One of the most mythical places in the whole of southern Sweden is Ale’s stones, which is located on a hill in the south-eastern corner of the province of Skåne, a few Swedish miles east of Ystad. It is a well-chosen spot because it can be seen from the sea for several miles.
Ales stones is a ship formation consisting of 59 upright stones in granite and sandstone
The formation thus resembles a giant ship, there is a bow and a stern and in the middle, near the bow, there is a stone that lies down and is called the "altar stone".
Together with Uppsala mounds in Old Uppsala, Anundshög outside Västerås and a few other places around Sweden, Ale's stones form a monument of monumental importance. Every year, thousands and thousands of people make the pilgrimage to see this unique sight.
But when was Ale Stones built and why?
Ale's stones thus consist of 59 stones and it is the largest ship's set in Sweden. From the beginning - some researchers believe - there were 60 stones in the formation, but one of them may have disappeared.
All the stones stand at a height of 37 meters above sea level and 50 meters from the slope down to the sea. The setting is 70 meters long and at its widest point it is 19 meters wide
Some stones are sandstone while others are granite. The sandstone blocks come from the Österlen area (eastern Skåne), while the stones made of granite probably come from further north, Småland, Blekinge or northern Skåne and have been shipped here.
There have been various theories why Ale stones was built.
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