26 July 2010

Kalmar & Öland travel guide





Öland is the second largest island in Sweden. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge between Öland and Kalmar.
Öland is listed on the Unesco world heritage list.

The top 10 things to do and see in Kalmar and on the Öland island in Sweden are:

1. Stay at the hotel hotell Borgholm on Öland if you like small botique hotels. A nice hotel with a great restaurant that you shouldn´t miss.
If you are a partygirl Hotell Strand in Borgholm is a better choice with its after beach and club.

2. Start with some sightseeting and visit the royal Solliden castle and Borgholm castle close to Borgholm.
The Borgholm castle is the ruin of the magnificent Baroque palace which Charles X was built here in the mid 1600s.
The Solliden castle is an Italian-styled white palace, built by Queen Victoria of Sweden in 1903. It is still used as a summer residence by the Swedish Royal Family. Visit the exhibitions, the palace giftshop and have lunch at the crêperie, which serves ice-cream, tea, coffee, soft drinks as well as pancakes.

3. Then it is time to go medieval at the Eketorps castle. You can experience the Iron Age and medieval living in this completely reconstructed (rebuilt) fort.

4. If you are in to handicraft a visit to Paradisverkstan in Färjestaden on Öland is like paradise.

5. I also like the ceramics by Lotta & Mary in Färjestaden harbour a lot.

6. There are over 350 Windmills (Väderkvarnar) on Öland.
Visit Sandviks kvarn in Löttorp on Öland. It is the largest windmill in northern Europe. It has a café and restaurant.

7. After exploring Öland, it is time to travel over the 6.072 meter long bridge to Kalmar. The first place to visit is the magnificient Kalmar Castle. It was built in 1592 and is truly beautiful.

8. The Kalmar dome is a church that looks a very different compared to other churches in Sweden. The buildings design was inspired by churches in Rome and it was inagurated in 1682.

9. After sightseeing in Kalmar, it is time for some shopping. Visit Gerdas te and kaffehandel (tea & coffeshop), which has a wide selection of teas, coffees, cheeses and chocolate. Yummie.

10. Where to eat?
A really nice fish and shellfish restaurant is Hamnkrogen in the Kalmar harbour
A nice Italian restaurant is Ernesto in Kalmar
Another nice restaurant is Helen and Jörgen in Kalmar

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