|
A new era in passenger travel between the Finnish mainland, the Åland Islands
and Sweden began late in the spring of 1959. That was when the first genuine
Baltic Sea car ferry was placed in service for Viking Line by a new company
called Vikinglinjen Ab, which had been established at the initiative of an Åland
sea captain, Gunnar Eklund. On June 1, the S/S Viking undertook its maiden
voyage on the Galtby (Åland)–Mariehamn (Åland)–Gräddö (Sweden) route. Many
people viewed these new ferry ventures with great scepticism, but they later
realized that this was the first phase of an almost revolutionary expansion in
ferry communications between the Finnish mainland, Åland and Sweden.
Today it operates under the trading name Viking Line Abp and is the
market-leading cruise and ferry line in the Baltic. Over the decades, the size,
service concepts and range of attractions of these vessels have undergone
dramatic changes– from the humble second-hand car ferries of the early years to
the impressive fleet of today.
Year 2009 Viking Line celebrates it's first 50 years in traffic.
Welcome aboard – today and in the future!
If you want to experience the history of days gone by, open following links
with historical Viking Line film material.
 The
links will open Flash-films in a new window.
|
