Borgholm
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Location of Borgholm in Sweden |
Borgholm is a
city in south-eastern
Sweden, located on the island of
Öland in the
Baltic Sea. It has about 3,500 inhabitants and is the seat of
Borgholm Municipality.
Borgholm is one of Sweden's historical towns with city status (
stad). The town is best known for its once magnificent fortress, now magnificent ruins.
The town is situated some 20 kilometres north of the
Öland bridge that connects the island with the city of
Kalmar.
Öland, as a whole, has a characteristic geography. Unlike the mainland of Småland, is has few forests. Instead, it has a lot of areas suitable for
agriculture. A rather flat terrain with meadows and plains give it a unique
fauna. Several locations have been marked as
nature reserves.
Blå Jungfrun, a
Småland island just to the west of Öland, is also a
national park.
Borgholm is the main town of
Öland, but remains one of the smallest
cities in Sweden. The town received its
charter in
1816 and emerged as a spa-town in the shadow of the ruins of the once mighty
Borgholm Castle, which burned down in
1806. So important and magnificent was this castle, that it has become the city arms, and the ruins are the best known attraction in the municipality, perhaps of
Öland.
The town serves as centre of northern
Öland, and remains one of the most popular summer towns in Sweden. Despite its small size, the centre somewhat retains a feeling of urbanness, with a grid-net of streets and many shops, restaurants and hotels.
Borgholms Castle has its modern counterpart outside Borgholm. The Swedish Royal Family has its official summer residence at
Solliden a couple of kilometres outside centre. The Crown Princess
Victoria's birthday is annually celebrated on
July 14th at the Borgholm Sports Field.
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Part of the ruins of today |
There are small reaches of the
alvaret geological formation in the environs of Borgholm, which level exposures of limestone host a variety of
rare species of butterflies and wildflowers, some of which are endemic to Oland. Sound levels are relatively high in Borgholm compared to other parts of the island. For example, in the centrum area, typical sound levels are in the range of 58 to 62
dBA in the daytime compared to levels of 45 to 49 in other parts of Oland (
Environmental Baseline Study for Oland, Sweden Lumina Technologies, prepared for the province of Oland, Borgholm, July, 2004)
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Borgholm Castle*
Öland County*
Borgholm - Official site
