After a day of driving, my summer road trip of 2023 had taken my to the island of Öland. It is Sweden’s second largest island and its narrow shape makes it easy to cross from west to east, but the distance from north to south is longer. The year before, I had explored the island’s northern part, but I still had the two-thirds that constituted the southern part to explore.
My target was set on the castle ruin of Borgholm. I’m fascinated with old castles that can be found around Sweden, such as Gripsholm, Kalmar, Varberg, and Örebro. The castle in Borgholm is a ruin today, which might make it even more fascinating. It is one of the main tourist sites in Öland and I hoped to see it finally.
Heading Towards Borgholm
It was just a short drive from the rest area where I had spent the night to the castle ruins outside of Borgholm. I was surprised to see an empty parking lot upon my arrival. Well, it was early morning and when looking it up online I found that I was a few hours too early. The castle ruin was not open for visits just yet.
I didn’t want to wait until it opened. Instead, I drove into the town of Borgholm to have a look. It is really impressive to see the ruin watching out over its surroundings. Borgholm was still asleep, so I was alone walking along its central streets. Borgholm might be cozy for sightseeing, but I wanted somewhere to enjoy a small breakfast. Eventually, I continued my drive for a few more minutes along the coast until I got to Köpingsvik. This is where I found a shop where I could get some bread for breakfast and then there is that beautiful long beach. First, you walk through the huge camping grounds with row after row of motorhomes and caravans.
After breakfast, I continued even further north. It was first in Föra, that I turned back south. With a short stop at Kårehamn to explore the western coastline of Öland, I was soon back in the area of Borgholm. And by now the castle had opened for visitors. The parking lot was almost filled and I had to drive through the maze of parked cars to find a free spot.
Entering the castle ruins is a must when visiting Öland. It is an amazing structure with its thick walls and towers. I spent about an hour exploring the castle and its many views. It is that surreal feeling when walking through the arched gates of a historical castle, standing in the long hallways, climbing the stone stairs, and standing in the tower looking out towards the horizon. The only downside with the visit? The maze of cars in the parking lot closed during the visit. Someone had been smart to park on the exit road, trapping me and several other vehicles at the far end of the parking lot. Fortunately, a driver in the line could temporarily move to let me out. I wonder if the others were as lucky.
Towards the Southernmost Point of Öland
From Borgholm I once more crossed the the island and continued south along its eastern coast. I had set my target on Långe Jan, the lighthouse at the southernmost tip of Öland. Along the road south I passed several historical parishes with white stone churches, such as Gärdslösa, Stenåsa, Hulterstad, and Segerstad. In addition, there were also sights such as the traditional windmills in Störlinge. Öland is famous for its many windmills and there are several places where you have long rows of windmills.
Upon reaching the nature reserve covering the southernmost tip of the island there is a drastic change in the landscape. Suddenly, you feel like you are driving across the Serengeti, maybe even the Kalahari. It feels more like the African savannah and not a Swedish island. Instead of zebras and elephants, there are, however, cows and sheep grazing these lands.
Raising above these plains and watching out across the Baltic Sea is Långe Jan. Translated this is “Tall Jan”, a 41-meter-high lighthouse dating back to 1785. It is in itself an impressive sight, especially considering the location. Långe Jan has a younger border at the northernmost tip of Öland, about 135 kilometers away, named Långe Erik.
It was a perfect day to stroll along the shores, enjoy the sea breeze, and forget the rest of the world for a few minutes. There might be a lot of other tourists around, but it was still possible to relax and find secluded spots to enjoy the view all by yourself.
Finalizing the Loop
From Långe Jan it was only possible to drive in one direction – north. This time I followed the western coast of the island. Again there were several white churches such as the ones in Ventlinge, Södra Möckleby, and Kastlösa. But before I reached the town of Mörbylånga I also saw a few other historical sights and tourist areas.
The first stop was for a short walk in Grönhögen. I wanted to buy something to drink in the small local shop, but it turned into a walk to see the harbor area and part of the surrounding coast. The most interesting sight along the coast was, however, Alunbruket. This is the ruins of an old alum factory, which opened in 1804. Its high stone chimney still stands today and is an impressive landmark.
In the coastal town of Mörbylånga, I eventually found a pizzeria and something for dinner. When you travel alone, it sometimes feels weird to get a table at a crowded restaurant. For some reason, that feeling is less noticeable at a local pizzeria. The sun was shining along the coast of Mörbylånga and somewhere across the water was the Swedish mainland. I was at the moment planning for where to spend the night. Knowing that finding a good spot in and around Kalmar might be hard, I opted to stay in Öland and cross the bridge in the morning. So I took my time when continuing north, stopping to see the ancient burial mounds in Mysinge and to see even more windmills in Resmo.
I eventually passed the Öland Bridge and found my way to where I had spent the previous night. This time I opted for a parking spot a bit away from the rest area. This time I got to sleep with a view of Odens Flisor, These are raised stones that in English would be known as “Odin’s Flakes”. A historical sight that got to mark the end of an adventurous day.
Join me Exploring Sweden! Read more: Summer Road Trip 2023
