Ekstakusten, Naturreservat

In the fall, when the wind blows and high waves crash on the shore, the Oak Coast can feel inhospitable. But on a balmy summer evening, as the sun sinks behind the Karlsöarna islands, you realize that you have Gotland's most amazing view in front of you.
The reserve covers an approximately four-kilometer section of the Oak Coast, stretching from Tomsarve Mill and Skansudd south to Hammarudd. The entire stretch of coast is characterized by beautifully formed embankments of gravel and stone.

The coastal part of the reserve is poor in vegetation. The only things that grow here are drought-resistant grasses and herbs such as sheep's fescue, creeping thyme, yellow poppy, yellow buttercup, cat's foot, creeping thistle, carpet thistle and blue alder, as well as lichens and mosses. In sandier areas, sand reed, sand lettuce, beach vetch, saltwort and marsh violet occur. Immediately north of Kronvall's fishing village there is a small stand of the protected plant bog myrtle.

Further in from the sea, there is a low-growing beach forest, where the outermost pine and spruce trees are heavily chastened by wind and salt spray and seem to crawl along the ground.

In the central part of the reserve is Kronvall, a fishing village that in earlier times was much larger than it is today. According to legend, it was at Kronvall that the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag and his army landed on 22 July 1361. Skansudd is named after the redoubt located here. The defense facility, which was built in 1712-1713, consists of an approximately 130 meter long, 4-6 meter wide and 1-1.5 meter high rampart of gravel and sand.