Finström was widely inhabited in the Viking Age. The church of St. Michael is one of the oldest in Åland with the oldest parts dating from the 12th century. Grelsby kungsgård was the place where king Gustavus Vasa stayed with his entourage of 312 people for a few days in the spring of 1556. Swedish king Gustaf IV Adolf also stayed there for six weeks in the summer of 1808 prior to the 1809 loss of Finland to Russia.