A Nordic country with a considerable chunk of its real estate above the Arctic Circle may not suggest miles of white sand beaches baking in the summer sun, but Sweden’s most southeastern region, Öland, provides just that. One of the first places in Sweden to thaw out at the end of the last Ice Age, Öland (pronounced OOH-land) – with its mid-70s summer temperatures – has been drawing Swedes ever since sea bathing became chic more than a century ago.

These days, ask a local to name his favorite beach, and he’ll end up naming several – each with a qualifying sobriquet: the Swedish Riviera, say, or the Hamptons of Sweden, or even the local Provence. The beaches are all just a few hours by train in various directions – either south from Stockholm or east from Copenhagen and Malmӧ – and discount air service to nearby Kalmar from cities across Europe makes for easy exploration when the Mediterranean overflows with summer crowds.

With its red and white clapboard houses sheltered among the nooks of numerous hills and inlets, Öland may at first look a dead ringer for Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove on Murder She Wrote. A daily swim in the sea is de rigueur, and it’s tacitly understood that those who mosey down to the sea for a brisk morning swim in their bathrobes are those fortunate enough to own a house on the island, the second largest in Sweden.

The sleepy Öland offers a complete contrast to the oft-rowdy, and larger, island of Gotland. Hundreds of wooden windmills dot the landscape, nearly every one flanked by a farmhouse that typically doubles as a summertime bed and breakfast. Such a rustic atmosphere is what lured my Slovenian companion, Jelena, and I away from our studies in Vӓxjӧ.

After our days of sitting hunched over desks and poring over every tome in the campus library, Öland’s breathtaking vistas – dotted with farms, castles and cottages – were too stunning to ignore. So we decided to check into Villa Sol, a charming and quaint old pale yellow B & B set in a fruit tree-filled garden in Borgholm, a few yards from the sea. The owner, a bubbly elderly woman named Ingrid, was full of recommendations for everything from secluded beaches to local art galleries and restaurants.

For dinner, she directed us to Halltorps Gӓstgiveri, a posh country estate hotel and restaurant, a healthy four mile trek from Borgholm’s city center. Ranked as one of the premier restaurants in Sweden, it was easy to see why: effortlessly chic and simple with straightforward summer fare like warm croustade with crayfish, scampi, shrimp, mushrooms and Paksoi, all infused with a delicate buttery taste. The warm and homely atmosphere instilled serenity in us as we enjoyed a dessert of almond and merengue cake with a white chocolate and rum parfait, which was nothing short of utterly blissful; surely this was the stuff Cinderella and Prince Charming enjoyed on a regular basis.

But Öland is more than just cozy cafes and rustic restaurants: it’s also home to Borgholms Slottsruinen, the largest ruins in all of Scandinavia. The castle, first commissioned by Canute I and later renovated under Charles X Gustaf by Tessin the Elder (who also designed the Royal Palace in Stockholm) and his son Tessin the Younger, was originally intended to be a “Swedish Versailles,” but subsequent wars and peasant rebellions brought it into disrepair. A devastating fire broke out in October 1806, destroying all but the stone architecture.

The castle, open for tours each day from May to August between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., is understandably massive, offering breathtaking views of the entire island from atop its 150 foot-high battlements. At only 70 kronor ($10) for adult admission (roughly $6.50 for children, and free for those under 12), it’s also a real bargain.

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