Halltorps Estate

Halltorp is one of the earliest manor houses on the island of Öland, Sweden, dating from the 11th century AD. In early documents it is known as Hauldtorp, and it is cited as one of the early Viking settlements of Öland. In earlier times it has functioned as a royal farm associated with the Swedish Crown and was considered one of the finest hunting preserves on the island. There is a relict oak forest on the present grounds which contains numerous trees that are centuries old. Halltorp is in an area rich in history and biodiversity, and most of the island of Öland has been designated as a World Heritage Site. The site is adjacent to the perimeter highway, Route 136.

Only Borgholm and Ottenby are documented in early writings to have been Viking settlements along with Halltorp, although archaeological records show evidence of Vikings at a number of other locations on Öland: namely, Gettlinge, Alby and Hulterstad. A manor house is thought to have existed here since at least the Late Middle Ages. In the 17th century Halltorp was integrated to the royal Borgholm estate, where Borgholm Castle is situated about seven kilometers to the north. The extensive forest area west of Halltorp Manor house ran all the way to Kalmar Strait. The kings of the House of Vasa used this woodland area as one of their prime hunting preserves. Also on site is a great European hornbeam forest, one of the largest within Sweden, that is documented to derive from at least as early as the 17th century.

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