Neptuni Fields
Neptuni fields are a widespread cobblestone field along the coast north of Byxelkrok on Öland. It was named by Carl von Linné in 1741 after the Roman sea god Neptune. The area is a nature reserve.
The name "Neptuni fields" is attributed to Carl von Linné. He passed here during his trip to Öland in 1741. These are 200-meter-wide seawalls, a formation from the last ice sheet. A seawall consists mainly of flat stones and gravel that, with the help of the waves, have been transported up above or parallel to the waterline.
Neptuni fields are perhaps best known for their colorful blooms of blue fire. The cobble stone embankments have a sparse flora and species such as gray fibble, sedge, thistle, sheep's fescue, gravel louse and mountain thyme grow here. Along the beach, salt marshes, beach starfish and yellow wagtails thrive. On the beach south of Neptuni akrar is a Viking Age burial ground called the Forgallaskeppe.
WALKING TRAIL:
Length: 3 km
Difficulty: Easy
Markings: None
Starting point: The reserve's southern parking lot
Substrate: Gravel, cobblestone and stone slabs
The trail starts at the reserve's southern parking lot, about 2 km north of Byxelkrok. About 100 meters south of the car park there is a shipwreck, Forgalla ship, which you can take a closer look at before you turn north to start the walk across the cobblestone field. If you want to get close to the water, you can go down to the limestone outcrops and walk on the flat surface, which also contains interesting fossils, for a few hundred meters before we suggest you go up to the seawall's clapper field where the colorful blue fire shines, especially during the month of June. Here also bloom gray fibble, tulka, thistle, sheep's fescue, gorse and mountain thyme.
The pebble field has been created by the sea by washing away soil and gravel, and thus only stone has remained. The wave embankment has shaped the stones into cobblestone embankments that are about 5-15 meters apart and with a level difference of about 1 meter.
Continue the walk along one of the paths on the seawalls and turn off after a few kilometers towards the northernmost parking lot within the nature reserve. From here, a path goes back to the south.
Neptuni fields are perhaps best known for their colorful blooms of blue fire. The cobble stone embankments have a sparse flora and species such as gray fibble, sedge, thistle, sheep's fescue, gravel louse and mountain thyme grow here. Along the beach, salt marshes, beach starfish and yellow wagtails thrive. On the beach south of Neptuni akrar is a Viking Age burial ground called the Forgallaskeppe.
WALKING TRAIL:
Length: 3 km
Difficulty: Easy
Markings: None
Starting point: The reserve's southern parking lot
Substrate: Gravel, cobblestone and stone slabs
The trail starts at the reserve's southern parking lot, about 2 km north of Byxelkrok. About 100 meters south of the car park there is a shipwreck, Forgalla ship, which you can take a closer look at before you turn north to start the walk across the cobblestone field. If you want to get close to the water, you can go down to the limestone outcrops and walk on the flat surface, which also contains interesting fossils, for a few hundred meters before we suggest you go up to the seawall's clapper field where the colorful blue fire shines, especially during the month of June. Here also bloom gray fibble, tulka, thistle, sheep's fescue, gorse and mountain thyme.
The pebble field has been created by the sea by washing away soil and gravel, and thus only stone has remained. The wave embankment has shaped the stones into cobblestone embankments that are about 5-15 meters apart and with a level difference of about 1 meter.
Continue the walk along one of the paths on the seawalls and turn off after a few kilometers towards the northernmost parking lot within the nature reserve. From here, a path goes back to the south.