Oland

Oland is a long, low, sun-drenched island reached by a great bridge from Kalmar, famous for its old windmills, its wildflowers and the royal family's summer residence. Its southern half is the Stora Alvaret, a vast treeless limestone plain of thin soil and rare flowers, a UNESCO agricultural landscape farmed the same way for millennia.

What you actually see

• Stora Alvaret - the vast treeless limestone steppe, ablaze with flowers in spring.
• The windmills - hundreds of old wooden mills dotting the island.
• Solliden Palace - the royal summer residence and its gardens.
• Bird migration - the Ottenby point at the southern tip, a great bird station.

When to go

Late spring for the alvar wildflowers at their peak; summer for beaches, the palace gardens and warm days. Spring and autumn bring huge bird migrations to the southern tip.

Honest expectations

The alvar is a subtle, flat landscape whose magic is the flowers and the sense of space rather than dramatic scenery. It is a long island, so a car helps. Summer is busy with Swedish holidaymakers, and the royal presence draws crowds to the south.

Nearby

Kalmar and its castle are across the bridge; the glassworks of Smaland lie on the mainland.