#9 Stora Alvaret, southern Öland

• Stora Alvaret on Öland – a unique World Heritage Site with an open Alvar landscape
• UNESCO World Heritage Site – one of Europe's most distinctive natural environments
• Vast limestone lands with rich plant and animal life
• Perfect for hiking, biking and nature experiences

• Rare plants, orchids and grazing animals in open landscape
• Historical remains such as ancient castles and old farmlands
• Magnificent views and a feeling of untouched nature
• One of Öland's most iconic and nature-oriented excursions

1. The road between Resmo and Stenåsa

From Karlevi in the west to Gårdby in the east and then all the way down to the southern tip of Öland, a beautiful landscape and a unique cultural area stretches. The terraced villages, the cultivated land, the lakelands and the Great Alvar together form the World Heritage Site of Southern Öland's agricultural landscape. On Öland, agriculture has been carried out for thousands of years, and due to the special conditions, only part of the island can be cultivated. The large alvar and the lakelands by the Baltic Sea have not been able to be cultivated, but have mainly served as pasture. This means that today we can experience something as unique as a medieval agricultural landscape that is cultivated with modern machines. Much that on southern Öland can be experienced as nature's untouched beauty is in fact a successful interaction between man and nature. Since 2000, the agricultural landscape has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List as one of the world's most unique places.

2. Öland's test field

In the 1950s and 60s, 184 white-painted concrete lids were placed on the Great Alvar. It was no coincidence, from above they form a clear pattern. In 1955, work began to test the accuracy of cameras in aerial photography. Before that, the cameras had only been tested in laboratories. The results were world-famous and meant that camera manufacturers had to make adjustments to their cameras. Even today, it is possible to find most of these concrete lids. Go on a hike or run on the alvar and see how many you find, starting at Möckelmossen's rest area.

3. The map wall

One of the real hidden gems of the alvar is the 30-metre-long and one-metre-high limestone wall called the Map Wall. It was built in the 1920s and has been used as a starting point for measuring the alvar. It is most easily reached from Bårby Källa hiking trail. About 2 km into the trail you walk along the middle wall, continue until you reach a stätta. From here you can see the map wall about 300 meters northeast of the stättan.

4. Gettlinge burial ground

The burial ground is one of the largest on Öland, with a length of almost two kilometers that goes north from Gettlinge village. Today, more than 200 graves remain of the original 250. On the northern part of the burial ground stands an impressive 30-metre-long stone ship consisting of 23 erected granite blocks with about twenty bowl pits.