Ciao! Hello to all Ålandic and Finnish postcrossers! 
My name is Mauro, I’m 30 years old and I come from Cesena, Italy. I hope I’m writing in the right section of the forum, I’m not very familiar with it.
On the afternoon of Tuesday 9 July 2024 I will take a little trip to the Åland Islands and Mariehamn. I will arrive by Ferry from Stockholm at around 14:15 (2:15 pm) and leave at around 22:30 (10:30 pm) to go to Helsinki.
Also to visiting the Capital, I also plan to write and send postcards to friends and family. So, if possible, I would like to ask if anyone can give me advice on where to buy postcards and stamps. And also where can I find the Post Office in Mariehamn, and what are the opening hours.
In addition to philatelic advice, I would also appreciate recommendations on places for dinner to taste the typical cuisine of the Island. I will be traveling alone, so if anyone wants to join, they are welcome.
Grazie mille! Thank you and greetings from Italy! 
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Hi Mauro!
Have a nice trip to Mariehamn and Helsinki! 
In Mariehamn there is a post office right in the centre: Nygatan 6 (in the corner of Nygatan 6 and Torggatan 4). They are open 9.30-17.00 on weekdays and sell a variety of stamps and postcards. If you want to spare some money, ask for domestic priority stamps (2,80 €), they are enough to send abroad in economy class.
In Mariehamn visit the café Svarta Katten (Norragatan 15) and taste a Ålandic pancake! 
In Helsinki there is a post office in the city centre too: Elielinaukio 2 F, they are open 8.00-20.00 on weekdays, 10.00-18.00 on weekends. In addition, bookshops, supermarkets (S-market, K-market, but not Lidl) and R-kiosks sell stamps. Again, if you want to save some money, ask for domestic stamps, a domestic stamp is enough to send abroad in economy class.
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Thank you so much for all these beautiful and precious advice. You are really kind 
Henriikka already mentioned where the post office is located. Svarta Katten is also an excellent and idyllic café.
Your visit is short, but Mariehamn is a small town. You will have time to do and see a lot.
I recommend visiting the Åland Cultural History Museum, where a summer-long exhibition on Ålandic stamps has just opened today. Åland got its own stamps exactly 40 years ago. More information about the exhibition can be found at: Bilden av Åland - en drömresa genom frimärken | Ålands Museum
Best of all, if you leave your postcards at the museum, they will be stamped with a special exhibition postmark.
You can find postcards at the following places:
- Mariehamns Bokhandel (bookstore) Torggatan 14
- Emmaus (second-hand shop) Strandgatan 20
- Visit Åland (tourist info) Telegrafen, Torggatan 8
- SALT Konsthantverk (local artisan products), Sea Quarters, Österleden 110
All these places, as well as the museum and the post office, are within a very short distance of each other, just a few minutes’ walk.
I also recommend visiting the Maritime Museum. It is one of the best museums in Finland and also has a good selection of postcards for sale. https://sjofartsmuseum.ax
For cafés, the most idyllic are Svarta Katten mentioned in Henriikka’s message https://www.svartakatten.ax, and also Bagarstugan https://bagarstugan.ax.
You will surely find a restaurant to your liking; here are some options:
If you would like to have a small Postcrossing meetup with locals, feel free to contact @Anna-Hannele - she might be busy in Summer, but maybe she can help you.
Enjoy your visit to Åland!
2 Likes
Thank you very much, I’m sure your advice will also be very useful. I’m sure it will be a nice trip 