Inside the castle grounds, time seems perpetually frozen: massive stone archways tower overhead and crumbling stairways climb ever higher toward the heavens. Though once the home of an army of builders, servants and soldiers, in recent years an avian metropolis has taken up residence within the castle ruins. Pigeons, seagulls, and a myriad of other species fluttered overhead, oblivious to our wide-eyed wonderment at the sheer size – and emptiness – of the place.

The walk to the castle from Borgholm, with its tree-lined trails, grassy fields, fern-covered forests and stone steps, is more than slightly suggestive of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. While Hollywood hasn’t come calling yet, the area did serve as the setting for Roxette’s 1989 hit music videos “Listen to Your Heart” and “Dangerous,” and each year plays host to numerous concerts and other events such as renaissance fairs and jousting tournaments.

A pleasant tour of the castle and a leisurely stroll through the fairytale-esque woods (alas, our search for the gingerbread cottage from Hansel and Gretel, or any other places from the Brothers Grimm’s stories, proved unsuccessful) brought us back in time to catch a bit of late afternoon sun. Borgholm escaped the brunt of the fighting that lasted for about 700 years between the Danes and the Swedes, and today sells understated Swedish chic to visitors.

“Öland is the most beautiful place in all of Sweden,” said Gunilla Karlsson, a Borgholm resident who lived near Stockholm before moving to the island in 2002. “Many Swedes come here in the summer, but a lot of foreigners don’t know what’s here. Unless it’s the summer, it’s not common to find congestion.”

But those looking for congestion should hit the dance floor at Breeze, a flashpoint of youthful exuberance inside Harry’s Bar across the street from the town’s main bus station (which consists of a bench and a small gift shop that’s only open on weekdays). This spacious club offers various scenes from civilized cocktailing to frat-party rowdy. The patio was a roiling sea of shoulder-length blond hair, spilling drinks, and young women being picked up (literally).

Most of the men wore tiny polo shirts that looked as if they’d been sewn on to their buff torsos. The women wore breezy backless linen dresses that might not have been sewn at all. It was like an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog brought to life and fueled by Absolut.

Tranquility was restored around 1 a.m. as the Swedish night worked its magic. A half-moon hung low on the horizon to the south, while up north; the flame-colored sky showed that the sun had no intention of saying goodnight.

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