O-Ringen Magazine Nr 2 - 2023.

Bathing
Whether it’s the sand between your toes, the thrill of the
jump or a warm sunbathing spot that you love, we have
bathing spots for everyone.
Gunnarsö – Oskarshamn
Holiday in a natural coastal idyll by the Baltic Sea. From this
campsite there are beautiful paths to walk on, sunlit outcrops, a
diving platform and child-friendly beaches.
Västervik Resort – Västervik
A five star campsite with adventures for all the family. Bathing
facilities with fun slides, warm outcrops for sunbathing, entertainment
and nature activities for children.
Have you read the
Oskarshamn Guide?
Find it using the QR code
below or go to
oskarshamn.com/o-ringen
– read about everything
there is to do on
the Smålandskusten!
Gösjön i Berga – Högsby
At Gjösjön you’ll find a big diving platform, playground, kiosk,
crazy golf, accessible toilet with a ramp and another ramp to help
access the water. You’ll also find Gösjöbadet campsite.
Böda Sand – Öland
On Öland’s most beautiful beach, with its 20 km of white sand,
families, pensioners, couples and friends meet. Combine play,
relaxation, sun and sand with group exercise, crazy golf, spa treatments
and children’s activities.
Vattenpalatset – Mönsterås
Challenge a friend or colleague on a water slide that times you.
Swim against the current in the jet stream channel, or in the lagoon.
You can also take your time in the relaxation area.
Blå Jungfrun and its many legends
The island of countless legends, Blå Jungfrun (“The Blue
Maiden”), also known as Blåkulla, is a granite dome
towering 86 metres above sea level right out in the
middle of Kalmarsund. It has sparked people’s curiosity
and imagination since ancient times. Don’t miss the
opportunity to visit this national park.
Magical nature
In the summer you can visit Blå Jungfrun on a day trip from
Oskarshamn and Byxelkrok, or on your own boat. Its isolation and
inaccessibility make Blå Jungfrun an exciting destination. You are
met with multilevel terrain. Walkways guide you round the island
and lead you to a lush arbour of ancient, tall and gnarled trees,
fascinating caves where small entrances open up into huge caverns,
and geological formations. On one of Blå Jungfrun’s clifftops there
is a labyrinth that you can walk round to wish for fertility, good
luck with fishing or perhaps a calm sea for the journey back? If you
climb to the highest point on Blå Jungfrun you are met with panoramic
views of coast of the mainland, Kalmar Strait and Öland,
well worth the journey.
Don’t tempt fate
If you go to Blå Jungfrun, remember not to put any of the small
stones in your pocket as a souvenir. The stories say that anyone
who takes a stone from Blå Jungfrun will be plagued by bad luck
until the stone is returned. In fact, every year Oskarshamn municipality
receives stones from regretful tourists who have decided
against tempting fate. And every year, they make sure to take these
stones back to the island in Kalmar Strait. It’s just safest that way.
Book your visit
During the summer, you can take a boat tour to Blå Jungfrun on
M/S Solkust or M/S Solfrun. These tours leave from Oskarshamn
and Byxelkrok. Look around the amazing rock formations and
caves, explore the enchanting labyrinth and visit the beautiful
stone beach. www.solkustturer.se
Many myths
Perhaps the island’s lonely location has been the reason why so
many legends have been told about its history. The rugged beauty
of the rock formations, formed by inland ice, has given rise to
much speculation about what might go on there, out at sea in
one of Sweden’s most famous national parks. And of course your
imagination can run wild thinking of all that has happened here,
on an island that was already inhabited in the Stone Age. In times
gone past, people thought a godlike being lived on the island.
Seafarers, who have been hit by storms here more than anywhere
else, thought of Blåkulla as especially dangerous. They have steered
clear of this place for a long time and there are countless stories
about it. The most well-known and enduring myth is probably
the one that witches fly to Blåkulla every Maundy Thursday for a
witches’ sabbath.
Tourist information
You can read everything you need to know before your visit to Blå
Jungfrun National Park on sverigesnationalparker.se, for example,
when is best to visit the island, how to get there and any special
rules you may need to know before your trip.
Photo: Alexander Hall.
54 O-RINGEN MAGAZINE NR 2 • 2023 O-RINGEN MAGAZINE NR 2 • 2023 55