About 6 km off the southeastern coast of Sweden is the island of Öland. 6 easy kilometres, no less – all of it on Ölandsbron (the Öland Bridge) across the Kalmar Strait. It is one of the longest bridges in Europe, and a marvel of modern engineering with an impressive view of the Baltic Sea and the coastline here. In fact, it is a landmark in its own right and looks very cool in the setting sun.
Öland has natural beauty galore, including sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, lush forests and rugged cliffs, and is a favourite summer holiday destination for Swedes. Rare ecosystems of limestone heaths and expansive agricultural lands also characterise the island. And on this late afternoon in September, I am here to have a look at Stora Alvaret, the Great Alvar, one of the most striking features of the island.
So what is this alvar, you’re wondering? An alvar is a unique biological environment, consisting of a flat limestone plateau with very little soil and sparse grassland vegetation. An almost barren environment.
Your next question might be ‘what is so interesting about an almost barren biological environment?’
I’m glad you asked.
You see, people have been living here on the Great Alvar for about 5,000 years, making the best of this limiting but unique environment. Also, the thin soil has high pH-levels, allowing for a great variety of species to live and thrive, many of them rare, including wild orchids and unique bird species.
The Great Alvar covers an area equivalent to 43,000 football fields. As you can imagine, hiking/biking here is a dream for bird watchers and nature lovers.
Humans in a harsh environment
But I am most interested in humans through time, and how they lived their lives.
Back in the day, land used to be divided into infields and pastures. The infields were close to where people lived, and where they grew their food, whilst the pastures were further away, and where their animals grazed. Then along came the agricultural revolution of the 19th century – think changes in land ownership, new machinery, better drainage, and scientific breeding with new types of crops, crop rotation, etc. As a consequence, the distinction between infields and pastures all but disappeared. The old pastures were used for other purposes, such as woodland for timber production and the like.
But not on Öland. The sparse vegetation meant people kept that old separation of infields and pastures, and you can see this still. Here on the plain, the landscape is divided into villages, farmable land and pastures.
You have to cooperate with nature in a place like this. The resulting agricultural landscape is a symbiosis of humans, animals and nature, all working together. That still holds true, even with modern machinery.
The communities have unique traditions in how they use the land, and also in the names of places and settlements. All of it is interesting enough that UNESCO inscribed this unusual Öland landscape on the World Heritage list in 2000.
Grazing on the same land their Iron Age cousins did
Archaeological evidence is everywhere – from prehistory through the Middle Ages to the present. Ancient sites, including stone circles, burial mounds, and medieval churches dot the island.
On this late afternoon, I have enough time for a look at a few of the interesting spots on Öland:
Iron Age landscape on the Great Alvar
Mysinge Mound
Notice the stone walls? The oldest are from the Middle Ages, built to mark boundaries between farms.
My first stop after crossing the Öland Bridge is the Mysinge Mound, one of the most significant archaeological sites here on the island. This large Bronze Age grave mound gives a glimpse into the burial practices of ancient peoples. I climb to the top, and am rewarded with a pretty stunning panorama of the surrounding landscape.
This Bronze Age grave mound comes with a legend, of course – about King Mysing, who used to live here, so the story goes. One night, one of the villagers saw him and a woman pass by in a horse-drawn carriage, four snow white horses, no less. The king was wearing a golden helmet, and the woman was dressed in gold.
Gettlinge Grave Field
Also from the Iron Age, this field of graves is the largest on the island. There are several different types of graves here: grave mounds, ships, stone circles, standing limestones, and stone-filled graves.
In one grave, archaeologists have found a man buried with full weaponry: sword, shield, spear and a lance. Ready for the afterlife, I wonder…
Eketorp Fortress
The first fortress here at Eketorp was built during the Iron Age – 4th century CE, whilst the subsequent one was in use from the 5th – 8th century CE.
The reconstructed Viking Age Eketorp Fort
The fort was then left to decay for 500 years, before becoming a military garrison in the late 12th century.
Inside the garrison
Medieval markets and various reenactments and events are organised here throughout the year.
It is late in the day. Wandering around inside the garrison, I am on my own. No one else is in sight, which creates an excitingly spooky atmosphere. It is almost as if I can see that guy buried with all his weapons. In my imagination, he is very much alive.
i’m thinking he is that guy with the spear in the second picture above here. Probably an annoying show-off.
There are many more places of interest that I sadly couldn’t fit into my tight schedule today, including the haunted Borgholm Castle, the rune stone at Karlevi, the royal hunting grounds, the coastlands where birds thrive, and the line villages, where houses stand very close together along the village street.
More legends and stories of the Great Alvar
It’s not just my imagination going haywire here. An island with millennia of continued settlement will have legends and folklore aplenty. Öland is no exception.
One famous story is of a white lady, said to haunt the ruins at Borgholm Castle. A tragic figure she was, wandering the grounds of the castle in search of her lost love. On a moonlit night, her ghost drifts through the ruins.
Another popular story features a giant so large he could easily carry the boulders needed to build the megalithic structures around on Öland. He still keeps a protective eye on the island, people say.
Yet another legend tells the story of 7 lovely lasses. Sisters they were, and vain as can be. As a punishment for this ungodly behaviour they were turned into 7 stone formations. You’ll see them along the coast.
Agricultural landscape of Southern Öland is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here are more UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world.
The Great Alvar: Öland’s ancient landscape is a post from Sophie’s World