Sund, Åland
Sund is a municipality of Åland. It is an autonomous territory of Finland which is very rich in history and culture, being one of the official 27 National landscapes of Finland.
The municipality has a population of 1,032 (30 June 2015) and covers an area of 184.12 square kilometres (71.09 sq mi) of which 76.06 km2 (29.37 sq mi) is water. The population density is 9.55 inhabitants per square kilometre (24.7/sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Swedish.
The old Medieval post route from Stockholm, Sweden to Turku, Finland passes through Sund.
History and landmarks
There are many pre-historic sites in Sund from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.
The Medieval church of Sund is dedicated to John the Baptist and was built sometime in the 13th century. It is the largest church in Åland. Inside the church there is a five-meter-tall crucifix, the tallest in all of Scandinavia.
Kastelholm Castle (Swedish: Kastelholms slott) is the only castle in Åland, and is partially in ruins. The castle was built on a small island that was surrounded by water and moats filled with several lines of poles. It was first mentioned in 1388 in the contract of Queen Margaret I, where a large portion of the inheritance of Bo Jonsson Grip was given to her. The heyday of the castle was in the 15th and 16th centuries. King John III kept his deposed brother Eric XIV in captivity in the castle in the Fall of 1571. Today, it is partially restored and a popular tourist attraction. The whole castle was opened to the public in 2001.
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