Two Islands
What Makes Öland Different
Sweden has two Baltic islands that dominate summer conversation: Gotland, which most people have heard of, and Öland, which is somehow still a secret outside of Scandinavia. Öland is the more unusual of the two. It is long and narrow – about 140 kilometres from tip to tip and rarely more than 16 kilometres wide – with a landscape of ancient windmills, vast open limestone plains and wildflower meadows so dense they look like a painter's mistake.
The Swedish royal family has summered at Solliden Palace on Öland for over a century. They have impeccable taste.
The Alvar: A Landscape Like Nowhere Else
The Alvar
The central and southern parts of Öland are dominated by the alvar – a vast, flat limestone plain that is one of the most unusual landscapes in Europe. It is largely treeless, windswept and in summer covered in a carpet of wildflowers that includes species found nowhere else in the world. Öland's alvar was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 alongside the agricultural landscape that frames it.
Walking out onto the alvar on a clear June morning is a genuinely disorienting experience. The horizon seems impossibly far away. Orchids push up through cracks in the limestone. Lapwings and skylarks fill the air with sound. The light at this latitude in summer has a particular clarity that makes colours seem more saturated than usual. Photographers discover quickly that they cannot stop taking pictures.
The Windmills
Öland is known as "the island of sun and wind," and nowhere is the wind part more apparent than in its famous windmills. Over 400 windmills survive on the island – more than anywhere else in the world – standing in rows against the wide sky like something from a Dutch painting. Most are post mills or smock mills dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, built to grind the grain from the fertile farmland that stretches away from the alvar.
The most concentrated and photogenic grouping is at Lerkaka on the west coast, where a row of five mills stands in various states of preservation. The village of Vickleby has some of the best-preserved mills on the island and has attracted craftspeople and artists over the decades in a way that gives it a creative, slightly otherworldly character.
⚙️ Best Windmill Spots on Öland
Lerkaka for the most photogenic row of mills on the west coast. Vickleby for preserved mills plus an interesting arts community. Kapelludden lighthouse at the northeast tip combines a windmill view with dramatic Baltic coastline. Early morning or golden hour light transforms these landscapes completely.
Borgholm and the Royal Palace
Borgholm is Öland's largest town and summer hub – a pleasant, relaxed place that fills up in July and returns to quiet the moment August ends. The castle ruin above town, Borgholms Slott, is one of the largest castle ruins in the Nordic countries and worth the walk up for the views alone.
Just south of town, Solliden Palace is the Swedish royal family's summer residence. The palace gardens open to the public during summer – they are beautifully maintained and offer the slightly surreal pleasure of wandering gardens where the King and Queen were very recently having breakfast. The royal family is usually in residence in July, and there's typically a public celebration on Crown Princess Victoria's birthday on July 14th that draws large crowds to the grounds.
Beaches and Swimming
Öland's east coast has the calmer, warmer water – sheltered from prevailing westerly winds by the island itself. The beaches are typically rockier than Gotland but the water temperature in July reaches 20°C and above. Böda Sand at the northern tip is the island's most spectacular beach – a vast arc of white sand that in July feels like a Scandinavian answer to a Mediterranean shore.
The west coast faces the mainland and has stronger winds – better for windsurfing and kitesurfing than for lounging, though the sunsets from the west coast on a clear evening are extraordinary.
🏖 Swimming on Öland
Böda Sand: the island's best beach, 6km of white sand at the north tip. Nabbelund on the east coast for calmer, warmer water. Byxelkrok harbour for a swimming area with good facilities in the north. The east coast is consistently warmer and more sheltered than the west.
Cycling Öland
Öland is one of the best cycling islands in Europe. It is flat, the roads are quiet outside of July, the distances are manageable and the scenery rewards slow travel in a way that is lost at car speeds. A network of marked cycling routes covers the entire island, including the Alvar Route through the UNESCO landscape and the Windmill Route along the west coast.
Bikes can be hired in Borgholm and at several campsites across the island. A full day's cycling from Borgholm south through the alvar and back via the windmills is about 60–70km – achievable for most reasonably fit cyclists and one of the best days out in all of Sweden.
Getting There and When to Go
The Flora: Why Botanists Come From Across Europe
Öland's alvar — the limestone plain that forms the island's spine — has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, listed for its extraordinary botanical diversity. The thin alkaline soil over limestone supports over 200 plant species per square metre in good years, including several that are found nowhere else in Sweden and several more that have their northernmost European range here.
In May and June, the alvar flowers. The display is not the spectacular density of a wildflower meadow — the plants are small, adapted to thin soil, often requiring close inspection — but the variety is remarkable. Wild orchids appear in the limestone grassland in late May. The rare Swedish whitebeam (Sorbus suecica) grows in hedgerows along the alvar edge. Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) blooms in April, sometimes through snow.
For visitors without botanical expertise, the reward is simpler: the alvar in June looks like a very large rock garden, low-growing, wind-sculpted, with sudden eruptions of colour in the turf. Walk slowly, look down, and you will see things you did not expect.
The Eastern Coastline: Limestone Stacks and Empty Beaches
Öland's eastern coast faces the Baltic and catches the sun from morning. The beaches here are gentler than the rocky west coast — sand and fine gravel rather than bare limestone — and some sections are genuinely beautiful: long, flat, warm in July, and remarkably uncrowded by Swedish standards.
The raukar — limestone sea stacks — appear at intervals along both coasts. At Byrum on the west coast they are the most dramatic: columns up to 4 metres high, undercut by centuries of wave action, scattered across a beach that looks more like a geological experiment than a swimming spot. The light on them at sunrise and sunset is extraordinary. Swedish photographers treat Byrum as a pilgrimage site.
🌸 Öland Flower Festival
The Öland Harvest Festival (Skördefest) takes place on the first weekend of October and is one of Sweden's largest — 250+ producers selling food, craft and plants across the island. The flower season peaks in May–June; book early if you want the botanical experience at its best.
Öland is connected to the mainland by the Öland Bridge from Kalmar – a 6km bridge that was, when built in 1972, the longest bridge in Europe. Kalmar is reached by train from Stockholm in about 3 hours. Once on the island, a bike is enough for a Borgholm-based stay; a car is better for covering the full length of the island.
June is the ideal month: the wildflower season is at its peak, the alvar is in full bloom, daylight is at its maximum and the island is busy but not overwhelmed. July is the most popular and expensive month. Late May and August are excellent alternatives with significantly fewer visitors and the same landscape.
Where to Eat on Öland
Öland's food scene punches above its weight. The island's unusual climate — the most sunshine hours in Sweden — produces excellent lamb, berries and vegetables. The local mustard (Ölandsmåsen) is famous. The smoked fish from the harbour at Byxelkrok is worth a detour.
🍽️ Restaurant Picks
Hamnkrogen, Borgholm — The harbour restaurant that everyone ends up at eventually. Good fish, relaxed atmosphere, outdoor seating in summer. Mains 180–260 kr.
Café Christianslund, Borgholm — The best café on the island for fika. The view over the sound from the terrace is exceptional. Go for waffle and cloudberry jam.
Ekerum Golf & Resort Restaurant — Sounds corporate; is actually excellent for a long dinner. The kitchen takes the local lamb seriously. Mains 280–360 kr.
Smörbullen Café, Lerkaka — The tiny café beside the famous windmill row. Perfect stop on a cycling day. Home-baked bread and local cheese.
Where to Stay on Öland
🏨 Where to Stay
Halltorps Gästgiveri — A 17th-century manor house in the oak forests north of Borgholm. One of Öland's most atmospheric stays. Doubles from around 1,600 kr.
Hägnan Stugor — Self-catering cottages in a beautiful setting near the alvar. Good for families and those wanting a kitchen. From 900 kr per night.
Ekerum Golf & Resort — The island's most comfortable modern hotel, with pool and spa. Good option if you want facilities. Doubles from 1,400 kr in summer.
Byxelkrok Camping — Well-maintained campsite in the north of the island, near the best beaches. Pitches from around 250 kr; stugor (cabins) from 600 kr.
A 3-Day Öland Itinerary
📅 Day 1 — Borgholm and the Alvar
Cross the Öland Bridge from Kalmar (trains from Stockholm take 3 hours to Kalmar; the bridge crossing is 20 minutes by car). Check in. Walk up to Borgholms Slott for the view. Afternoon: drive or cycle south onto the alvar — get out of the car and walk for at least 30 minutes. The scale only becomes real on foot. Visit Solliden Palace gardens if open. Dinner at Hamnkrogen.
📅 Day 2 — Windmills and North Beaches
Morning at Lerkaka windmill row — best light before 10am. Continue north to Böda Sand, the island's most spectacular beach. The drive through the oak forest approaching the beach is lovely. Lunch at the beach café. Afternoon swim. Return via Byxelkrok harbour for smoked fish. Evening: walk the alvar edge near Källa for sunset views.
📅 Day 3 — Raukar and the South
Drive to Byrum in the north-west for the most dramatic raukar on Öland. Then drive the full length of the island south to Hoburgen and the lighthouse at the tip — about 1.5 hours each way, but the landscape changes noticeably as you go south. The southern alvar is wider and more open than the north. Stop at the medieval churches at Alböke and Källa on the way back.
Öland at a Glance
| Area | Character | Don't Miss | Best Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borgholm | Main town, castle ruin | Borgholms Slott, Solliden | June–Aug |
| The Alvar | UNESCO limestone plain | Orchids, rare flora, open sky | May–June (peak flowers) |
| Lerkaka windmills | Best windmill row on island | Row of 5 mills, golden hour | Year-round |
| Böda Sand | Best beach on Öland | 6km white sand, pine forest | July–Aug |
| Byrum raukar | West coast limestone stacks | Dramatic sea stack formations | Year-round (low light best) |
Mistakes Tourists Make on Öland
❌ Visiting in peak July without booking
Öland has limited accommodation and the July school holiday pushes it close to capacity. The island handles it less smoothly than Gotland — there's no large hotel infrastructure and the good smaller places book out completely. Book at least 2 months ahead for any July visit. June and August are substantially easier and the landscape is the same.
❌ Driving across the island without stopping on the alvar
The road across the alvar looks, from a car window, like a flat empty plain. This is deceptive. Stop the car, get out, and walk into it for 15 minutes. The botanical density — hundreds of plant species per square metre, rare orchids pushing through limestone cracks, the extraordinary flatness and openness — only becomes apparent on foot. The best sections are between Mörbylånga and Degerhamn in the south.
❌ Missing the Öland Bridge from Kalmar
The practical answer: Öland is connected to the mainland by a 6km road bridge from Kalmar. Trains from Stockholm to Kalmar take 3 hours. There is no ferry and no other fixed crossing. A car is strongly recommended once on the island — the Öland bus network covers Borgholm and the main road but not the windmill villages, the alvar byways or the north beach. Arrange car hire in Kalmar before crossing.
Frequently Asked Questions: Öland
How do I get to Öland?
Train from Stockholm to Kalmar (about 3 hours, SJ intercity), then car or bus across the Öland Bridge. There is no rail service on Öland itself. The bridge crossing takes about 20 minutes by car. Buses connect Kalmar to Borgholm several times daily in summer but are infrequent and don't cover the island well. A car or bike is strongly recommended.
Is Öland worth visiting vs. Gotland?
They're genuinely different experiences. Gotland has the medieval city (Visby), more beach variety and a more developed food and hospitality scene. Öland has the alvar UNESCO landscape, more windmills, cheaper accommodation and significantly fewer international tourists. Many Swedes prefer Öland precisely because it's quieter. If you can only choose one, Gotland is the more complete travel experience. If you want something less crowded and more unusual botanically and geologically, Öland is remarkable.
What is the alvar on Öland?
The alvar is a vast flat limestone plain that forms the spine of Öland — about 260 square kilometres of ancient exposed rock with very thin soil. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for its extraordinary botanical diversity: hundreds of plant species per square metre including rare orchids and plants found nowhere else in Scandinavia. It looks, at first glance, like a large empty field. Walk into it and it becomes something else entirely.
When is the best time to visit Öland?
Late May and early June for the wildflower season on the alvar — the botanical peak. July for beaches and the full summer atmosphere (busiest, most expensive). August is excellent: warm, quieter than July, the Skördefest harvest festival in early October is worth a special trip for food lovers. Avoid peak July if you dislike crowds; the island handles Midsommar and the first two weeks of the school holiday poorly.