Fårö – Rauks, Dunes and Island History

Fårö among Rauks, Dunes and Island History

Rauks, open sandy areas and documented cultural sites give Fårö a distinctive character. If you want to choose between nature experiences, walks and island history for your trip, you will find several clearly different themes here: the rock formations of Langhammars and Gamla Hamn, the dune landscapes of Ullahau and Skalahauar, cultural-history sites, and the connection via Fårösundsleden.

Rauks and Dune Landscapes

The Langhammars nature reserve covers 480 hectares. Above Klajvika near Langhammars stand more than 50 rauks, some of them higher than 8 metres. The Digerhuvud nature reserve also extends along the northwestern coast of Fårö. This means that distinctive coastal formations and protected landscape areas can be encountered in various parts of the island, without suggesting that they form a single area.

Ullahau is a large, horseshoe-shaped dune that rises just over 15 metres above its surroundings. The open sandy areas there provide a habitat with an unusually species-rich insect fauna of thermophilic dryland species—that is, species that prefer warm and dry habitats. Skalahauar also has its own landscape character: the area consists of sand hills and dunes of different shapes and sizes; the highest dune reaches just over 15 metres. Skalahauar invites you to walk through this distinctive dune landscape and is home to several insect species that are very rare and threatened with extinction in Sweden.

Cultural Trails and Historic Sites

The Fårö Cultural Trail begins in Broa and leads to Gåsemora. A stone wall along the cultural trail shows what the agricultural landscape looked like, how it was organised and how it was used before the transition to large-scale farming. The route thus connects a specific path with an illustrative look at earlier land use.

With several buildings serving different purposes, the Fårö Lighthouse site preserves the character of a former self-contained miniature community. The Fårö Museum traces the island’s history from the first settlers through the Viking Age and the Middle Ages to the present day. A woman from the Viking Age with her silver Fårö cross is given particular prominence there. Those interested in more recent cultural history will find the Bergman Center on Fårö, a cultural centre dedicated to the Swedish film director and writer Ingmar Bergman. The centre offers seminars, films, performances and tours such as the “Big Bergman Safari”.

Gamla Hamn is now a nature reserve with rauks and Viking-Age remains. The best-known rauk at Gamla Hamn is Kaffepannan; another name is Hunden. Fårö Church houses the large “Käutatavlan”. It was donated after a seal hunt during which fifteen hunters drifted away on an ice floe in 1603. These sites reveal different historical layers: pre-Christian and Viking-Age traces, ecclesiastical remembrance and the cultural history of the 20th century.

Getting There and Local Particularities

The Fårösundsleden ferry service operates between Fårösund in the north of Gotland and Broa on Fårö.

The local cuisine is also connected with a specific place: the restaurant in Stora Gåsemora uses local produce and seasonal ingredients for its menu. If you would also like to compare Fårö with other destinations in the same selection, you will find Väskinde, Tingstäde, Havdhem, Lummelunda, Fårösund, Stånga, Fröjel and Hemse.

For the higher-level travel overview: Gotland.