Gotska Sandön National Park
Gotska Sandön is the most isolated island in the territorial waters of Sweden and the entire Baltic Sea. It is remote, desolate and barren, but at the same time strangely beautiful. With its miles of sandy beaches, its dense pine forest, and broad horizons in every direction, Gotska Sandön is a very special place that has fascinated visitors for centuries.
Sights: Deserted sandy beaches. Characteristic landscape featuring sand dunes and pine forest. Dead forest at Arnagrop. Rich flora. Bird migration route. Unusual beetles. Buildings of cultural interest.
Area: 4,490 hectares, of which 842 hectares are water.
Established: 1909, extended in 1963 and 1988.
Location: In the middle of the Baltic Sea 38 kilometres north of Fårö and 85 kilometres south-east of Landsort in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County.
Visiting Gotska Sandön: There are usually regular boat tours from Fårö Island and the mainland during the summer. The island has no harbour. Visitors may choose to dwell in their own tents, in a large sleeping shelter, or in a cabin. Lodging facilties must be reserved in advance. Visitors who travel to the island with their own boats and wish to spend the night must report to a park official. At the lighthouse compound, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has provided a nature centre with an exhibit of the island´s natural and human history.
Photo: Klas Rune/N
Gotska Sandön is the most isolated island of the Baltic – a deserted and barren but beautiful island. As the name suggests, the island is a kingdom of sand, with kilometere-long deserted sandy beaches. Almost the whole of Gotska Sandön consists of sand, with some stone and gravel. The sand dunes are covered by windswept pine forest. The beaches are constantly changing. After a storm or extremely high tides, the shoreline can change and small bays or peninsulas form.
There have always been people living on Sandön. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there was sheep farming, and later also crop and cattle farming.The environment of the island favours the unusually rich beetle fauna. The only four-footed animals are forest hares and toads.There is also a small colony of grey seals. The flora is remarkably rich considering the conditions.
The foremost sights of Gotska Sandön are the deserted sandy beaches, the distinctive dune landscape with pine forest, the rich flora, the migratory birds, the remarkable beetles and the interesting buildings of the island.
For further information:
Illustration: Liberkartor, Stockholm
Photo: Peter Hanneberg/TioFoto