Ölands Gokartcenter

In Borgholm, on the island of Öland, Ölands Gokartcenter welcomes the whole family to its outdoor track, at the wheel of modern Swedish-made karts. The venue offers four categories, from the minibus for toddlers from age four to the two-seater kart, by way of child and adult models, which opens the activity to every generation. You drive outdoors, in the summer mood of the sunniest of Sweden's islands.

Karting stays open to everyone, no licence or experience needed: a briefing, a helmet, and off you go chasing your best lap. The venue offers drop-in and group bookings, with lap timing that keeps the rivalry going, the season's best time standing as the mark to beat. The format suits families on holiday as well as groups of friends, and people happily return to shave off a few tenths. As the activity follows the tourist season, it is best to check the hours before coming.

Borgholm is the main town of Öland, overlooked by the imposing ruins of its castle, one of the largest of its kind in Scandinavia, and close to the royal summer residence of Solliden and its gardens. The island, linked to the mainland by a bridge of more than six kilometres from Kalmar, charms with its beaches, its windmills and the Stora Alvaret, a vast limestone steppe listed by UNESCO. A hugely popular summer destination for Swedes, Öland lends itself perfectly to a karting outing between two swims.