#6 Castle to castle, Central Öland

well-preserved terraced villages, species-rich deciduous forest and unique castles

En tjej står utanför porten vid Gråborg på Öland.

Alexander Hall

Mittlandskogen – Europe's largest contiguous deciduous forest areas
Gråborg – Öland's largest ancient castle with historical significance
Ismantorp Castle – well-preserved ancient castle with several entrances
Himmelsberga Museum – living cultural environment with Öland history

Mittlandsleden – 50 km hiking trail through Midlands' nature and culture
Rönnerum–Abbentorp – hiking trails in varied midland forest
Combination of hiking, ancient monuments and genuine village environments
Perfect for nature experiences, history and day trips on central Öland

Alexander Hall

1. Mittlandsskogen

Welcome to one of Europe's largest contiguous deciduous forest areas that offers a variety of fine hiking trails and very high natural values. The area consists of deciduous forest, grazed grassland, arable land and wetlands. Deciduous forests make up almost half of Midland and consist mainly of hazel-rich oak forest, hornbeam forest, ash and elm. The area is a large mosaic landscape with cultural and natural values and is unparalleled in Europe.

There are thousands of remains from Iron Age farmers. House foundations that form entire farms and loosely grouped villages, kilometer-long fencing systems, sheep paths, wells and graves. Midland also has a very rich animal and plant life with 100s of red-listed species. Particularly noteworthy is the fungal flora, which is of international importance and comprises a fifth of all the country's red-listed mushrooms. Enjoy all the treasures of the Midland along winding hiking trails surrounded by old oaks, lush hazel bushes and ruins that bear witness to the past. Stop and fantasize about what life once was like here several hundred years ago.

Helena Elm

2. Gråborg

Gråborg is Öland's largest ancient castle and also one of Sweden's largest facilities of its kind, with an area of 210x160 meters and a wall height of 4-7 meters. The castle was built during the Iron Age and was used as a defensive facility until 1677 in the war against the Danes.

Helena Elm

3. St. Canute's Chapel

St. Canute's chapel, 200 meters north of Gråborg, indicates that the castle had a great importance during the Middle Ages. The chapel was built in the 1100s but was abandoned as early as the 1500s. Today, only the western gable and the triumphal arch remain.

Adjacent to the historic castle and Sankt Knut's chapel there is a well-equipped picnic area with barbecue areas, wind shelters and toilets, making it an excellent place for excursions and barbecues all year round.

4. Ismantorp Ancient Castle

Ismantorp Castle is the best-preserved ancient castle on Öland with its 95 house foundations. The castle has a diameter of 127 meters and a height of 2.5 meters. The castle has nine gates, which from a defense point of view must have been a disadvantage as gates are the weakest points. Explanations have instead been sought in Old Norse mythology, where the number nine plays a major role. During excavations, few finds have been made, which indicates that the castle was never permanently inhabited and perhaps it was never a defensive castle either.

5. Öland Museum, Himmelsberga

Himmelsberga village is a double row village with surrounding farms on both sides of the street. The barns enclose the courtyard where the dwelling house is located in a sheltered position at the back. In 1957, the Öland Local History Association bought two of the farms to preserve a terraced village for posterity and created the open-air museum Öland's Museum Himmelsberga. The museum has since developed with several courtyards, an art gallery, gallery, coffee house and shop.

En familj sitter och fikar inne på en innegård vid Himmelsberga museum på Öland.

UpZoneStudios

Hike in the Midland Forest

The 50-kilometre-long Midland Trail offers scenic hiking through Öland's midland with ancient monuments, village environments and rich plant and animal life.

In the Rönnerum–Abbentorp area, there are three orange-marked trails that take you through protected midland forest with deciduous trees and hornbeam. Here you pass several of Öland's most important cultural environments, such as Odensflisor, Ismantorp's ancient castle and Rönnerum's ancient village.