in the ice cold sea, and get try on the rocks. I am happy with the rays of sunshine. We take group pictures, chat some more with the volunteers, and then it is time to head back to our boats and leave Märket behind.
