Långlöt is a small village in the central parts of Öland, the second largest island in Sweden. It was once, with its church, the central settlement of the local parish. Today it and the around 50 inhabitants are a part of Borgholm Municipality in Kalmar County. The whole village is built in a narrow line following the main road.
Långlöt was the home parish of several of my ancestors. This is where Olof Andersson (1771-1815), Cajsa Olsdotter (1800-1887), Brita Stina Eriksdotter (1828-1913), and Olof Johan Erlandsson (1854-1933) lived for large parts of their lives. It is especially in the nearby village of Himmelsberga, now Öland’s Museum, that they lived and worked. Långlöt is where they went to church.
A Short History of Långlöt
Långlöt Parish has its origins in the Middle Ages. Remains from the church have been dated to the 1120s, and it is believed to be made of reused wood from an even older wooden church from the 11th century. The first known written source mentioning the parish is from the 1340s.
The parish was split between the church and civil service in 1862, establishing Långlöt Congregation and Långlöt Municipality. The area has since 1969 been a part of Borgholm Municipality. The congregation was merged in 2006 with Gärdslösa and Runsten.
Things to Do and See
There is plenty of farmland around the village and the Baltic Sea is just a few kilometers meters away from the main road. It is the countryside atmosphere that is the main attraction here, together with the Middle Age church.
Långlöt Church
Parts of the church date back as far as the 12th century. The church had for some centuries two towers and it had defensive purposes. Its current appearance goes back to the end of the 18th century, it was also at that time that the second tower was demolished. The church was for a long time the center of the local parish but is today a part of Gärdslösa. Långlösa, and Runsten Congregation. It is a merger between three former parishes and is a part of the Lutheran Church of Sweden.
How to Get to Långlöt
- Flights: The closest airport is Kalmar Öland Airport (KLR) 40 kilometers away.
- Car: Långlöt is along countryside roads in the center of the island.
- Bus: Buses from Kalmar Länstrafik connect Långlöt with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 445 kilometers (4 h 56 min)
- Gothenburg – 372 kilometers (4 h 29 min)
- Malmö – 315 kilometers (3 h 28 min)
- Linköping – 259 kilometers (3 h 25 min)
- Kiruna – 1676 kilometers (19 h 2 min)
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