This coastal town on Öland island has a medieval castle ruin, summer markets along Storgatan street, and popular beaches facing the Baltic Sea.
Borgholm, a small coastal town of 3,000 residents on the island of Öland, welcomes visitors with its 13th-century castle ruins perched on limestone cliffs. You can walk through the Italian gardens at Solliden Palace, spot rare orchids on the limestone plains of Stora Alvaret, or join locals celebrating Crown Princess Victoria's birthday in July at the town's sports field.
Getting to Borgholm
You can reach Borgholm by car via the Öland Bridge, which has connected the island to mainland Sweden since 1972. Many residents commute to nearby Kalmar, making the town active year-round. Regular bus services run between Kalmar and Borgholm. The bridge serves as the main transport link for both visitors and locals.
Exploring Borgholm Castle
Built on a limestone cliff overlooking the Kalmar Strait, this medieval fortress from the 13th century later became a baroque palace before burning down in 1806. The museum within the ruins displays archaeological findings and detailed scale models showing how the castle looked throughout different time periods. Children can participate in hands-on activities like archery practice, medieval shield painting workshops, and a knight school program where they learn about daily life in medieval times.
Royal Connections
The Swedish Royal Family spends their summers at Solliden Palace, located a 10-minute walk from Borgholm Castle. Between May and September, visitors can explore the palace's Mediterranean-inspired Italian garden and English landscape garden. Stop by the palace café, Kaffetorpet, for traditional Swedish pastries. Each year on July 14, thousands gather at the Borgholm Sports Field to celebrate Crown Princess Victoria's birthday with music performances and public festivities.
Museums and Culture
Step into preserved 18th and 19th-century farmhouses at Himmelsberga Museum to see how island residents lived and worked. Nine kilometers south of town, the VIDA Museum & Art Gallery displays contemporary Swedish art, including glass works by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien and Bertil Vallien from the Kosta glassworks.
Natural Environment
The limestone bedrock of Stora Alvaret creates unique growing conditions near Borgholm. A thin soil layer supports several orchid species and butterfly varieties found nowhere else in Sweden. Visit in spring to see wildflower blooms across the plain, or in autumn when the grasses turn deep red and brown.
