Paviken is a lake in

Västergarn Västergarn is a populated area, a socken (not to be confused with parish), on the Swedish island of Gotland. It comprises the same area as the administrative Västergarn District, established on 1January 2016. Geography Västergarn is the nam ...

on the western side of the island of

Gotland Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...

. The lake is a popular birding and fishing site. The lake is drained by the river Idå. The lake and its surroundings form a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

which is more populated by birds than any other reserve on the island. In 1994, the reserve was designated a

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

area. During spring and autumn it is a stop-over site for migratory birds, a total of 240 species has been observed in the area. The lake offers fishing principally for perch and pike. During the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...

, Paviken was a sheltered bay and cove connected to the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

by a narrow strait. It formed a natural harbour which was improved by

jetties A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...

. These were built during the 8th century and were used for about 300 years until the harbour became too shallow. Subsequently, the harbour and commercial activity were moved to nearby Västergarn harbor. Dating from the early 1960s, archaeological investigations have found remains of port facilities, buildings and burial grounds.

References

Viking Age populated places Gotland Geography of Gotland County Lakes of Gotland County Tourist attractions in Gotland County Nature reserves in Sweden Natura 2000 in Sweden {{Sweden-geo-stub