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Bäckaskogs slott i Skåne

06 July 2019 / 12 Comments

Ivön and Bäckaskog Castle in Skåne - the hunt for the horse grave

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Ivön and Bäckaskog Castle in Skåne is located just northeast of Kristianstad. We were here on a very rainy day in May this year, but despite the rainy weather we had a very nice day. We also spent a long time looking for a very special horse grave.

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Our first day in Kristianstad

We visited Kristianstad in May this year in connection with a press trip. Before the press trip started, we had time to visit our travel blogger friends Daniela and Göran, from Discovering the Planet. They were also kind enough to lend us their car, so we could look around on our own while they worked. Then we took the opportunity to check out Ivön and Bäckaskog Castle.

Göran, Peter och Daniela

Ivön in Skåne

Ivön, or Ivö as it may also be called, is located in Ivösjön in Kristianstad municipality, not far from Bäckaskog Castle. The island is 12.39 square kilometres, making it the largest island in Skåne.

We started our day by taking the ferry out to the island. Firstly, we had heard that Ivön is beautiful and that there are several campsites here. Secondly, I (Helena) have always heard my mother talking about Ivory Island, as she often travelled here in her job as a natural geographer and researcher.

Ivön i Skåne

Ferry to Ivön

A small car ferry runs between the mainland and Ivön. Apart from the fact that my mum has been to Ivön many times, there is another connection to her here. The ferry has the same name as my mum: Karna.

Ivön färja

Karna is not a common name in Sweden, but according to Wikipedia there are about 300 women in Sweden with this name. The name is the Skåne version of Karin, and has been traced to the 17th century, when Skåne was part of Denmark. The ferry is named after a woman who used to row people across to the island, and whose name was Karna.

färjan Karna till Ivön

What to see and do on Ivön

Although it was pouring rain when we were here, we saw that this is a green island with lots of yellow rapeseed fields and flowering apple trees. There are also very fossil-rich caves on the island, called Ugnsmunnarna. On the northern part of the island you will find the nature reserve Ivö klack, with beech forest, rich biodiversity, viewpoints and an old lime and kaolin quarry.

Äppelträd på Ivön
Anka på Ivön
Ivö kyrka på Ivön

Ivön is also home to the Bishop's Cellar, the remains of the cellar at Ivöhus, where Archbishop Andreas Sunesen spent his final years from 1224 to 1228.

Ivön sevärdhet
The bishop's cellar on Ivön

Campsites on Ivön

There are two campsites on Ivön. The first, Ivö camping, is right on the waterfront when you step off the ferry. If you ignore the rain, it looked really nice here.

Ivö camping på Ivön

The other campsite on the island is called Söndremark, which belongs to the Caravan Club and is located a little further into the island.

Ivön camping caravan Club

Bäckaskog Castle

After the visit to Ivön, we continued to Bäckaskog Castle, which was only a five-minute drive from the ferry.

WIFI.se
Bäckaskog slott i Skåne

From monastery to tourism

Monks lived at Bäckaskog as early as the 13th century, and in the 16th century the monastery was converted into a fortified castle. Today, the castle serves as a hotel and conference centre, and also hosts various parties and events. Here's a quick summary of its 800-year history:

  • Monasticism 1250-1537 - Monks lived here by farming, fishing and horticulture.
  • Danish freehold property 1537-1680 - At the Reformation, the monastery was annexed to the Danish crown. The nobleman Henrik Ramel and his son converted it into a fortified castle.
  • Swedish colonel's residence 1680-1818 - Colonel Rutger von Ascheberg took over the castle, and was also responsible for the Swedification of Skåne.
  • Royal pleasure palace 1818-1900 - Crown Prince Oscar I leased the castle to his son Charles XV, who stayed here until his death. The fine park, among other things, was expanded.
  • Tourism and conferences 1900-present - Since the 20th century, the castle has served as a destination for both conference guests and tourists.
Bäckaskog slott i Skåne

Visit to Bäckaskog Castle

After the rain on Ivön, it was nice to seek shelter inside Bäckaskog Castle. Getting in here was a really pleasant experience. On the lower floor there is a café in very nice premises.

Bäckaskog slott i Skåne

Upstairs is the parade floor, which includes the queen's bedchamber, the queen's salon, the red salon, the dining room, the billiard room and the bedchamber of Charles XV.

Bäckaskog Park

We borrowed umbrellas from the super nice girls at the castle reception, and headed out into the park. If we were impressed with the rooms in the castle, we were even more impressed with the park. The nature here is intensely green and the park is filled with different kinds of trees, some of which are huge. There are also plenty of artworks of different kinds.

Bäckaskogs park vid Bäckaskog slott
Konst i Bäckaskogs park, Bäckaskog slott

The hunt for the horse grave

The girls in the castle also told us about a horse grave that you can find in the park. It was Charles XV's horse that had its own grave, and of course we wanted to see it! Equipped with a map and umbrellas, we set out to hunt in the rain. We can tell you that it not is simply to find the horse grave. After 40 minutes of searching, we decided to give up ... and then we saw it!

Helena i Bäckaskogs park vid Bäckaskog slott

In the centre of the forest is a tall tombstone with the inscription 'Hingsten Scheik 1872'. The horse was the life horse of Charles XV, and when the king died, the horse was euthanised according to the traditions of the time. It seems a bit awful that the horse had to die just because the owner did, but at least he got an impressive tombstone and he is remembered long after his death.

Hästgrav Bäckaskog slott
Hingsten Schejk Bäckaskog slott

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

There is of course more to see and do in the vicinity of Ivön and Bäckaskog Castle. For example, you can visit Kristianstad and charming Åhus.

All our top tips for holidays in Skåne

Have you visited Ivön or Bäckaskog Castle?

Have you been to Bäckaskog Castle? How was your experience? Do you have any more good tips on what to see and do around Ivön?

Facts about Ivory Island

  • Name: Ivön or Ivö (old spelling Ifiö)
  • Location: In Ivösjön, in the municipality of Kristianstad, in north-eastern Skåne.
  • Area: 12.89 square kilometres
  • Highest point: 146 metres above sea level
  • Geology: Limestone bedrock, overlain in the south by moraine and sea sand. To the north is Ivö klack, a remnant of bedrock that is also a nature reserve. There is also kaolin on Ivön, and kaolin was mined in the quarry until the 1950s.
  • Attractions: The Ivö klack nature reserve, the fossil-rich Ugnsmunnarna caves and the Bishop's cellar that remains from Ivöhus.
  • History: The island has been inhabited for more than 6000 years. In the 13th century, the archbishop, warrior and statesman Andreas Sunesen moved here. He died on Ivön in 1228, and around this time Ivö Church was built. In the Middle Ages, the island was under the control of Bäckaskog Castle. In the 18th century, almost the entire population died of the plague, but the population recovered again. Today around 150-200 people live here.
  • Campsites: There are two campsites (Ivö campsite and a Caravan Club campsite).
  • Getting here: From Barum, a ferry runs three times an hour. The crossing takes about 7 minutes and the ferry is free. From Kristianstad it takes just over 20 minutes to reach Barum by car. You can also take regional bus line 557 from Fjälkinge to Barum.

Facts about Bäckaskog Castle

  • Address: Barumsvägen 255, 291 68 Fjälkinge
  • Hotel: The castle serves as a hotel, and there are many different accommodation options in the area. There are hotel rooms in the castle and in Klostergården, Möllan, Humlehuset and Karl XV's inn. There are also B&Bs in Vapensmedens hus and Grindstugan.
  • Package: There are several different packages to choose from, such as the Bäckaskog package, castle packages, weekend packages and ghost packages.
  • Restaurant: There is a restaurant serving brunch (not in summer) and a summer menu during July and August.
  • Activities and events: Conference, activities for conference guests (jacuzzi, tastings, team building, etc.), parties and weddings, ghost tours, concerts, etc.
  • Read more: You can find more information at the castle's website

You might also like:

Göra på Ven i SkåneWhat to do on Ven in Skåne - 10 tips for a scenic island Rammlösa brunnsparkRamlösa brunnspark - from health resort to mineral water VisingsöWhat to do on Visingsö - 12 tips for Vättern's largest island GlimmingehusGlimmingehus - Scandinavia's best preserved medieval castle Ronneby brunnsparkRonneby brunnspark - well environment and fantastic park

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06 July 2019 6:00
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6 Comments

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  1. Rolle o Carina says:

    Isn't it nice on Ivön, we were there around 2012 with the motorhome!
    Then we also had nice weather as luck would have it!

    Take care....

    06 July 2019 - 8:16

    Reply

  2. Husisblogg says:

    Now my male owner had a small question. He has lived in the neighbourhood of Ivö but never visited this place. I will have to remind him to visit the neighbourhood as well and not just around the world.
    Thanks for the tip and the geography lesson.

    06 July 2019 - 9:29

    Reply

  3. BP says:

    Despite the bad weather, you managed to take great pictures, especially the one with the church and the bright yellow canola field. Very nice. Funny also that a ferry is named after your mum;-)

    06 July 2019 - 20:22

    Reply

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