Sweden has an incredible number of nature reserves and nature reserves. On the coast there are mostly bird sanctuaries, as they are often used by migratory birds as a break after the long sea flight. When we have stayed in such places, we have been able to observe many wild geese, also on the island of Öland.
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Karlevi - an ancient rune stone
In Squid The sun was shining, but it was very windy and therefore very fresh. Our next goal was that Öland Island and we got there over an impressive bridge. Since our second gas burner on the stove is defective, we wanted to go back to Kalmar the next day to order a replacement part. So we looked for a place to stay near the bridge.
In Karlevi there is a small nature reserve where we wanted to spend the night in the parking lot. Once there, we first walked a small circular route with Finja. There is a directly within sight of the parking lot Runestone. This is said to be 1,000 years old and you can still see the runes; especially since they were made visible with red paint. It is a poem in memory of a warrior named Sibbe. On the back there is a small Latin inscription with a cross and a hammer, which indicates the transition period between pagan and Christianity. After a short circular hike, we spent a quiet night.
Camping site Löttorp - located directly by the sea
Laundry has to be washed… .. After we ordered our spare part from a camping dealer in Kalmar, the dealer advised us that it could take about 1 week before it was there. You have two public holidays here and of course the delay. So 1 week on Öland. However, finding places with washing facilities here is a real challenge. Not every place offers this possibility and there are no laundromats in the cities. We found what we were looking for on the east coast of Öland. But no dryer. It's good that the weather was so great that you can hang your laundry outside.
The Campsite in Löttorp was awesome. It was right by the sea with access to the beach and, how could it be otherwise, a bird sanctuary right next to it. We were there around noon, but the operator didn't come until that afternoon. Then I immediately started washing. Basti pulled my leash several times from the bus to the tree so that I could hang up the laundry. Since we have planned a lot with the bus, it was clear that we would stay here for 2 nights. Time wasn't a problem, we have to wait 1 week.
Our "polar bear" also needed a thorough cleaning. Cleaning everything, clearing out and rearranging, wiping the dust… .. We were happy about the super nice and warm weather, we were able to hang out outside. The laundry didn't dry on the first day, so it got stuck overnight. This was also done on the 2nd day, because the weather should hold up. Basti got a good color that day. Me too, but mine was red and not brown…. I had a lot of sunburn on my face.
Showers ... .. we were looking forward to it too. Our hair already looked wet.
The showers were like small bathrooms. Everything was done in one room, great. We met Germans on the pitch. A couple with their son from Cloppenburg. Since they wanted to continue on the same day as we did, we talked a lot over the 2 days and exchanged experiences. Otti and Pio have already traveled a lot with John and so we indulged a little in memories. They were very nice, warm people and who knows, maybe we'll see each other again. Always twice in life, they say.
We saw that this is a bird sanctuary. Since Öland also has milder temperatures in winter than higher up, wild geese and other migratory birds seem to hibernate here too. Then again we saw many flocks of migratory birds arrive, which then stop here for the onward journey to the north. The beach was also full of birds.
On the first night I woke up once and looked outside. Madness, what a starry sky! Basti was too tired to get up again for photos. So he got everything ready on the 2nd evening and went outside that night. The photos turned out to be super nice and you don't even know that many stars in the sky. Can someone still see the car in the whole bunch ??? After 2 nights we went to the north of Öland.
Trollskogen - magical nature reserve
There's a great one on the northern tip of Öland Nature reserve, Trollskogen means magic forest in German. And that's how it was felt. We walked a 5 km circular route. Since there were few people around, you could really enjoy the peace and quiet. The specialty of this area are the old, crooked trees. Some have formed an eyelet, others grow back towards the ground and then grow upwards. A real natural spectacle.
There is also a 900 year old oak tree. It has several dead branches, but further up it was just beginning to bud. An incredibly impressive tree !!
There is also much that has been built by human hands to be found. On the east coast, for example, there is a remnant of a three-master that was washed up by a storm at the beginning of the 20th century. There really isn't much left of it.
On the west side there are many mound and stone graves as well as old tar pits. Defensive walls made of stone walls can also be found. Since the west side flows directly into the bay, they defended it against the Danes in the Middle Ages.
At the end of the circular route there is a 1 km nature trail. After this nice hike back at the car, we looked for a place to stay on the coast.
More information about the Trollskogen nature reserve you can read it on Wikipedia.
Byrums Raukar and Stony Loftakustväg
Near Byrums Raukar we found a nice place to stay right by the sea. We got there early so we still had a little time to work. The last sunny days on Öland we had always hoped for a great sunset, but then a small wall of clouds came in between. We were really lucky here. Sebastian ran up to the beach with the camera and I caught a reflection in the van. The sunset was great. Some pictures were taken.
Next to us 2 Swedish women had their van and were sitting on the beach. We started a conversation and exchanged a little bit. It was also about the vans and when they heard how ours was split up, they wanted to see it. This happens to us again and again because people cannot imagine the sleeping arrangements and the room layout that goes with it. They thought it was good because you don't have to climb over the other.
In the morning we drove to the Byrums raukar. This is a stretch of coast that consists of about 120 limestone columns called rockets. They are created by the ocean waves. It looks very interesting and you can walk to the water between them.
In the parking lot we met a couple with 2 children from Germany whom we “know” on Instagram. We talked longer and who knows, maybe we will meet again on our route.
On the further journey we saw a go-kart track again. The island seems to have a few, we definitely saw 3. However, these were not yet in operation, although the weather was very nice. At the Stony Loftakustväg when we arrived we were amazed. Apparently there were a lot of artists around who built turrets out of stones. There were even ways between the towers to see everything. Just beautiful.
Borgholm - the castle and the police
Off to Borgholm, we want this lock look at. We parked in the gardens of Solliden Castle, which were laid out by Queen Victoria at the beginning of the 20th century. The small castle still serves as the summer residence of the royal family today. The gardens, however, are open to tourism. There is a nature reserve all around and we walked through the forest to Borgholm Castle.
The ruin looks very impressive from the outside. Since we don't like to walk through castles and their rooms, we saved the entrance fee and preferred to treat ourselves to an ice cream. Since it was still early, we thought about whether we should continue or stop. You could spend the night in the parking lot for free. We decided to stay and do some more work. In addition, the castle ruins should be illuminated at night and since the weather looked good, Basti wanted to take photos of it.
In the afternoon there wasn't so much going on on the square either and there were other motorhomes with us to spend the night here. In the early evening, young adults drove their cars across the parking lot, leaving skid marks. Sebastian went out in the evening to take pictures. Just as he was done and made room for a car, a man got out of it and spoke to him. It turned out that it was a plainclothes officer who asked about "riots". Someone must have complained that cars were going back and forth with loud music on. Whether he would have noticed anything criminal. It was a curious and funny way to end the day for Sebastian.
Ventlinge - street with parking bays directly at the sea
The next morning it got really crowded in the parking lot. I've gotten into the habit of working a bit in the morning over coffee, since we usually continue to drive around noon anyway. And when we saw how crowded it was, we were glad to go to our next point. First of all we have the Lerkaka Mills viewed. Here, one behind the other, there are 5 mills on the road, which on the one hand are still really well preserved and on the other hand you can visit them. They're not really big, but many of these mills are on or on private property. To ensure that they continue to exist, each mill also has a small donation box.
Then it went on to Sandby borg. Since it was said that you can dispose of garbage there, we had planned to spend the night there. When we got there, it was a large meadow as a parking lot, which was also well filled. And rubbish wasn't. The weather was nice and so we went for a walk on the beach and looked at the ruins of Sandby borg. It is a ruin of a hill fort where only the outer edge can be seen. More excavations are likely to be made. With the drone you could have seen a lot more, but you couldn't see that much. Since the disposal could not take place, we then drove on.
We were planning on seeing the south the next day, so we drove to an overnight spot in the south on the west side. On the way we could then do the disposal. In Ventlinge there was a street right by the sea where you could stand every few meters. We chose a place right at the beginning, from which we can use the Kalmar Sound could look to the mainland. When we arrived we walked a bit and the parking bays were well attended by mobile homes. The weather was still fine and the mainland was easy to see.
In the late afternoon, Basti got the call that our spare part for the gas plate was there. Then it was clear to us that the time on Öland was over. It takes 1 hour to get to the camping shop in Kalmar, so we decided to go back to the mainland the next day. In the evening the sky closed. The mainland could no longer be seen and if it had not been for small reflections on the water, it would not have been possible to distinguish the water from the horizon. The next day we left the island and drove to the shop. We also had to shop and refuel, all in the immediate vicinity of the shop. So the south of Öland is planned for the next visit to Sweden.
You can find more pictures in the Sweden photo gallery.
