Exploring Öland
Exploring Öland will include exploring what is the second-largest island in Sweden. Once you have left the mainland there is a flat island ahead filled with dry stone walls, small settlements, and plenty of windmills. The ride across to Öland can either be a beautiful ferry ride or a quite impressive drive across the over six kilometers long Öland Bridge. It is only the narrow Kalmar Strait that is separating the island from the mainland. When visiting, don’t forget to say hello to the island’s two celebrities. These are Långe Jan and Långe Erik, “Tall Jan” and “Tall Eric” in English. These two lighthouses stand on either point of the island, one in the north and one in the south.
About Öland
Öland is the second largest island in Sweden and is today a part of the county of Kalmar. The long and narrow island is connected with the mainland via the bridge to the city of Kalmar.
Öland is a long and narrow island. Its widest point is only 15 kilometers while it is 135 kilometers long. With a population of only 26.000 inhabitants, it is one of the smallest provinces in Sweden.
Largest City: Färjestaden
Province Flower: “Ölandssolvända”, hoary rockrose (Helianthemum oelandicum)
Province Animal: Thrush nightingale
Exploring Öland
A boat can take you around the island and accessing many of the long sandy beaches is a possibility. But when it comes to some of the more historical sights, then you usually have to access the areas more inland. It is possible, but slow, to explore with the local buses. But public transport will not take you everywhere. The best way to explore is probably on a bike cycle, the distances between places are quite short, but to see all of the islands will result in quite a long ride. The easiest is usually with a car, but do keep in mind that the many RVs do slow down traffic and can cause hazards on the small narrow roads.
Places to Explore
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