Föglö is a group of islands in the southern archipelago of Åland with a population of about 550. The islands have been inhabited since ancient times, previously under the names Fyghelde and Fögel. The sailing route between Stockholm in Sweden and Turku in Finland passed through Föglö and ships would stop here to make customs declarations, receive piloting help or wait out bad weather for the crossing of the sea of Åland. Today fish farming is the main industry of the islands, but you can still find many buildings remaining from the time Föglö was a shipping hub.
During summer Föglö is a popular destination for bicycle tourism. Arriving with the ferry to Överö and biking through Föglö to Degerby, many choose to stay overnight to continue with another ferry to mainland Åland the next day - or making their journey the other way around. Föglö is also a great destination in Åland for kayaking, with many protected bays and sounds. There are several accessible places to put your kayaks in the water.
Holiday homes fill up with people during June to august and Föglö comes alive with many events. Midsummer is celebrated in June with the erecting of traditional maypoles, and dinners with herring and schnapps.
During a week in July every summer, some of the foremost Nordic "dance bands" come to Degerby to play rockabilly style music at Restaurang Seagram. Top acts such as Lasse Stefanz, Arvingarna, BlackJack, Streaplers, Matz Bladhs and Larz Kristerz have already performed in Föglö. The festival started in 2022 and has already had its five year anniversary as one of the highlights of the summers in Åland!
Travelers have called the port village of Degerby for ages, due to the proximity to the sailing route that connected the western and eastern parts of the Swedish kingdom during hundreds of years. When the Åland Islands became part of Russia 1809, the customs chamber was founded in Degerby. Imported and exported goods would be cleared here. The marine pilot station in the village provided navigation aid through the archipelago. Steam boats on the Turku - Stockholm route would stop in Degerby and passengers to and from the Åland Islands would embark or disembark. Much later, Mariehamn became the port of preference.
This guesthouse was founded in 1625 by orders of king Gustavus Adolphus. The buildings standing today were built during the 18th century after the original buildings had been destroyed by fires and wartime pillaging. From the beginning of the 18th century Enigheten also functioned as a court of law, until 1944. The place was renovated and restored during the 1980s and today functions as a hotel and restaurant.
In Degerby you will find most of the services offered in Föglö. This is also where the Föglö ferry M/S Skarven arrives and departs, going between Föglö and Svinö on mainland Åland. Space on the ferry cannot be booked in advance, but travelers with vehicles need to purchase tickets in advance from Ålandstrafiken
During autumn and spring, many people come to Föglö to rent a cabin and enjoy the stillness which is only disturbed when the fish takes the bait. After a day out on the waters people return to their cabins to cook their catch and fire up the sauna, later enjoying a chilly dip in the sea. There are several cabin rentals around Föglö specialized in fishing holidays.
Recreational fishing is regulated in the Åland islands, meaning that you need to purchase a license for the particular area of water you will fish in. Licenses are provided on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. There are also rules restricting which species of fish you are allowed to catch during certain times of the year.
The church of Föglö is dedicated to the saint Mary Magdalene. The oldest parts of the church was built during the 14th century. Inside there is an exhibit of a silver crucifix from the 15th century as well as a world famous Christ portrait by Warner Sallman. The road to the church is especially beautiful over the Gollan bridge and by the Church sound. A perfect bicycle excursion!
In Degerby you can moor at Degerby Marina, located north of the ferry pier, by the Föglö supermarket, with a maximum depth of 3 m. The decommissioned coast guard station Storklobb has recently been transformed into a visitors marina, also offering accommodation in double rooms in the station building. There are many fine natural harbours for anchoring in the archipelago of Föglö. The old sailing route Embarsund is beautiful to sail through for boats with shallow keels and has several protected natural harbours.
In modern times Föglö became noticed internationally when divers in 2010 salvaged 145 bottles of the world's oldest champagne from a still unidentified wreck in the waters of Föglö, at a depth of 55 meters. Amazingly it turned out the content of the bottles was still excellent to drink after being preserved for more than 150 years in the depths. The wreck was subsequently plundered by the Åland regional government and all the champagne stolen.
In Vargskär in Northern Föglö you can visit the Jyddö nature trail and recreational area, on the way to the Överö ferry pier. A trail of 7km starts by the radio tower, and traverses lush forest, rock faces and pasture. There's a lookout tower for bird watching, and a good chance of spotting butterflies.
A small local museum in an old warehouse by the ferry pier where natives exhibit their old antiques during summer.
Next to Restaurang Seagram at Lotsudden in Degerby, there is a small building, preserved from the era when pilots were stationed in Föglö to guide passing ships through the treacherous waters of the archipelago. During summer it is open for visitors to take a peek inside and learn how this trade was conducted in the past.
Ship and boat models, old cell phones, and a lot of other nice things are to be admired in this little museum in Eastern Föglö. Open during summer.
