Discover Ljugarn: Beaches, Trails and Culture

Ljugarn was Gotland’s first seaside resort. A sandy beach about one kilometre long, coastal walking trails and museums offer different ways to discover the area. There are also traces of pilotage, fishing and geological history. For planning your trip, this creates a clear contrast: you can focus on time at the beach and short walks, hike longer stretches of coastline, or explore historic buildings and collections. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, choose its location according to the focus you want for your stay, and check the specific location against your plans.

Beach and striking coastal scenery

Ljugarn’s sandy beach is about one kilometre long. At Ljugarn Camping, a wheelchair ramp leads down to the beach; check local access conditions before your visit. In the wider area around Ljugarn, Folhammar is just over a kilometre to the northeast. The nature reserve includes a 500-metre-long rauk field with numerous rauks, some up to six metres high. A paved path makes Folhammar accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs. Adapted barbecue areas provide access to the rauks at close range. Here too, check accessibility locally before your trip.

The beach and rauk field offer different landscape impressions: on one side is the long sandy beach, on the other the striking rock formations of Folhammar. If you want to include both in your plans, keep each destination in mind rather than treating them as part of the same place.

Walking trails for different time budgets

Ljugarn has four local walking trails ranging from three to nine kilometres in length. There is also a shorter 1.7-kilometre loop. Benches are placed along the trails, and some also have picnic tables. The trails are easy to walk and suitable for all hikers. Check trail signs and maintenance conditions locally. This lets you choose between a short loop and longer walks without trying to fit every route into the same outing.

For a longer coastal walk, the stretch between Ljugarn and Folhammar is about twelve kilometres long. The Östkustleden is considerably longer, at 73 kilometres: it passes through Ljugarn and follows the coast between Anga and Närsholm. These figures refer to different scales—a single coastal walking section and the total length of the trail. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Museums and history by the harbour

There are four small museums around Ljugarn harbour. Strandridaregården was probably built in the 1720s and is the last Strandridaregård on Gotland to have survived in its original condition. Its upper floor houses Sweden’s only permanent customs museum. The date is tentative; the building is notable both for its preserved original condition and for its use as a museum.

Strandbygdsmuseet is housed in a former large harbour warehouse belonging to Gotländska Lantmännens Centralförening, built in 1896. Its permanent exhibition features photographs taken by Gotland researcher Mathias Klintbom in the Lau parish in the early 20th century, as well as objects from coastal fishing. Fossilmuseet, meanwhile, houses a unique collection of Gotland fossils. Together, these themes range from more recent local and fishing history to the island’s fossils.

The post mill on Lotsbacken also tells of Ljugarn’s maritime past. It stands at the highest point of the headland, was built in 1828 and was intended for use by the pilots. The historic sites each have a different focus: customs and local history at Strandridaregården, fishing at Strandbygdsmuseet, fossils at Fossilmuseet and pilotage at the mill.

More activities and choosing your accommodation

Surfing is also available in Ljugarn; conditions depend on the season and weather. Ljugarns GK is a beautiful nine-hole forest golf course designed by architect Jan Sederholm. Check current playing opportunities before your trip. Together with the beach, walking trails and museums, this gives you different ways to shape your stay without making every day of your holiday the same.

When choosing a specific accommodation, the key is to find a location that suits your plans.

Discover more destinations: Ronehamn, Hejde, Kappelshamn, Katthammarsvik, Hejdeby, Havdhem, Tingstäde, Stånga

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