Finland

Light spring winds

Nordic Summer Night

Photo Taneli Eskola

High Coast Kvsrken  Archipelago, WHS Finland

Photo Kimmo Makkonen

 

Happy Independence Day Finland

 

Aerial views

Replot bridge and Kvarken archipelago.

The Replot Bridge (Finnish: Raippaluodon silta) is a cable-stayed tuftform bridge connecting the island of Replot with the mainland in Korsholm, near Vaasa, Finland. It is 1,045 metres (3,428 ft) long and the longest bridge of Finland. 

Kvarken Archipelago in Finland, part of the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage Site.

 Vaasa, the suniest city in Finland :)

Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa. Vaasa is the regional capital of Ostrobothnia (Swedish: Österbotten, Finnish: Pohjanmaa). The city is bilingual with 69.8% of the population speaking Finnish as their first language and 24.8% speaking Swedish. The surrounding Ostrobothnia municipalities have a Swedish-speaking majority. 

Both Vaasa and Kvarken are quite near to my home village.

More aerial views here: Postcards for the weekend 69: Aerial views

Lighthouses

 Strömmingsbådan lighthouse,  Södra Vallgrund, Finland

The iron lighthouse was built in 1885 and it is 12m high.

Art by Marléne Ström

.Norrskär lighthouse, Södra Vallgrund, Kvarken

Art by 

 Utgrynnan lighthouse Södra Vallgrund

Art by Margareta Hjerpe,

Södra Vallgrund

Kvarken Archipelago

De Geer-moraines Kvarken

Moraine is a blend of blocks, gravel, sand, mud and silt. The material was formed when the glacial ice was moving and wearing the rock beneath. In the Kvarken Archipelago many types of moraine formations can be found, as De Geer-moraines and Transversal ridges. Moraine formations also occur on the ocean floor.

In summer 2006, The Kvarken Archipelago got listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Kvarken Archipelago together with the High Coast in Sweden form a unique geological entity and a transboundary World Natural Heritage Site. The steep High Coast and the flat Kvarken Archipelago (the low coast) are topographical opposites. Together they serve as a unique example of ongoing geological and biological processes and ecosystem development in time and space.

The distance between the areas is 150 kilometres and consists of 7000 skerries and islets. The land rises by 8-8.5 mm annually and creates about 1 km2 new land every year. With this rate the land uplift will create a permanent gateway over the Kvarken in about 2500 years.

The Kvarken Archipelago is Finland's first World Natural Heritage and the 162 World Natural Heritage on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are 31 World Heritage sites in the Nordic Countries.

My UNESCO collection

Advent Calendar Day 6.- Blue and White

 Happy 99th Birthday Finland! 

The Post Boats Over Kvarken

The Kvarken Archipelago was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2006 as the first Finnish Natural World Heritage Site. 

In the 17th century, the inhabitants of Björkö were assigned the duty of conveying the mails over Kvarken. As compensation, they were granted by King Gustav II Adolf, freedom from military service and reduces taxes. This service was provided until 1809.

The post boat service is still commemorated by an annual cruise over Kvarken using the characteristic traditional type of boat. These are equipped with both sail and oars and the event attracts crews and their supporters to Björköby each year. The cruise is to Holmön on the Swedish side an each second year, the direction is reversed. A memorial has been erected at Bodback from where the first post boats were dispatched.

I bought these cards on our little weekend trip to Kvarken Archipelago.

This is my entry for Maria's "Postcards for the Weekend" on her "Connections to the World-blog" and the theme for this week is Postal/mail related.