Horns Kungsgård

Story

Horns Kungsgård is a nature preserve in the northern part of Öland, Sweden. It was founded as a model farm by Gustav Vasa in the 1550s. It was incorporated in 1971 and expanded in 2001, and became one of the protected areas of the Natura 2000 network.HistoryThe area has been farmed since the Iron Age, and remains of those farms can still be seen, including the farmers' stone walls. At Hornsjön are the remains of a fortified medieval manor. The original village of Degerhorn was emptied out by Gustav Vasa and the farmers forced out in the 1550s; in its stead he built a model farm which also produced for the royal stores at a time when the entire island was a royal hunting domain.Horns Kungsgård was incorporated as a non-profit in 1979 and expanded in 2001, and is one of the protected areas of the Natura 2000 network.Landscape and animalsThe area includes farms and fields and a variegated flora and fauna, including Hornsjön, the island's largest lake. The coastline has cliffs, and the land has limestone areas interspersed with wetlands and hardwood forests, besides pastures and hay fields. The Skogsgärdesängen area is rich in orchids (including Anacamptis pyramidalis, Gymnadenia conopsea, and Dactylorhiza maculata), and the forests and the lake support rich bird life, including ospreys, Caspian terns, great crested grebes, and Eurasian bitterns. It has a bird-watching tower.