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

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | Ivön and Bäckaskog Castle in Skåne is located just northeast of Kristianstad. We were here on a very rainy day in May, but despite the rainy weather we had a very nice day. We also spent a long time looking for a very special horse grave.

Ivön in Skåne

Ivön, or Ivö as the island can also be called, is located in Lake Ivösjön in Kristianstad municipality, not far from Bäckaskog Castle. The island is 12.39 square kilometers and is therefore 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Campsites on Ivön

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

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

Bäckaskog Castle

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

From medieval monastery to royal summer palace

Bäckaskog Castle has a history that stretches back about 800 years. In the 13th century, Premonstratensian monks settled here, on the beautiful isthmus between Lake Ivösjön and Lake Oppmannasjön. The monks made a living from farming and fishing, among other things, and the monastery remained in existence until the Reformation in the 16th century, when the property passed to the Danish crown.

The monastery was eventually transformed into a fortified castle, partly through renovations under the Danish noble family Ramel. When Skåne became Swedish, Bäckaskog took on a new role as a residence for high-ranking military figures. One of those associated with the castle is Field Marshal Rutger von Ascheberg, who also played an important role in the Swedishization of Skåne.

In the 19th century, Bäckaskog became a royal summer resort. Crown Prince Oscar, who later became Oscar I, began using the castle, and then his son Karl XV took over. He enjoyed it so much that he returned for many summers, and during his time the beautiful castle park was also developed.

Today, Bäckaskog is much more peaceful. There is a hotel, restaurant and conference facilities, and visitors can stroll through the park and enjoy the historic environment. From the monks' monastic life to royal summer stays and today's hotel guests - there is a lot of history that fits within the castle walls!

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.

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.

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!

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.

Read also – more experiences nearby

• Things to do in Kristianstad
• Things to do in Ahus
• Things to do in Skåne