Öland is the island where you can constantly experience the wings of history. Ancient castles, burials, agricultural landscapes, buildings and windmills. Vida konsthall, Solliden Castle, Borgholm Castle, Öland's Museum Himmelsberga and Eketorp's Castle, are all open until September. In addition, there are ancient castles in, for example, Ismanstorp and Gråborg, which are constantly open to visitors. Take the opportunity to make one or more stops with a café or restaurant visit along the way.
27 May 2026
Culture & History
Castles & castles
Castle of Eketorp
Eketorp Castle is a completely excavated ancient castle where the wall and houses have been recreated directly on the ancient monument. If you are interested in nature and culture, you will get your fill of the castle's interesting history, archaeology and fauna on Alvaret. Eketorp's castle can be found further down on southern Öland with the alvar next to it.
Gråborg & Sankt Knut's 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.
Borgholm Castle
Borgholm Castle, "the most beautiful ruin in the Nordic countries", is one of the buildings that hardly leaves any visitor unmoved. Its size is overwhelming and the location fascinating. Rarely has nature and architecture merged into such a unity as here, and this unity was further emphasized when the castle was ravaged by a great fire in 1806 and only the bare forms of the limestone walls remained of the former splendor that once existed.
Today, Borgholm Castle is one of the region's largest tourist destinations and offers in a unique way a walk through Swedish, Nordic and European history that spans over 900 years. The castle is part of our common cultural heritage and is managed by the National Property Board of Sweden, while Borgholm municipality is responsible for the activities at the site.
Solliden Castle
Solliden Palace has been the Royal Family's summer paradise for generations. When you visit the castle park, you will soon understand why, here lush and greenery are combined with winding paths and exciting stories.
A pair to rediscover!
When you walk through the gate to Solliden Palace Park, you are greeted by a very special environment that invites you to walk and explore. The park encloses the Royal Family's summer palace and was laid out just over a hundred years ago by the then Queen Victoria.
Read more about Solliden Palace here
Alexander Hall
Skäftekärr's Iron Age village
In Skäftekärr, near Böda on northern Öland, there is an Iron Age village with about 20 well-preserved stone house foundations spread over about 10 farms from the period 300-700 AD. Right next to it is a reconstruction of an Iron Age house and a fire ruin from a previously reconstructed house.
Ismantorp Castle
Ismanstorp Castle is one of Öland's largest ancient castles with a diameter of 127 meters and is surrounded by wetlands in the Mittland Forest and is both an archaeological enigma and a popular excursion destination. Next to the large, mighty ancient castle you can glimpse a small little red cottage that has served as a coffee, juice, pastry cottage etc. for the castle's visitors for several generations. It is very beautifully located.
Sandby Castle
On Öland there are about fifteen ancient castles from the Iron Age. Excavations in Sandby Castle show that the site carries a dramatic and dark history. About 1,500 years ago, the inhabitants were subjected to a brutal massacre, something that has only been discovered in recent years. Sandby Castle is unique among the castles of Öland because it is located right on the shore. Although there is not much visible left today, except for parts of the collapsed wall, it is a fascinating place to visit.
The finds from the excavations in Sandby Castle are on display at Kalmar County Museum. Find Sandby Castle.
The island of the burghers
On June 8, 2024, it was the premiere of the exhibition Borgarnas ö. Explore the mystery and history behind Öland's ancient castles in this eight-year exhibition series created in collaboration with Stockholm University and Linnaeus University. 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 extends over 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 people of Öland during the Iron Age.
Read more about the exhibition here!