Landsort 58'44,7' N-17'52,1 E

 ÖJA, the island with Landsort lighthouse

Öja, an island that was given the name Landsort in the 16th century, by mistake, a copied chart!, became an official pilot station in 1535. It was Gustav Vasa himself who decided that there would be pilots at Landsort forever.

From the ceiling in the chapel a model of a ship is suspended, it is a so called votive ship. It hangs there as a reminder of how life on Öja always has been devoted to ships and boats. Offering a votive ship to the church was then - and still is today - an old custom from the 16th century. Votive ships, frigates and liners are common in churches along the Swedish coast. The custom was common for 200 years, got out of fashion in the 19th century but got in fashion again around year 1900. Votive ships are most of all for decoration: on one of the oldest one´s in Sweden you can read "Gud till ära, kyrkan till prydnad, ungdomen till lärdom" (English: "Honor to God, decoration to the church, example to the young").

Landsort´s chapel - inaugurated in 1939, is a gift from Helge Ax:son Johnson of Berga Castle in Västerhaninge. The altar-piece is by and a gift from Axel Sjöberg, a famous artist from the archipelago.

During the dark ages seafarers navigated with the help of natural marks and cairns. Denmark had developed new technique on lighthouses as early as in the 16th century. Öresund therefore became the world first fairway guided by lighthouses. Sweden adopted the Danish technique, but it was not until the middle of the 17th century before the first lighthouse and yet 20 years before the first lighthouse of stone was built. Landsort lighthouse is the oldest one in Sweden.

A pilot´s life in the dark ages was not an easy one. If anything happened to the ship the pilot was always responsible, and quite often he had to pay with his life.

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Landsort is just another island and what is so special about that? A narrow island south of Södertörn, 4 km long and not even 1 km wide. But the small area holds so much: history, military history, botany, zoology, gourmet cooking, art and handicraft.
First of all the island´s real name is not Landsort, it is Öja. The better known name Landsort is due to a mistake at copying of maps, where Landsort (really the tip of the island, by mistake was written across the island, and that was it. Many people therefore came to believe that Landsort was the name that counted.
The lighthouse though is correctly named Landsorts fyr, and that is the name it has always had. It is Sweden's oldest lighthouse still in operation. The tower is 25 meters high. It was built by the Dutch merchant Johan van der Hagen 1658. The lighthouse was rebuilt in stone in the 1670´s. Scandinavia´s first pilot book from the 13th century referred both to Landsort and to its beacon. The location of the beacon is still called "båkberget" (English "beacon rock"). The lighthouse is open to the public and guided tours are available in the summer.

In the early days of the lighthouse, it was on coal in an iron basket outside. In the 19th century it was converted to oil and mirrors, they are still there. In the 1930´s the lighthouse was converted to electricity. Until recently it was off limits for the public, but now you can go on guided tours. The view is magnificent.

Among rocks and junipers you can still find military installations, bunkers and gun emplacements, a scary reminder that the enemy comes from the east. Year 1719 the Russians burnt all houses on the island. During world war II the military installations expanded, secretly for the public, but now quite visible.

From the dawn of history

In the dawn of history a giant´s kettle, Helveteskällan, was formed by giant rocks that the inland ice transported on its way. It is in a hard to get at area on the northern end of the island, no signs, across meadows with grazing sheep and pheasants with their chicken. The "kettle opens up towards the open sea and seems without a bottom.

In the center of the island there is an obscure but quite interesting remain from older times. It is the old cholera burial ground. Here are the remains of the wife to Johan Andersson from Storhamn, buried since 1710, for ”storm och stench reasons”. She has no name, just a wife, and the visitor has an opportunity to visualize her and her life in the fishing village when the plague claimed her life.

A short walk away is a labyrinth. The pattern is at least 3000 years old. The labyrinth was believed to protect against accidents at sea and also to secure good fishing. It will not hurt you to walk through the labyrinth perhaps it will do you some good. It is said to improve fertility as well. Try it. Labyrinths along the coast used to have magical purposes in connection with the seasonal fishing. Walking through it protected you against perils at sea.

The center of the island also hosts a bird station, where they catch birds in nets in order to record their habits during their annual flights.

Speaking of birds: go to Landsort in May, and listen to the mockingbirds! Be surprised over finding both peacocks and pheasants on this little island. Large number of decoys were once made on this island. They were used at the annual hunt, when the birds flight brought them to Landsort. Shooting or catching seabirds was once a source both of food and income, particularly the eider duck, the long-tailed duck and the goldeneye. Now the seabirds are threatened more by the pollution of the Baltic. Some birds though have managed to thrive in the polluted waters of the Baltic; the numerous swans now even stay the year round unless it is a hard winter with the Baltic frozen. Then it goes south.

Today

Today the population of Öja has diminished but still some 20 people remain. Most of them have occupations as pilots, now as over the centuries, guiding ships and pleasure crafts through the difficult archipelago of Södertörn.

Landsort or Öja today is a thriving little village. Öja Boden is a small archipelago grocery store with a large selection. Groceries, yes, but they are also serving freshly baked bread simple meals. Don´t hesitate to order a luncheon basket for your excursion. Overnight accommodations inclusive of breakfast are about 300 kr. For groups or companies day conferences can be arranged for up to 15 persons. The place can hold up to 10-12 persons overnight. Breakfast, luncheon and dinner can be served.

A guided tour to the old lighthouse is a must. A beautiful trail leads to the inner parts of Landsort/Öja, lush vegetation, swamps and quagmires. Swedish whitebeams, arctic raspberries and yew !

 

Facilities
Company	Contact	Address	Information
Lodgings
Cottages
Hotel
Landsorts Konferens- anläggning		Landsort  the island of Öja  tel 520 340 19
Other
Provisions Öja-Boden	Ingrid Sjöblom- Persson	Landsort  149 95 Nynäshamn  Tel 08-52034111 Fax 08-52034121
Boattaxi Landsort	Larsson	tel 08-520 311 08