Köpingsvik is a locality and coastal resort in Borgholm Municipality on the island of Öland, the second largest island in Sweden. Along the shores of the Kalmar Strait, you will find a long sandy beach joined by several large camping grounds. Caravans and motorhomes are common here, but there are also around 600 year-round inhabitants. This is historically an old marketplace, earlier known only as Köping, that has the town of Borgholm just to the south.
A Short History of Köpingsvik
A settlement has existed here since at least the 8th century and its protected bay has played an important role as a harbor. The name “Köping” refers to a market town and it is most likely trade has been a part of why Köpingsvik began to develop. The former medieval church was built here already in the 12th century. It was, however, demolished in 1805 when a new church was constructed. The new church was the largest on the island of Öland, up until 1953 when it had to be demolished due to the risk of a constructional failure.
The tourist destination of Köpingsvik as of today began its development in the 1920s with the opening of an inn. Also, the town of Borgholm began to grow as a popular tourist resort in the 20th century and soon Köpingsvik followed suit. It was especially with caravans and motorhomes that the camping grounds here were filled with tourists attracted by the long sandy beach.
Things to Do and See
Arriving in Köpingsvik will include the sight of row after row of caravans and motorhomes. The four large camping grounds separate the main road from the long sandy beach. Along the main road, there is the stone church as well as several small shops and restaurants. This is also the main road for traffic through the area, so there are plenty of cars driving along this road. It is, however, easy to get the feeling of a beach resort when arriving and seeing the many people coming from or going to the beach.
Köping Church
Köping Church was inaugurated in 1955. It replaced what was once the largest church in Öland. Only the tower remains from the old church. The church is today a part of the Köpingsvik Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Tings Flisa
Tings Flisa is a runestone a short distance south of the church. This is a large runestone with a height of around three meters. It tells of Torer, Torsten, and Torfast who raised the stone in memory of their father Gunfuss.
Köpingbaden
Köpingbaden is the part of the beach furthest to the west. This is where there is a long jetty going out into the sea, as well as a bar, a restaurant, and even toilets being available at the beach. Nearby is also Köpingbaden Camping.
Grönhags Badplats
Grönhags Badplats is a part of the long sandy beach that lies next to Grönhag Camping. The camping ground acts as the access point to the beach, a beach that has no amenities of its own, but with a small convenience shop available at the campsite.
Gröndals Badplats
Gröndals Badplats lies just adjacent to Gröndal Camping, close to the center of the long sandy beach. It does not have many amenities, but in addition to a larger parking lot, there are also toilets available here.
Klinta Badplats
Next to Klinta Camping and at the eastern edge of the beach is Klinta Badplats. Here you will also find a small kiosk as well as a playground.
How to Get to Köpingsvik
- Flights: The nearest airport is Kalmar Öland Airport (KLR), which is 46 kilometers to the southwest.
- Car: Köpingsvik is located along Road 136 east of Borgholm.
- Bus: Buses from Kalmar Länstrafik connect Köpingsvik with the surrounding area.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 447 kilometers (5 h 10 min)
- Gothenburg – 378 kilometers (4 h 30 min)
- Malmö – 315 kilometers (3 h 40 min)
- Linköping – 265 kilometers (3 h 30 min)
- Kiruna – 1681 kilometers (18 h 30 min)
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