Kalmarsundsleden Stage KS6 - Hossmo - Vita sand - part of Smålandsleden

This stage takes you from Hossmo village through a landscape rich in cultural history and nature. You pass old station environments, villages with ridge-top cottages, ancient remains and Ljungbyån - an ancient transportation route. Along the way, you will encounter open farmland, coastal meadows and forest groves with a rich bird life. The stage ends at Vita Sand, one of the finest beaches on the Kalmar coast with a shallow sandy beach.

**Hossmo church and village

Kalmar municipality has several old fortress churches. One of them is Hossmo church. It was originally built in the 12th century. The tower was built later. In the 13th century, a second storey was added.

The manor was formed in the 17th century and all the farms in eastern Hossmo were merged into one large farm. In western Hossmo there is only one farm left.

**Hossmo station

Via the cycle path you pass Hossmo station. It still stands next to the embankment that is now a cycle path. A station community with villas on both sides of the railroad was built here in the early 1900s.

After Hossmo comes Binga, where there is a collection of old cottages and semi-detached houses. An old stone bridge leads over Ljungbyån. After the bridge is the farm Stora Binga.

Ljungbyån has been a transportation route since prehistoric times and the river is lined with ancient remains from both the Iron Age and the Middle Ages. The area is said to have been an important trading center. Further downstream the river are large boulders that may have been a barrier for unwelcome ships. This place is called Spakenör.

There have been several industries here in historical times. Dye works, flour mills, sawmills, sugar mills, saltpetre barns for the production of black powder and tanneries have been located along the river. The dye works closed down as late as 1880.

After passing the golf course in Stora Binga, you come to an agricultural landscape with fields and some forest plantations. The trail passes the villages of Ljungbylund and Mellanmon.

Bottorp - Möreleden

This is also the start of the Möreleden trail, which runs together with the Kalmarsundsleden trail to Stuvenäs.

Bottorp consists of three relatively large farms. Two of them are Andragården and Södragården. Storagården is located a little further west out on the plain. This was the seat of the Bagge family during the 1400s.

The area is rich in ancient monuments. Oxhagen, which the trail passes just south of the village, is one example. Here is a burial ground from the early Iron Age.

The coast here consists of extensive coastal meadows that are of national interest for nature conservation due to their rich bird life and flora. The area is therefore a popular destination for local birdwatchers. In addition to large numbers of waders and swimmers along the coastal meadows, both summer wigeon and lapwings have been reported in the area's forest groves.

**From Hagbyhamn to Vita Sand

In older times the place was called Hassehamn. Nowadays Hagbyhamn is a cottage village area. In the past, forest products, seeds, grain and fertilizers were transported from here. The goods were loaded onto barges and taken out to ships moored at Boskär, Hästskär and Själagrundet. At the northern end of the cottage village there are several cairns and some standing stones. The cairns were partly destroyed when the harbor was expanded in the 1840s.

Further south along the beach strip is Rosenius Hage, which is a popular bathing area. Vita sand is a leisure and cottage area. It has one of the finest baths on the Kalmar coast with a shallow sandy beach. There is a campsite and in summer there is also access to a kiosk and toilet.