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  • Burial grounds on Visingsö

Burial grounds on Visingsö

Part of the island's thousand-year history

  • Attraction
  • Burial ground
  • Stone circle
  • Visingsö

A flourishing island during the Viking Age

Visingsö breathes history with castles, kings, and ancient monuments. No matter where you are on the island, you can see and feel the wings of history. The island has a thousand-year history, and many finds have been made at the island's three burial grounds.

Visingsö has several large burial grounds that were used until the end of the Viking Age. In total, there are around 800 ancient monuments on the island.

The burial grounds are actually much larger than what you can see today; many of the burial mounds have been destroyed due to cultivation, among other things. The finds made at the graves testify that there was a flourishing island community during the Viking Age, and Visingsö was a significant trading and craft centre.

Today, there are three burial grounds and a remnant of stone circles that you can visit on Visingsö.

Northern burial ground

In the village of Tunnerstad on Visingsö, there is the northern burial ground. It is partly within the area of Visingsö's folk high school and is the smallest of the burial grounds on the island. The finds discovered in the area have been dated to around 550 – 800 AD. Among other things, an ornamental dress brooch has been found here.

Avlösa stone circles

On northern Visingsö, by the shoreline towards lake Vättern, there are three preserved stone circles. The placement of the circles seems peculiar, as these ancient monuments are usually found at higher elevations. Due to their location, shoreline erosion has already taken part of the monument, but it is still possible to see the stone circles.

Middle burial ground

In the middle of Visingsö, there is the middle burial ground, which lies peacefully among the trees along the island's main road. It is believed that the field has been used as a burial site for 1,500 years, and several graves have appeared in connection with storms on the island. The oldest grave that has been examined is a flat grave from the pre-Roman Iron Age, and the youngest grave has been dated to the Viking Age.

Southern burial ground

The southern burial ground is distinguished by hilly mound graves that rise towards the sky. Several of the mounds were examined in the 1960s and have been dated to the early Iron Age. In the graves, a shield boss and a shield handle have been found.

In the 1800s, more finds were discovered when a root cellar was being built in one of the mounds. A slab coffin, bones, and parts of skulls were found. Through the finds, it is believed that the burial mound is from the Bronze Age.

Culture heritage sites

When visiting a cultural heritage site – such as a site with historic remains like burial mounds, runestones, ruins, or rock carvings – deserves both respect and care. There are several important things to keep in mind to honor both the cultural heritage and the surrounding nature.

Here, we’ve gathered some basic guidelines to help you make your visit thoughtful and responsible.

Things to keep in mind when visiting cultural heritage sites

Good to know

  • Potable water: No
  • Wind protection/Shelter: No
  • Barbecue/picnic area: No
  • Toilet: No
  • Accessibility: The burial grounds are located right by the paved main road and can be seen from the road. The stone circles are located in a field right by the beach, where it is somewhat hilly.
  • Parking: There is a parking by the northern burial grounds, but other than that no designated parking, but some possibility to park along the main road for a few minutes.

Visingsö

Take the ferry from Gränna to Visingsö, a gem in Lake Vättern with stunning nature and a rich history tied to the powerful Brahe family. Don’t miss Brahe Church, home to a wealth of artistic treasures. The island is easy to explore by bike or by horse-drawn carriage – remmalag. Here, you're close to nature and can meet alpacas, go horseback riding, or paddle a kayak.

How to get here

By bike or car: The three burial grounds are located right next to Visingsö's paved main road and are easily accessible by both bike and car. To get to Avlösa stone circles, cycling is recommended to reach the beach. If you do not bring your own bike, there is the possibility to rent a bike at the harbour.

The ferry to Visingsö departs from Gränna harbour. Drive past Brahekyrkan up to the main road. From there, you can drive either north or south to see the different burial grounds along the road. To get to Avlösa stone circles, drive north on the main road and turn down at the Avlösa sign. From there, it is about 1 km down to the beach.

The bus on Visingsö, ÖA-svängen (bus 126), stops at the Stigby stop about 500 m from the southern burial ground and at the Snipen stop about 500 meters from the middle burial ground. To get to Avlösa stone circles, you can take the bus to the Kumlaby stop and then walk about 3 km. The bus runs according to the timetable in summer, but needs to be booked at other times of the year.

Timetable and tickets, visit jlt.se External link, opens in new window.

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