Stenåsa: Bird Migration, Coastal Meadows and Church History

At Stenåsa, birdwatching, coastal meadows and orchids sit alongside a long history of churches. Art and the broader cultural landscape of southern Öland also offer different points of interest for planning your trip. The time of year matters for nature-related activities; church and art, meanwhile, focus on architectural history and exhibitions.

Bird Migration and Coastal Landscape

The easily accessible birdwatching tower at Stenåsa is located by the bathing area and offers unobstructed views. Waders, ducks, geese and birds of prey can regularly be seen there; the tower is also a good place to observe bird migration in eastern Öland.

There is a birdwatching area at Stenåsa Camping. During the spring and autumn migrations, thousands of migratory birds pass along the coast. At Stenåsabadet campsite, clusters of trees along the coast of southeastern Öland attract small birds arriving from the sea, especially in autumn. The seasonal highlights therefore differ: migration is a feature of both spring and autumn, while the small birds attracted by the clusters of trees are especially notable in autumn.

Stenåsa Stugor & Camping has a natural shoreline on the Baltic Sea. The broad beach meadows around the site are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna and invite visitors to take walks and explore the plant life, which includes several orchid species. Several orchid species bloom in the area around Stenåsa in spring and early summer. Thus, bird migration and flowering coincide in the warmer half of the year, while autumn birdwatching among the clusters of trees offers a different focus.

Frösslundamossen is another distinctive landscape feature: this shallow alvar lake is just over one metre deep.

Church and Regional History

There has been a church on the grounds of Stenåsa kyrka since the Viking Age. In the late 12th century, a stone church was built in Stenåsa around an older wooden church. During renovations in 1956, remains of a wooden church with an earthen floor, dated to the 10th century, were found beneath the church floor. The present-day Stenåsa kyrka was completed in 1831 and is a bright, single-nave church in the traditional Neoclassical style. Its architectural history therefore stretches far beyond the construction of the present building.

On a broader scale, Södra Ölands odlingslandskap is a cultural heritage site and a living cultural landscape that has shaped the way of life of Öland’s inhabitants over many generations. The oldest stone walls there are almost 800 years old and run around the villages’ old fields and meadows. They form part of a regional story that looks beyond individual buildings to a cultural landscape shaped over generations.

Art and Accommodation

Ateljé Slagerstad med Christine is located 700 metres south of Stenåsa kyrka. There, an exhibition commemorating the artist Erling Fredriksson features paintings and art installations in the garden. There are also guest exhibitions of knitwear, photography and concrete works. If you would like to include art in your trip alongside nature and church architecture, the exhibition offers a distinct point of interest.

Stenåsa Stugor & Camping offers pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes, with or without electricity. This is a camping option, distinct from a hotel stay. If you are specifically looking for a hotel, search for Stenåsa as your destination.

Discover more destinations: Mörbylånga, Degerhamn, Grönhögen, Vanserum, Färjestaden

Return to the main travel overview: Mörbylånga.