La côte Est

Eastern Gotland – sunrise and beaches

Sit on Grogarnsberget on a clear winter’s night and feel at one with the firmament. On a balmy summer evening, stroll among the huts along the beach of Grynge fishing village. Or check out the stunning bugloss blue of Sysne Udd.

If western Gotland is the land of sunset, it follows that eastern Gotland is the land of the sunrise. If you want to watch both on the same day, you’ll have no trouble at all in getting from one coast to the other.

Towns in eastern Gotland

Ljugarn is Gotland’s first seaside resort; it was “discovered” by the royal family and members of the nobility at the end of the 19th century. A few of the former guest houses still stand today. There are also several restaurants, grocer’s shops and other service amenities.

Katthammarsvik evokes the lime-burning industry of the 18th and 19th centuries. Two large estates, Katthamra and Borgvik, once the properties of wealthy mill-owners, stand by the bay; today they have become a youth hostel and guest house respectively. Not to be missed is a visit to Wallin’s Café, which is renowned for its fifties interior and its excellent pastries. There are also a couple of restaurants and a grocer’s shop

Culture and history on eastern Gotland

Norrlanda open-air museum shows what wooden farm buildings looked like back in the 18th century. Coins and other finds unearthed at the ancient farm of Fjäle, in Ala, show that the farm was in use from the mid Roman Iron Age until the end of the 6th century. Fjäle is signposted from road 143 just south of Ala Church.

On eastern Gotland you’ll also find Torsburgen, the largest prehistoric fort in the Nordic countries. According to legend, the fort was built by people who had been forced into exile owing to overpopulation and lack of food. Signposted from road 146 just east of Kräklingbo Church. Traces of the great forest fire that ravaged Torsburgen in 1992 can still be seen, but the countryside is gradually recovering and will soon be totally restored.

Legend has it that Gotland’s first settler was a man named Tjelvar. He lived, so it goes, at Tjelder farm, in Boge, and is buried there under a stone ship measuring 18 metres in length. Close by are two prehistoric forts, a small grave-field and a few stone circles. The site is clearly signposted on road 146 in Boge.

In the fishing village of Grynge, the 18th and 19th-century huts have been built into one another. There are also the remains of two stone “in transit” lights, where fires were once lit to guide the boats into harbour.

On the second weekend of July, all participants in the Gotland Games get together in Stånga, the venue for the traditional Gutakampen Stångaspelen, to compete in such events as pärk, varpa and tossing the caber.

Many of the island’s craftsmen are based in eastern Gotland. In parishes such as Alskog, Garda, Etelhem, Lye and Norrlanda, it’s often no more than a stone’s throw between the studios of potters, designers and other artisans.

Beautiful countryside in Eastern Gotland

Gothem is a parish where the countryside is rich and varied. The Gothemsån river runs through big, beautiful woods before entering the sea at Åminne’s shallow sandy beach. On the limestone plateau at Gothemhammar, botanists will find several unusual orchids, such as red helleborine and the more modest creeping lady’s tresses.

Much of the east coast is flat, with the exception of Grogarnsberget, in Östergarn and Gammelgarn. Grogarnsberget is a popular tourist destination and, according to many, has some of Gotland’s loveliest scenery. The easiest way to the top is to take the road that turns off towards the north just before Herrvik fishing village.

The winding coastal road leading to Sysne Udd in Östergarn is definitely worth the extra curve or two. The road is bordered by twisted pines, the sea and, in the summer, by stands of brilliant blue viper’s bugloss.

Just north of the resort of Ljugarn lies Folhammar, Gotland’s second largest sea-stack area. Some of the stacks are over six metres high.

In Lau and När, delightful little fishing villages lie strung out along the coast. The flat, savannah-like peninsular of Närsholmen, with its rich plant and bird life, is a beautiful spot for a relaxing day out. The old lighthouse at the far tip of the point once stood out in the sea. From När Church, head for Närshamn. To reach Närsholmen, turn left just before the harbour.

Further south lies Burs, where there is fine sandy beach at Herte and a little fishing village close by. Burs has many museums, one of the most notable of which is Stavgard, a prehistoric farmstead reconstructed after some school children found the Stavar treasure in a rabbis* hole in 1975. Stavgard runs a children’s camp school which is open almost all year round