"WELCOME TO MY ÖLAND PAGE ......:-)" Öland by eden_teuling

As you can see in the postcard öland is an island, part of SWEDEN , east of Sweden's mainland.

There is a long bridge connecting the Island with the mainland so it is easy to reach and also a MOST terrific place for a holiday!

Some people remember this Island as the KINGDOM of the wind (which is so true) and some cannot forget the beauty of its beaches, the dramatic sunsets and sunrises and its infinite horizons, especially when having a look around from the lighthouses Långe John in the South or Långe Eric in the North......

The SWEDISH ROYAL FAMILY spend their summer holidays at the SOLLIDEN VILLA on this charming Island.

Linked to the historic town of KALMAR (see my KALMAR page ) by a long bridge (6072 metres), the island is 135 km. in length but....only 15 km. in breadth at its WIDEST POINT!!

The Island is rich in history and has many VIKING RUNIC STONES but also remains of the Iron AGE.

L?NGE ERIK, LIGHTHOUSE IN THE NORTH....

This is the lighthouse called L?NGE ERIK, ?lands norra udde , which means: the most northern part of ?land.

More about it in my TIPS.

Abit more about ne of ?lands special places; the village of Eketorpet is an archaeological site, which dates back to the Vth Century BC , and is of particular interest!

Careful restoration of the original structure has made it possible for the visitor to understand many aspects of life at that time: a place worthy of your visit!

Many of the Island's churches date back to the Middle Ages and are precious little gems....

The only road running the whole length of the island from North to South crosses the "STORA ALVARET", the 'GREAT HEATH" , a flat stretch of land without trees but with numerous sorts of plants, birds and other animals...and I mean MIGRATING birds, very interesting for ornitholigists....

From the L?NGE JAN lighthouse in the southernmost point of the island there is a wonderfully romantic view at sunset..... .breathtaking!!

WINDMILLS ON THE ISLE OF ÖLAND

The most striking feature of the island is the presence of more than 400 windmills......nowadays they are designated as national MONUMENTS.

The agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland is in the UNESCO HERITAGE LIST

tel. +46-480-820-00

www.h..lst.se/innehall/sok

This landscape is UNIQUE because of its MEDIEVAL land division and the way in which the land was cultivated.

There are arable fields and pastures and its villages where the houses form long rows on either side of a street.
The limestone bedrock and the grazing animals provide the conditions for great biological value on the exposed limestone pavement and in the coastal lands......it definitely is a living cultural heritage!!

All over Öland there are still some 400 of the wooden windmills like you see on my photo (yes it was a cold and rainy day: remember that this is the KINGDOM of Wind and Rain!!). A pity that some of them were in a quite deplorable state......they should look after these things better......lack of money perhaps??

RESTORE THEM BEFORE IT WILL BE TOO LATE!

• Pros:A GLORIOUS PLACE TO BE.......AN EXPERIENCE NEVER TO FORGET
• Cons:NONE
• In a nutshell:A PLACE TO VISIT FROM LåNGE ERIK TO LåNGE JAN ( 2 LIGHTHOUSES)