Paviken is a lake in Västergarn on the western side of the island of Gotland. 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 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 Germ ...

, 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 ...

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