The perfect summer weekend trip

It is finally warm here in Linköping and it feels like we are living in a new city. It is fascinating how the sun, fresh green trees and flowers change the whole atmosphere and manage to lure the Swedes outside. To make the most of the weather (and the many holidays in May), my friends and I decided to get away for a weekend and explore one of Sweden’s many islands. We drove to Öland, which is easily accessible via a bridge and has great beaches, forests and rock formations. Everyone always suggests going to Gotland, but that would have been more expensive and complicated as you have to take a ferry. Öland is more or less the cheaper and more accessible alternative.

When on Öland, it is lovely to go for a biking trip around the island. It gives you the opportunity to really enjoy and explore the diverse landscape on the island. From time to time, you will pass beautiful old windmills that really shape the islands character. Furthermore, there are cows, sheep and horses everywhere. You can find cute lighthouses at both the northern and southern ends of the island: Långe Erik (North) and Långe Jan (South). In the North, I would recommend to see the Byrums Raukar, which are truly fascinating and typical stone formations right next to the sea. It is also a perfect spot to watch the sunset. Furthermore, it is nice to enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches around Norrböda.

Another must-see on the island is the biggest city there: Borgholm. It is a beautiful little city with a vivid life inside. When we went there last Saturday, we stumbeld upon an oldtimer show and a cute little fleamarket. All over the island and also here it is also nice to explore the little art galleries, which offer handmade sculptures, photographies and more. Very important is furthermore to try the typical Öland Kroppkakor. They are potato dumplings filled with bacon and onion. I also had the opportunity to try a vegan version of them with a mushroom filling.

I would definitly recommend going to Öland during the summer time as it is a very diverse and cute island. It is not too far from Linköping and it is very affordable. The summer season had just started there last weekend and I really liked that since we were one of the only tourists there yet but stores and restaurants already opened. It was still a bit cold due to the wind but as long as you dress accordingly and find some places at the beach that are sheltered from the wind, you will be fine!