Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [90]
Getting There & Away
The airport (18 10 30) is only 2km east of town. Skyways (0771-95 95 00; www.skyways.se) flies direct to Stockholm Arlanda on weekdays. KLM (08-58 79 97 57; www.klm.com) flies daily to Amsterdam. There’s no airport bus, but taxi company Taxibil (14 60 00) charges around Skr150 for the ride.
Regional and local buses, run by ÖstgötaTrafiken (0771-21 10 10; www.ostgotatrafiken.se), leave from the terminal next to the train station; route maps and timetables are available at the information office.
Journeys cost from Skr20; the 24-hour dygnskort (travel card; adult/under 26 years Skr140/110) is valid on all buses and local trains within the region. Tickets can be purchased at Pressbyrån outlets or at the train station. Tickets purchased on-board vehicles cost an extra Skr20.
Up to five express buses per day go to Vadstena; otherwise change at Motala.
Long-distance buses depart from a terminal 500m northwest of the train station. Swebus Express runs 10 to 12 times daily to Jönköping (Skr158, 1½ hours) and seven to eight times daily to Göteborg (Skr269, four hours), and north to Norrköping (Skr67, 45 minutes) and Stockholm (Skr231, three hours).
Linköping is on the main north–south railway line. Regional and express trains run to Stockholm roughly every hour; express trains go to Malmö. Frequent regional trains run north to Norrköping (Skr80, 25 minutes). Kustpilen SJ trains run every few hours to Norrköping, Nyköping and Kalmar.
Getting Around
Most city buses depart from Centralstationen. For a taxi, ring Taxibil (14 60 00). Bicycle hire is available at Bertil Anderssons Cykel & Motor (31 46 46; Plantensgatan 27).
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BERGS SLUSSAR
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Bergs Slussar, 12km northwest of Linköping, is one of the most scenic sections of the Göta Canal: there are seven locks with a height gain of 19m – very impressive in canal terms! The nearby ruin Vreta kloster, Sweden’s oldest monastery, was founded by Benedictine monks in 1120. While it’s worth a look, the adjacent 13th-century abbey church is admittedly more interesting.
There’s a beautifully located STF Vandrarhem (603 30; bergsslussar@sverige.nu; dm Skr195; May-Aug) near the locks, with a cafe, minigolf and bike hire. You’ll find a couple of cafes and restaurants out this way, including Kanalkrogen (600 76; meals Skr220-245), with a great range of meals.
Buses 521 and 522 run regularly from Linköping.
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VADSTENA
0143 / pop 7540
On Vättern lake, Vadstena is a legacy of both church and state power, and today St Birgitta’s abbey and Gustav Vasa’s castle compete with each other for admiration. The atmosphere in the old town (between Storgatan and the abbey), with its wonderful cobbled lanes, evocative street names and wooden buildings, makes the place a satisfying pit stop.
Information
The tourist office (315 70; www.vadstena.com; 10am-6pm Jul, 10am-6pm Jun & early Aug, 10am-2pm Mon-Fri rest of year) planned to relocate to Rödtornet (Sånggatan) in 2009. Head in for details about town walks and local boat tours. You’ll find banks and other services east of the castle, on Storgatan and around Stora Torget.
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ALL HAIL HULTSFRED
Like a Glastonbury with spruce, the annual Hultsfredsfestivalen (Hultsfred Festival; 0495-695 00, ticket sales 0771-70 70 70; www.rockparty.se; 4-day pass from Skr1390) is one of Sweden’s music fest heavyweights, boasting five stages and acts spanning rock, pop and indie. Past line-ups have included Rage Against The Machine, Baby Shambles and Swedish band The Hives. It’s held over three or four days in mid-June, in small-town Hultsfred, around 20km south of Vimmerby. Most ticket types include access to the festival’s camping area (check website for updates on one-, two- and three-day passes). Trains connect Hultsfred to Linköping (and major cities beyond). For further information, check the festival website.
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Sights
Overlooking the lake, the mighty Renaissance