Öland is the island where you can constantly experience the wings of history. Ancient castles, burials, agricultural landscapes, buildings and windmills. Vida Art Gallery, Sollidens Slott, Borgholms Slott, Öland's Museum Himmelsberga and Eketorps Borg, are all open into September. In addition, there are ancient castles in, for example, Ismanstorp and Gråborg, which are always open to visitors. Take the opportunity to make one or more stops with a cafe or restaurant visit on the way.
26 May 2021
Culture & History
castles & castles
Eketorp's castle
Eketorp's castle is a completely excavated ancient castle where the wall and houses have been recreated directly on the ancient remains. If you are interested in nature and culture, you will get your fill of the castle's interesting history, archeology and fauna at Alvaret. You will find Eketorp's castle further down in southern Öland with Alvar next to it. Find Eketorp Castle.
ismantorp's castle
Ismanstorp's castle is one of Öland's largest ancient castles with a diameter of 127 meters and is surrounded by wetlands in the Mittlandskogen and is both an archaeological enigma and a popular excursion destination. Next to the large, mighty ancient castle, a small red cabin looms that has served as a coffee, juice, Wiener bread cabin, etc. for the castle's visitors for several generations. It is very scenically located. Find Ismantorp Castle.
gråborg & sankt knuts chapel
Gråborg is Öland's largest ancient castle and also one of Sweden's largest facilities of its kind. Like Ismanstorp, it is centrally located on the island. The castle was previously called Backaborg, but this name has gradually been transferred to the nearby village of Borg. Next to the castle there is also a medieval chapel ruin. Find Gråborg & Saint Knut's Chapel.
Borgholm Castle
Borgholm Castle "Nordic's most beautiful ruin" is one of the buildings that hardly leaves any visitor unmoved. Its size is overwhelming and its location fascinating. Rarely have nature and architecture merged into such a unity as here and this unity was only further emphasized when in 1806 the castle was ravaged by a great fire and only the bare forms of the limestone walls remained of all its former glory. Today, Borgholm Castle is one of the region's largest tourist destinations, which in a unique way gives us a journey through Swedish, Nordic and European history that stretches over 900 years! Borgholm Castle is part of our common cultural heritage and is managed by the Norwegian Property Agency. Borgholm Municipality is responsible for the activities at the castle. Find Borgholm Castle
Skäftekärr's Iron Age village
In Skäftekärr, near Böda in northern Öland, there is an Iron Age village with about 20 well-preserved stone house foundations distributed on about 10 farms from the period 300-700 AD. In the middle of the Iron Age village are the remains of a nobleman's farm with four house foundations. Right next to it is a reconstruction of an Iron Age house and a fire ruin from a previously reconstructed house. Find Skäftekärr's Järnåldersby.
sandby castle
On Öland there are about fifteen ancient castles from the Iron Age. Excavations in Sandby Castle testify that this is a place with a horrific history. About 1 years ago, the inhabitants of the castle fell victim to a brutal massacre, something that was only discovered a few years ago. Sandby castle is the only one of the Öland castles that is right next to the beach, and even if you can't see much of the castle, apart from the fallen wall, it is still an exciting place to stay. If you want to experience and see what the castle looked like, you can visit the reconstructed Eketorps castle, which was contemporary with Sandby castle and which is very similar to it in appearance and layout. The finds from the excavations in Sandby Castle are on display at the Kalmar county museum. Find Sandby Castle.
the citizens' island
On June 8, 2024, the exhibition The Island of the Citizens will premiere. Explore the mystery and history behind Öland's ancient cities in this eight-year exhibition series created in collaboration with Stockholm University and Linnaeus University. The Kalmar County Museum invites you to an eight-year experience through Öland's fascinating archaeological landscape. Borgarnas ö is a long-term exhibition series that spans eight years, where each year offers new content and different themes. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore Öland's ancient castles and gain a deeper understanding of the life of the islanders during the Iron Age.