Åland Archipelago - Finland - page 252

SUNKEN TREASURE

Divers exploring an 1840s shipwreck off the coast of Föglö in 2010 raised 162 bottles of
Champagne, the world's oldest. Two bottles were auctioned in 2011 for the princely sum
of €54,000; you can see a couple in the Ålands Museum . Studies at the University of
Reims, in Champagne, France, are now investigating the merits of seabed storage.
The divers also retrieved five bottles of 19th-century corked beer. It was analysed by
the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), and Mats Ekholm, master brewer at
Åland's Stallhagen Brewery re-created the original recipe. Stallhagen's Shipwreck Beer is
now on sale aboard Viking Line ferries, costing €113 per bottle.
The ship's identity, origin, destination and the cause of the wreck are still shrouded in
mystery; part of the profits from Shipwreck Beer sales are being used to fund further re-
search.

Activities

Ro-No Rent OUTDOORS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 018-12820; www.rono.ax ; 9am-6pm Jun-mid Aug, by arrangement
Sep-May)
Ro-No rents out a variety of bicycles (per day/week €10/50), kayaks (€80/150), small
boats (that don't require a licence; per four hours/day €100/200) and mopeds (which do;
per day/week €60/180) from its outlet at Österhamn. The smaller outlet at Västerhamn (
MAP

GOOGLE MAP ) just has bicycles.

Mariebad WATERPARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 018-531-650; www.mariehamn.ax/mariebad ;Österleden;adult/child
€8.50/5.20; noon-10pm Mon, 6-8am & 10am-10pm Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun)
This large waterpark is excellent for the whole family, with slides, saunas, indoor and out-
door pools with water jets, waterfalls etc, and a free sandy beach .

Ålandia Dive & Adventure DIVING