excursion to Eketorp Castle and southern Öland

Last weekend we headed down to southern Öland for a family outing, and our first destination was the ancient castle. Eketorps Castle!

I have been here many times and it is extra fun to come back as an adult with my own children and see them experience the castle. And there really are things to do here for the whole family! We started by baking bread that was fried on a muurika over an open fire. From a dough made of rye, barley, water and a little wheat we had to make small round dough balls that were flattened out and then fried.

Afterwards, we dipped the freshly baked bread in honey and sprinkled it with coarse salt and cumin. It tasted amazing, even to my children who are, let's say, very selective. in taste, I thought the bread was delicious.

It was nice to have a snack in the morning, and since the fresh April winds were blowing in the courtyard, it was extra nice to warm up by the fireplace. Lily managed to get really good at turning the pieces of bread!

Then we got to shoot a bow and arrow with Alexander, who works at Eketorp Castle. Alexander is an archaeologist, and just like his colleagues, he wears period clothing inside the castle grounds, so it really feels like you're transported back in time when you're there.

There was a lot to think about when you were going to shoot your arrow...

I shot that arrow! Right on target! I probably wouldn't do it again, so I decided to "end on a high" as they say, and went on to explore the castle instead. (I have made sure to remind my husband Olof about my sniping several times since we were there, though. As one does.)

Eketorp Castle is Sweden's only rebuilt ancient castle. It was built in the first stage in the 300th century and then expanded in the 400th century. A couple of hundred years later, the castle was abandoned and stood empty until the 1100th century, when it was rebuilt further. 

During the 1900th century, the castle was reconstructed and the ring wall and houses were built on the ancient remains that existed. Thanks to this, you can now get a very realistic insight into how people lived here with their families and animals long ago. In total, around 27000 finds have been found here in various excavations.

On one side of the castle you can walk up the limestone ring wall and look out over Alvaret and southern Öland's agricultural landscape, which is classified as a World Heritage Site.

After experiencing Eketorp Castle, we were hungry for lunch and headed to Queen Öda's restaurant which is located just a couple of minutes away in the picturesque little village of Össby right by the sea on the eastern side of Öland.

According to folklore, Össby got its name from a Queen Öda who fled from a power-hungry king in the 600th century and ended up right here on Öland for a period, hence the name of the restaurant. Adjacent to the restaurant there is also a parking lot with a service house for camping guests and rooms where you can stay.

Queen Öda's restaurant opened as recently as last spring and this season will be the second that Håkan and Amy have opened the restaurant. However, they are not beginners in running a restaurant, they have extensive experience from having run inns for several decades.

From Maundy Thursday onwards they are open for lunch every day except Mondays, and last year they served lunch here in Össby right up until Christmas. I think this restaurant is so nice because there aren't that many places to eat in southern Öland, especially ones that are open even when it's not high season.

Amy and Håkan had lunch with us and told us about the farm's and their own history. They had cooked a delicious vegetarian lasagna with beans for us adults and the children had pancakes. At their lunch buffet they have three different options every day; today's dish, today's vegetarian dish and today's fish dish. You can find the opening hours here..

Their next project is to prepare more hotel rooms, and it will be in an old stable building located in the yard right next to the restaurant.

With pancakes and lasagna in our stomachs, we took the short trip across the island to Grönhögen, where you can buy clogs on a self-service basis in a small red-painted slipper shop.

A pair of red lacquered clogs made Evelyn throw away both her socks and shoes! 

A pair of sunny yellow clogs brightens up any day, don't you think?

The IBA clog shop in Grönhögen has been around for a long time, and my family has several clogs from here that we have bought over the years. The small clog shop is open pretty much every day, and you can pay with Swish.

After such an eventful day, we turned back to head back home to Färjestaden. But for those who want to continue their excursion, it's not far to Ottenby Birdwatching Station and Långe Jan from here.

/ Helena Elm, April 2022