familj

Day trip to Enholmen

On the open fishing boat Linnea, there is a maximum of 12 people, and the guided tour takes place mainly outdoors. Following the Peace of Brömsebro in 1645, Enholmen became a site of strategic interest for fortification. Karlsvärd Fortress was built with five bastions. On Enholmen there is also a lime kiln dating from the time the fortress was built. The fortress was demolished in 1788 as it was considered unsuitable, useless and too costly. In 1831, Sweden’s first cholera hospital was built here. When the Crimean War broke out in 1853, the Baltic Sea became a theatre of war; Slite was declared a naval port and Enholmen was to be fortified. The cholera hospital was then moved to the island of Asunden. Two defensive structures, known as donjons, were built and completed in 1858; they are still clearly visible from the Gotland mainland today. The island was manned during both world wars, and in the 1990s a mine station was established there. It was not until 2011 that the island was demilitarised, and the Swedish Fortifications Agency was tasked with selling Enholmen, a move strongly opposed by the local population. The island remains in state ownership. The Swedish Fortifications Agency is investing significant resources and has so far restored the quay, tidied up footpaths and installed a temporary toilet. Today, the island is owned by the National Property Board. Together with organisations in Slite, they are working to make Enholmen an attractive destination. It takes about 30 minutes to walk around the island. There are excellent opportunities for swimming, walking and reflecting on what might have happened on the island. You’ll need to bring your own water and food. You must also take all your rubbish back with you.”The TV programme *Elitstyrkans Hemligheter* (Secrets of the Elite Force), which was broadcast on TV4 in 2021, was filmed on Enholmen and at several other locations in northern Gotland.”Transport is by fishing boat, which departs from the harbour in Slite every Tuesday between 23 June and 4 August 2026. The boat journey takes 10 minutes each way. Minimum 6 people, maximum 12 people per trip. Please state the number of children when booking. The price includes a guided tour of Karlsvärd Fortress and the eastern defences, the keep. The keep is only open as part of a guided tour. The tour begins once everyone has disembarked from the last boat.