Rönnerum-Abbantorp
The heart of the Mittland forest
Rönnerum-Abbantorp is located in the heart of Mittland (Midland) forest and consists of various deciduous forests, grazed dry meadows, calcareous wet meadows and wetlands. The Rönnerum fornby (ancient village), one of Öland’s most fascinating Iron Age environments, is situated in the middle of the area.
Lovely early summer hiking
The open pastures at Rönnerum fornby are like a bright open room surrounded by lush deciduous forests. Walking across the dry meadows filled with juniper and other vegetation on an early summer day, when the newly blossomed greenery shifts between different shades of light green, the ash trees are beginning to unfurl their leaves and the hawthorn blossoms in white, is a lovely experience.
Voices in a choir of birds
The choirs of birds that sing in the large hardwood forests in Rönnerum-Abbantorp are very enjoyable. Wood warblers, icterine warblers, Eurasian blackcaps, European pied flycatchers, hawfinches, willow warblers, common chaffinches and European robins assail you with their songs. The nature reserve has one of the largest hornbeam forests in Sweden. There are some areas of pure hornbeam, but they often also include elements of field elm, ash, oak and birch as well.
Rare species
The reserve provides a habitat for rare species of birds such as the European honey buzzard and the hawfinch. The Eurasian golden oriole is also an occasional guest. Capricorn beetles thrive in the flowering hawthorn and musk orchids like the limestone wet meadows.
Iron Age village
Rönnerum’s ancient village (fornby) is one of Öland’s best-preserved Iron Age villages. Spread over an area of approximately 1.2 hectares, there are ten foundations surrounded and connected by the remains of stone walls. The village well has also been preserved. To the west lies a multitude of rock mounds with small strips of farmland in between. To the southwest is a burial site with about 100 graves. This was probably the ancient Rönnerum cemetery.
Ancient sites linked
There are several interesting archaeological sites located here in the heart of Mittland forest. The ancient village of Rönnerum is not far from Ismanstorp’s ancient fort to the east, Odin’s stones to the north and the Noah’s Ark on Karum Alvar to the northeast.
Facts:
Size: 524 ha (1295 acres)
Year of creation: 2004
Purpose: To protect and care for the assets associated with the ancient village and the borgvägen (track to the old fort), as well as the hardwood forests and hornbeam forests, broadleaved pastures, dry meadows and calcareous wet meadows with their characteristic flora and fauna. The area is part of Natura 2000, the EU’s ecological network of protected areas.
Directions/Location:
About 2 km SE of Högsrum church. The area can be reached from the road at Högsrum-Ismantorp, parking is available at Odin’s stones, and via a minor road from the village of Rönnerum, where there is also a car park.
GPS coordinates to the parking lot WGS 84 decimal (lat, long): 56.76669 , 16.61910
Map: Naturcentrum AB, Stenungsund.
Download: the County administrative boards brochure over (in Swedish only) (920 kB): Rönnerum – Abbantorp
Download: the entire brochure (in Swedish only) (19 MB): Utflyktsguide Öland
© Lantmäteriverket, Ur Geografiska Sverigedata, översiktskartan Dnr. 106-2004/188”
Source: County Administrative Board, Kalmar
Translation: Visitoland.com