A network of islands in the Baltic Sea, between Finland and Sweden, offers you seal hunting and other outdoor pursuits in an environment that has hardly changed since the last Ice Age. Read more...

The brackish waters of the Baltic Sea wash the islands of this large archipelago, that is squeezed between Finland and Sweden in more ways than one. Low rocky shores and sandy dunes, forests and bays, with some fields, pastures, villages and towns, including the oldest Christian temple in the Baltics, offer tranquil calmness that thousands of tourists find irresistible. Some of these tourists come here for hunting. After Finland gained independence from Russia, the predominantly Swedish population of the Åland Islands filed a claim to the newly formed League of Nations, to be ceded to Sweden. The claim was denied, but a compromise was reached. While they remain de-jure a part of Finland, the Åland Islands enjoy a great degree of autonomy, and in fact are for all practical purposes an independent country. Hunting is an ancient tradition on the Åland Islands, and in fact, as the exposition of the local Hunting and Fishing Museum testifies, the original population of the archipelago were seal hunters. Seal hunting is still allowed, with a quota of 450 animals a year, and it’s the seal safaris that are the main attraction for the international hunter on the Åland Islands. To hunt on the archipelago, you would need to obtain a local hunting permit. International travelers must provide proof that they have passed a hunting examination and are entitled to hunt and own hunting weapons in their home country. Hide details