St Olof's Holm

Gotland · Schweden · Natural site

Pilgrims came by sea to the saint's spring to drink themselves well — here Olaf the Holy came ashore in 1029 and christened Gotland.

The peninsula in Hellvi parish was once called Akergarn, and it became Gotland's own place of healing. According to the Gutasaga, King Olaf Haraldsson of Norway put in here in 1029 on his way east, and it was at Akergarn that Gotland is said to have been christianised. After his death as a saint the headland became a place of pilgrimage: a chapel was raised on the landing place, and pilgrims came by sea to drink from the spring and seek a cure for their illnesses. Parts of the saint's chapel masonry are today built into a warehouse on the site. Then came industry. The Gullandske Compagnie, owned by the Danish crown, established Gotland's first large lime kiln here in the early 1600s, and lime-burning and quarrying went on in phases right up to 1953. What remains is the quarry, the harbour, the shingle beach and a saint's headland whose last pilgrims were stonecutters.

FAQ

Wo befindet sich St Olof's Holm?

St Olof's Holm liegt in Gotland, Schweden.