Sydostleden - South east Sweden bike route

SYD OST LEDEN VÄXJÖ TI N G S RYD K A R LS H A MN O L O F S T R Ö M S Ö LV E S B O R G B R O M Ö L L A K R I S T I A N S TAD B RÖSAR P SI MRISH A M N

THE SYDOSTLEDEN

CONTENTS

Welcome to the Sydostleden, the 270 km long cycle route between Växjö and Simrishamn!

General description of the nature Height differences Trails of southern Sweden The Sydostleden in pictures Key to signs Map overview Växjö with street map Växjö – Ingelstad with map of the section Ingelstad – Väckelsång – Kvarnamåla with map of the section Kvarnamåla – Tingsryd – Urshult with map of the section Tingsryd with street map Urshult – Fridafors with map of the section Fridafors – Åkeholm with map of the section Åkeholm – Karlshamn with map of the section Karlshamn with street map Karlshamn – Asarum – Mörrum with map of the section Mörrum – Norje with map of the section Norje – Sölvesborg – Valje (Bromölla) with map of the section Sölvesborg with street map Valje – Smugglarrundan – Fjälkinge with map of the section Banvallsleden till Olofström with street map Bromölla/Smugglarrundan with street map Fjälkinge – Kristianstad – Viby with map of the section Kristianstad with street map Viby – Södra Äspet i Åhus with map of the section Åhus with street map Södra Äspet i Åhus – Rigeleje with map of the section Rigeleje – Maglehem – Brösarp with map of the section Brösarp with street map Brösarp – Andrarum – Vitaby with map of the section Vitaby – Kivik with map of the section Kivik – Simrishamn with map of the section Simrishamn with street map Pilgrim on two wheels Information/tourist offices

On the route you will become acquainted with the forests and lakes of Kronoberg, the coast and sea in Blekinge as well as the plains and sandy beaches of Skåne. You will ride through forest, farmland, villages and towns.

The Sydostleden is an easily accessible and traffic safe cycle route that is packed with cultural experiences and stunning nature.

It consists largely of traffic-free cycle paths. Long stretches are paved and the entire route is marked with red and white signs.

Follow them and you won’t go wrong.

Start in Växjo, Simrishamn or anywhere along the Sydostleden Cycle the entire route in one go, or do one stage at a time.

Make detours onto local cycle routes. The choice is yours!

Some of Sydostleden’s sections already existed and have now been joined together by newly built cycle paths to form a continuous route In Sweden, the Sydostleden is recognised as the country’s second national cycling route. This means that it meets the Swedish Transport Administration’s criteria.

Tyres properly inflated? Helmet on? Let’s go!

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THE SYDOSTLEDEN – GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURE YOU WILL ENCOUNTER ON THE ROUTE A 270 km national tourist cycle route in southern Sweden that takes you through a landscape rich in nature!

The route of the Sydostleden through the three regions of Småland, Blekinge and Skåne takes you through different natural landscapes. In the north it is forests, lakes and meadows that dominate the landscape. Here there is plenty of room for everyone to find peace and quiet and it is an environment that attracts visitors from Europe’s more densely populated areas.

As the landscape starts to become more open you will cycle close to the waters of the River Mörrumsån. As you get further south, the sea is never far away. The Blekinge Archipelago is surrounded by cliffs and islands, while on the eastern sections and in Skåne you cycle past sandy beaches and the open sea.

The open agricultural landscape of the Kristianstad Plain merges into the southern sections in Österlen, where the farmland becomes more undulating and hilly.

As a cyclist you experience these changes in the landscape gradually as you follow the Sydostleden. The following areas and attractions can, however, enhance your experience:

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1. Destination Åsnen, a lake south of Växjö with a unique freshwater archipelago that within a few years will become Sweden’s next national park. www.visitasnen.se Photographer Hans Runesson.

2. Kronolaxfisket in Mörrum with the Salmon House that attracts anglers from all over the world for salmon and trout fishing in the waters of the River Mörrumsån. www.morrum.com

4. Kristianstad Vattenriket Biosphere Reserve with many sights that are worth seeing. The gateway to the Vattenriket is the Visitor Centre in central Kristianstad. www.kristianstadsvattenrike.se

3. The Blekinge Archipelago Biosphere Reserve with its cliffs and numerous islands. The Sydostleden meets the Blekinge Archipelago in Karlshamn. www.blekingearkipelag.se

5. Stenshuvud National Park.

Coastal mountains, broadleaved forest and beautiful beaches all come together in the magnificent landscape of Österlen in Skåne. www.stenshuvud.se

Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

Photographer Line Persson.

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ARE THERE CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES IN HEIGHT ALONG THE SYDOSTLEDEN? No, the Sydostleden is easy cycling for the majority of people.

But everything is of course relative, and if we compare Sweden with the Netherlands, the route is more hilly and varied in height, especially in the southern regions, where there are some sections with climbs of about 50-75 m.

We make an attempt to describe the route from north to south: The highest point on the Sydostleden is the water tower (the Echo Temple) at around 200 metres above sea level, just south of Växjö (page 14). Thereafter it goes slowly but surely downhill. The height difference per km, 200 m of height per approx 100 km, is small and therefore the difference to Karlshamn (page 28) and the sea is hardly noticeable. This applies both from north to south and vice versa.

The stretch from Karlshamn via Sölvesborg (page 36), Kristianstad (page 46), Åhus (page 50) and south to Juleboda (page 53), is almost at sea level with no major differences in height. In Kristianstad the cycle route passes Sweden’s lowest point at 2.41 metres below sea level.

Between Juleboda and Maglehem (page 54) there is a height difference of approx 40 m, which from north to south can be experienced as being slightly more hard work.

On the Vitaby - Kivik section (page 60) the peak height is about 120 m above sea level, which means that if you are coming from Kivik, near the sea and cycling to Vitaby, the ”summit” is more difficult to reach.

South of Kivik the route crosses a plateau about 90 m above sea level, which requires a climb up on to it from both the north and south because the start/destination point of Simrishamn (page 64)

is close to sea level.

Lake Tiken in Tingsryd. Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

TRAILS OF SOUTHERN SWEDEN A digital platform for information and planning for your cycle trip The Sydostleden has together with the Kattegattleden, Hallandsleden, Skåneleden and Tourism in Skåne, developed a common digital platform for routes in southern Sweden. On Trails of Southern Sweden, you can get information and inspiration for those routes.

The digital platform is a smart planning tool that includes map functions for preparing your cycle trip on the Sydostleden according to your preferences. You can explore the accommodation options, where to eat, drink coffee, nice picnic areas, public toilets and other things to make your trip easier.

Trails of southern Sweden finns även som app för Android och iOS Trails of Southern Sweden is also available www.trailsofsouthernsweden.com as an app for Android and iOS www.trailsofsouthernsweden.com

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KEY TO SIGNS Car-free, paved Car-free, unpaved Among traffic, paved Among traffic, unpaved Car-free, paved (Banvallsleden to Olofström – Bromölla/Smugglarrundan) Car-free, unpaved (Banvallsleden to Olofström – Bromölla/Smugglarrundan) Sight worth seeing Area with street map

Pharmacy Bathing area Cash machine Bed&Breakfast Bus station Café Camping Cycle service Cycle pump Cycle hire Hotel Railway station Groceries Map production: Kartprojekt AB, Mörrum Base mapping: Lantmäteriet

Restaurant Nature reserve Police Rest area Health centre Cottages Off license Toilet Tourist information Viewpoint Hostel Be careful

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Växjö Cathedral. Photographer Mats Samuelsson.

VÄXJÖ In Växjö, the northernmost point on the Sydostleden, the towers of the Cathedral stick up like two exclamation marks. Växjö is a city that takes you by surprise. In this city with a pulse you will find everything from shopping and entertainment to cosy streets, cobblestones and red painted cottages. Växjö was granted city status in 1342 and today has around 90,000 inhabitants.

When Carl Linnaeus attended school in Växjö, he was known as ”Little Botanicus”. Linnaeus, the King of Flowers, would certainly have liked the current ambition of Växjö to be the greenest city in Europe.

The nature and parks stand out among the cityscape, especially the Linnaeus Park. In the Culture Park you will find the Swedish Glass Museum and the House of Emigrants, while for youngsters there is a skate and parkour park at the heart of the city.

Food City Växjö has several White Guide praised and KRAV-certified restaurants. PM & Vänner received a Michelin star in 2016. Raw ingredients from the meadows, forests and lakes in the area are used to create dishes that taste of Småland.

Don’t miss • The cathedral dating from the twelfth century with the Cathedral Centre www.svenskakyrkanivaxjo.se. 1 • Culture and museum park with the Swedish Glass Museum and House of Emigrants www.kulturparkensmaland.se. 2 • Cycle around Växjo, approx 45 km – Cultural and natural landscapes on the outskirts of Europe’s greenest city. www.vaxjo.se.

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.vaxjoco.se

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The water tower in Växjö. Photographer Hanna Lindmark.

VÄXJÖ – INGELSTAD The start and finish for the Sydostleden in Växjö is the travel centre (train and bus station). The route’s red and white signs guide you between Lake Växjö and Lake Trummen, through the campus of the Linnaeus University.

The Linnaeus Garden, designed by Ulf Nordfjell, received a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show. Here you will also find Teleborg Castle with its towers and spires redolent of a medieval fairy tale castle. The castle was built around the turn of the twentieth century by a count as a romantic gift to his young wife. When you get to the Echo Temple, Växjö’s water tower, you have reached the highest point on the Sydostleden at 203 metres above sea level. Stand beneath the arch of the water tower and say a word or clap your hands and you will experience an unusual echo phenomenon.

Between the larger towns and villages you will cycle through magical Småland forest. Among trees and moss, grow blueberries, cranberries and mushrooms, and you may also see a moose or deer.

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The Linneaus Garden at Lake Trummen in Växjo. www.vaxjo.se. 3 Hear a pin drop in the Echo Temple at Växjö water tower, which at 203 metres above sea level is the highest point on the Sydostleden. 4 A scenic stretch with a bathing spot in Lake Torsjön north of Ingelstad. 5 Inglinge Mound, which is part of an Iron Age burial ground. 6

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc www.vaxjoco.se

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Inglinge Hög. Photographer Mats Samuelsson.

INGELSTAD – VÄCKELSÅNG – KVARNAMÅLA Several stretches of the Sydostleden are on old railway lines.

The railways closed a long time ago but the station buildings, lengthsman’s cottages and bridges remain as reminders of the railway era. Ingelstadsgatan and Kvarnamåla were two of the stations along the narrow gauge Växjö-Tingsryd Railway, which opened in 1897.

Time to make a stop? In Ingelstad the route runs alongside Lake Torsjön, so all you need to do is jump off the bike and into the water at any one of the lake’s bathing spots. The Solviken guest house, with its veranda, medallion wallpaper and antique furniture, is like something from a 1930s film.

First, second, third, sold! There are still auction houses that hold traditional style auctions. In Kvarnamåla, just south of the pleasant locality of Väckelsång, auctions are held on Sundays virtually every week of the year. Moving a chandelier on a bike is difficult, but hot dogs make good cycling food.

Don’t miss • The church and old homestead museum in Väckelsång. www.vackelsang.se. 7 • Kvarnamåla station on the old Växjö-Tingsryd-Bredåkra railway. www.cyklabanvall.nu.

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.ingelstadkronoberg.se

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Urshult hotell. Photographer Urshult hotell.

KVARNAMÅLA – TINGSRYD – URSHULT The lakes are close together in this part of Kronoberg County. In Tingsryd alone there are over 200 lakes and waterways. Between Väckelsång-Tingsryd you will see the Lakes Fiskestad, Hyllen and Ygden. In Urshult you arrive at the southern tip of Lake Åsnen, the largest lake in the county. The Lake Åsnen archipelago is popular for fishing, canoeing and bird watching. Just taking a break on a bridge with your feet in the water can be enough to give weary cyclists some more energy.

Around Urshult the fruit trees in meadows and long stone walls and paths create a special atmosphere, especially during the spring when the flowers come out. Meadow orchards have been here for hundreds of years and are unique to the district.

Urshult Bakery is a brand that has been around since 1903 and now the craftsmanship is complemented by modern technology, all under the same roof. The bakery also has a shop. Organic seeded roll or chocolate pastry? Take both, you’ll burn the calories on the next stage.

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There are many opportunities to discover the area via various cycle routes. www.visittingsryd.se.

Bredaslätt handicrafts and flea market. 8 Urshult on the shore of Lake Åsnen is an important part of www.destinationasnen.se.

Historic and charming Urshult Hotel, a Bed and Breakfast, which is also a special attraction. 9

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc www.visittingsryd.se

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Photographer Alexander Mahmoud.

TINGSRYD Tingsryd is the centre of an area with a strong tradition of horse racing.

Here you will find breeders and others involved in the sport, working in a variety of equestrian disciplines. Tingsryd also has a horse & sports facility with Northern Europe’s only 10 km track for trotting.

On Storgatan, in the centre of the Tingsryd, you will find a 5,000 square metre department store. Börjes is a local, family-owned business that started on a modest scale in 1944. In a separate shop is Börjes Equestrian, which is well known in equestrian circles, and which also has branches in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. Another venerable Tingsryd company is Orthex Sweden (formerly known as Hammarplast), which in its summer shop sells colourful plastic items for home and garden use.

Tingsryd Resort is a holiday resort on the north shore of Lake Tiken. Many people associate Tingsryd with ice hockey and Tingsryds AIF play in the Hockeyallsvenskan, the second tier of ice hockey in Sweden.

Don’t miss • Bathing and activities at the Mårdslyck beach and Tingsryd resort.

• Refreshments at the well-known Café Hyllan in the Börjes department store. 11

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visittingsryd.se

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Blidingsholm. Photographer Kent Svensson.

URSHULT – FRIDAFORS Stop for a while in Blidingsholm and admire one of Småland’s longest and most beautiful stone bridges where the Sydostleden crosses the River Mörrumsån. The bridge, which is 70 metres long and has eight arches, was built in the early nineteenth century and was used for traffic up until the 1950s.

The River Mörrumsån flows out of Lake Åsnen towards Fridafors, Svängsta and then Mörrum before it runs into Pukavik Bay west of Karlshamn. The river’s rapids and falls were used in the past to provide power for mills, sawmills and industry. Along the river you will see ruins and abandoned buildings, but also old works that are given a new lease of life by new business activities Fridafors had a paper mill for over a hundred years, until 1999. The mill specialised in paper for packaging.

The entire stretch between Norraryd and Karlshamn follows an embankment that was once part of the Karlshamn-Vislanda Railway.

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The bridges over the River Mörrumsån in Blidingsholm.

Here we also meet the Värendsleden canoe trail. 12 Water activities at Norraryds Camping. 13 In Lake Hönshyltefjorden you will see the rock painted like a shark, which has become a symbol for Ryd. 14

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visittingsryd.se

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Ebbamåla mill. Photo Olofström Kommun.

FRIDAFORS – ÅKEHOLM The county boundary between Kronoberg and Blekinge, south of Fridafors was, up until 1658, the national border between Sweden and Denmark. Hovmansbygd has a preserved industrial landscape with factory buildings, railway embankments, dams and canals. Here, among other things there was a wool factory, an engine shed and a factory that made the black pigment carbon black.

On the other side of the river you will see Ebbamåla Works, which lie in the municipality of Olofström. The bridge takes you over to the works. Ebbamåla mill with its workshops, hydroelectric generation, workers’ barracks and engineer’s villa, is an intact industrial environment from the period 1850-1950. It is probably the best preserved engineering industry site in Europe, a living industrial monument and tourist attraction.

Between Hovmansbygd and Hemsjö you cycle through the Käringahejans nature reserve, a wilderness with steep slopes that run down to the River Mörrumsån.

Don’t miss • Fridafors Leisure Centre, which marks the border between Småland and Blekinge. 15 • Ebbamåla mill One of Europe’s best preserved engineering industry sites from the industrial revolution. Now a preserved visitor attraction. www.ebbamalabruk.se. 16 • See the well preserved station at Hovmansbygd on the old Karls hamn-Vislanda-Bolmen railway line www.kvbj.se. 17

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitolofstrom.se

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Blekinge Exotic World. Photo Blekinge Exotiska Värld.

ÅKEHOLM – K ARLSHAMN The large brick building you see right next to the river in Åkeholm was a textile factory that provided jobs for many women in the area.

Interested in fishing? Then make sure you do not miss the Abu museum in Svängsta. It tells the story of the Abu factory, which stopped manufacturing watches and taxi meters to instead concentrate on fishing equipment. The first spinning reel, Record, was a success and ABU’s little red precision engineering marvel, the Ambassadeur 5000 took the angling world by astonishment when it was launched in 1952.

At Svangsta the landscape changes character from woodland to open countryside. The countryside along the coast is the lowest stage in Blekinge. In Strömma near Karlshamn is the Kreativum Science Centre with its tricky experiment stations and Megadome Cinema.

It is a place for the curious of all ages. Adjacent to it is Blekinge Exotic World with a variety of animals.

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Enjoy the proximity to the River Mörrumsån with its flowing water and nature.

Make a stop in the historically interesting Svängsta, where among other things you will find the Abu Museum www.svängstainfo.com. 18 On the way in to Karlshamn the whole family can experience both the Kreativum Science Centre and Blekinge Exotic World. 19

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitkarlshamn.se

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Karlshamn. Photo Karlshamns kommun.

KARLSHAMN It was in Karlshamn that Kristina from Duvemåla and her Karl Oskar (from the novels by Vilhelm Moberg) boarded the brig Charlotta, which took them across the Atlantic to America. The Emigrant Monument in the Harbour Park has been erected in memory of those who emigrated from Sweden.

The port and market town of Karlshamn was founded in 1664. Shipping and trade created prosperity and lavish, magnificent wooden houses were built. One of the merchants’ houses, Skottsbergska, dating from the eighteenth century, is open for visits. In Karlshamn’s Cultural Quarter, you can see how the famous Carlshamn Punch Liqueur was made as well as snuff and cigars. In the harbour there is a maritime museum.

With its location by the sea, Karlshamn is a popular bathing and holiday destination. An open-air baths with exciting new architecture was opened in 2015. From the centre there are boats to the island fortress of Kastellet and the other islands in the archipelago.

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The Cultural Quarter with the Karlshamn Museum, Punch Museum, tobacco barn, the Art Gallery and Skottsbergska Gården. 20 Archipelago boats to the Kastellet fortress and other islands in the archipelago during the summer.

The Emigrant Monument and fisherman’s cottage as well as Gunnar Asplund’s first significant work, the Vägga School. 21 Vägga Harbour with smoke house and restaurant. 22

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitkarlshamn.se

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The River Mörrumsån. Photographer Roger Karlsson.

KARLSHAMN – ASARUM – MÖRRUM Poet and composer Alice Tegnér has given us beloved children’s songs such as Mother’s Little Olle, The Sugar Baker and The Squirrel Sat in the Tree. Karlshamn was her birthplace and Asarum was the inspiration for a summer song. If you cycle slowly, you can experience the singing nightingales, light beeches and delightful foals from the lyrics of the song.

An old, solid stone arch bridge crosses the River Mörrumsån Morrum is the centre of the river’s famous salmon fishery which has been well known since the thirteenth century. Anglers discovered the River Mörrumsån in the 1940s and every year fishermen from all around the world head here. In the Salmon House at Kungsforsen you can learn all about the history of the salmon fishery and the fish in the river.

The old main road through Blekinge went through Mörrum and by the church is a small stretch where the cobblestones still remain. Dark stones mark the centre line. This is how the main roads out in the Swedish countryside looked at the middle of the twentieth century.

Don’t miss • Asarum Church and Rural Life Museum. 23 • Cycling and hiking in the Karlshamn area www.visitkarlshamn.se.

• Mörrum salmon fishery with the exhibition in the Salmon House. www.morrum.com. 24 • Mörrum’s church and stone arch bridge over the River Mörrumsån.

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitkarlshamn.se

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Sweden Rock. Photographer Serny.

MÖRRUM – NORJE Ljungsleds Plant Nursery outside of Mörrum has been in the same family for four generations. Take a stroll among the scent of flowers and buzzing bees and get ideas for your own garden or balcony. How about shopping? Packets of seeds weigh just a few grams and take up very little space in the bike panniers.

From the Sydostleden you can see Stensnäs Manor and the archipelago off of Pukavik with all its skerries and islets. On Magleholme, the largest of them, there was once a fisherman’s cottage. Vadholmen is a bird sanctuary. The Baltic Sea is in front of you and waiting. Fancy a dip? You can choose between the Alholmen and Norje bathing areas.

Gummagården is a working farm in the middle of Norje village with a farm shop selling seasonal vegetables, berries, fruits and flowers. Ripe, freshly picked strawberries straight from the field are an unbeatable summer treat. In Norje you have reached the halfway point on the Sydostleden.

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Cycle the circular cultural tour ”around Vesan”. Sights around the old lake Vesan, which in the 1920s was drained and became Europe’s largest land reclamation project www.norje.net.

Norje seaside resort offers sandy beaches, a jetty, playground and facilities. 26 By the ”Sweden Rock” festival site you have cycled halfway from both the north and south! 27

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitkarlshamn.se, www.visitsolvesborg.se

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The Sölvesborg Bridge. Photographer Joachim Persson.

NORJE – SÖLVESBORG – VALJE – (BROMÖLLA) Alice Cooper, Kiss, Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne. All the greats have played at the Sweden Rock Festival in Norje. For four days in June of each year, 33,000 people from 50 countries gather here in the meadows by the sea to listen to classic rock, hard rock and metal.

The festival site is located just south of Norje Sound.

The 760 metre long Sölvesborg Bridge, which connects Listerlandet with the town, is Europe’s longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge. The bridge was opened in December 2012 and is without competition Sölvesborg’s most photographed visitor attraction. When darkness falls, you can experience the Sölvesborg Bridge’s amazing lighting.

Valje Manor, dating from the 1740s, is a rural idyll in the beech woods outside of Sölvesborg. The estate is private but you can visit the adjacent peninsula. It is a nature reserve and popular picnic spot.

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From Sölvesborg, it is possible to cycle the ”Listerleden” - a 45 km ride on Listerlandet where you can experience the charming fishing villages, smoke houses, restaurants, sandy beaches and various accommodation options.

In Nogersund it is possible to take the archipelago boat to the mythical island of Hanö.

The Sydostleden takes you into the centre of Sölvesborg via the new brid ge, which is Europe’s longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge at 760 metres.

An attraction in itself with its spectacular design and lighting. 28 In Valje the boundary between Blekinge and Skåne is crossed.

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitsolvesborg.se, www.visitbromolla.se

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The Sölvesborg Square. Photographer Serny.

SÖLVESBORG At the head of Sölvesborg Bay, under the protection of the medieval castle, a small town grew with houses, streets, squares, church and harbour. Now only the ruins of the castle remain, but the town lives on and is proud of its heritage. St. Nicolai Church is surrounded by town houses and in the area around the main square you will find shops, restaurants and cafés.

The Four Seasons Park in the harbour has been created by the Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf. The beach promenade with its poetic name is inspired by flower meadows by the sea. Old grain and spirits warehouses on Skeppsbrogatan are now home to an art gallery and museum.

Sölvesborg’s former courthouse from 1921 is well known outside of Sweden as one of the masterpieces of architect Gunnar Asplund.

He also designed interiors and furniture, and everything is preserved.

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Charming town centre with a medieval network of streets, the St. Nicolai Church, art gallery, museum, castle ruins and castle park. 29 The Four Seasons Park by Sölvesborg Bridge. 30 Lister District Courthouse, which was designed by the architect Gunnar Asplund. 31

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitsolvesborg.se

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The tour boat Klacken on Ivösjön. Photographer Tobias Delfin.

VALJE – SMUGGLARRUNDAN – FJÄLKINGE In Valje you cross the boundary between Blekinge and Skåne.

Off of here you will find Skåne’s only archipelago and in Valje and Edenryd you can swim. This peaceful region harbours dark secrets. In earlier times the coast was the haunt of smugglers. In the nineteenth century, fine foreign fabrics were landed and in the 1920s and 1930s, spirit smuggling was rife. At the bridge over the River Skräbeån you will see Nymölla Mill. The river is well known for its whitefish and trout fishing.

In Gualöv’s twelfth century church the Catholic period is tangibly present. The medieval paintings on the walls and arches depict dramatic events in the Bible as well as various saints. One of the church’s treasures is a relic that is over 800 years old.

Maglesten, the large boulder by the route in Bäckaskog, was regarded as the residence of trolls and has given rise to the legend of the Trolle Ljungby drinking horn and musical pipe.

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The Edenrydskusten provides opportunities for hitting the beach and swimming, as well as some great options for both sea and freshwater fishing.

Stop by Gualövs ninth century church with its medieval paintings. 32 Find the Maglesten on the route in to Bäckaskog and read about the legend of the trolls and Trolle Ljungby. 33

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitbromolla.se, www.humleslingan.com

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Holjeån which connects Halen and Ivösjön. Photographer Tobias Delfin.

BANVALLSLEDEN TO OLOFSTRÖM From the Sydostleden you can make a detour on to the Banvallsleden and cycle along an old railway embankment between Sölvesborg and Olofström. The line, which opened in 1901, had Skåne’s only railway tunnel. You cycle through it at Barnakälla.

A long stretch of the Banvallsleden goes through the Bromölla municipality. In Axeltorp you can rent a canoe and paddle out to live a Robinson Crusoe life on an uninhabited island in the Lake Ivösjön archipelago. Between Östafors and Olofström the route follows the River Holjeån. The area around Lake Halen is a nature reserve and there are canoes to rent here as well.

Olofström has been an industrial centre since 1735 when an ironworks was built by the river. The manufacture of car bodies is its modern-day successor. Brocenter Car and Vehicle Museum has one of the world’s foremost collections of Volvo cars. Among all the motor vehicles you will also find some great vintage bicycles.

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Jämshög’s old homestead museum where the lives of the writers Harry Martinson and Edwin Saljes are portrayed. 34 Holje Park with the Olofström Museum, Camera and Clothes Hanger Museum, art gallery and miniature golf, etc. 35 Holje nature reserve in Olofström, has among other things the opportunity to rent a canoe. 36 The car and vehicle museum with one of the world’s foremost collections of Volvo cars. 37

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitolofstrom.se, www.visitbromolla.se

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The stone fountain Scanisaurus, Bromölla. Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

BROMÖLLA/SMUGGLARRUNDAN Smugglarrundan (The Smuggler Tour) is a local cycle route in Bromölla municipality, which forms part of the Sydostleden. If you follow Smugglarrundan into Bromölla, you can visit the fossil exhibition at House of the Sea Dragons. The region has an enormous number of fossils from giant lizards, crocodiles, sharks and other animals that lived in the prehistoric sea 80 million years ago. Fossil hunting trips with a guide can be booked.

The first Swedish toilet was cast in Bromölla in 1936. Kaolin clay found at Ivö at the end of the nineteenth century, became the raw material for the ceramics industry in Bromölla and the Iföverken Industrial Museum tells the history of the factory and works.

The stone fountain Scanisaurus in the square, with two goose-neck lizards basking on a rock, was created by Gunnar Nylund. Big works by famous graffiti artists on the factory’s façades have put Bromölla on the international art map.

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Visit the House of the Sea Dragons or book a fossil hunting trip with a knowledgeable guide. 38 Ask about local hiking and cycling tours to experience the nature and culture around Bromölla.

The IFÖ Works industrial museum and the stone fountain Scanisaurus in the main square in Bromölla. 39

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Events, Sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitbromolla.se, www.humleslingan.com

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The Health Garden. Photographer Sven Persson/swelo.se.

FJÄLKINGE – KRISTIANSTAD – VIBY In Fjälkinge, roads from several directions come together. Fjälkinge was once the main town in the Villands district. In the village there was an inn, courthouse and the county jail with metre thick stone walls. The buildings remain but now have other functions.

Parts of Kristianstad are situated below sea level, and dikes and water pumps protect the city from flooding. Between the centre and Hammarslund you follow a long dike.

Kristianstad is surrounded by a large wetland area with unique nature and in 2005 was designated the Kristianstad Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve by the UN agency UNESCO. Vattenriket has been made accessible in different ways. You can go hiking and cycling on tracks and paths, and ride a safari by boat in Kristianstad Vattenrike. Ekenabben, on a promontory jutting out into Lake Hammar, is one of Vattenriket’s visitor sites quite close to the Sydostleden.

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On this stretch you will experience parts of the Kristianstad Vattenrike biosphere reserve.

Visit the naturum in central Kristianstad www.kristianstadsvattenrike.se. 40 Ride a safari by boat in Kristianstad Vattenrike.

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.kristianstad.se/turism

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The Tivoli Park. Photographer Sven Persson/Swelo.se.

KRISTIANSTAD Kristianstad was founded in 1614 by the Danish King Christian IV. The city was built as a fortress, surrounded by inaccessible wetland. The heart of the city still has a seventeenth century street grid, and traces of the city’s military past are visible around the city centre. Today Kristianstad is a commercial centre with hundreds of shops, a variety of cafés and a wide selection of restaurants.

Holy Trinity Church is Scandinavia’s most beautiful Renaissance church. At Stora Torg you will find the regional museum and the art gallery. In Kristianstad there is also a film museum and railway museum.

Tivoli Park, founded in the nineteenth century, has many rare trees and a wellness garden. In the middle of the city, while at the same time in the middle of nature, is Kristianstad’s newest reason to be proud, the Naturum Vattenriket Visitor Centre. See the exhibition on your own or join a guided tour.

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Kristianstad the commercial centre with its shops, restaurants and cafés etc.

Christian IV’s fortress town Kristianstad with the Holy Trinity Church. 41 The regional museum, film museum, railway museum and art gallery. 42 Request the map with local cycle tours in all directions and with different themes.

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Events, sights, facilities and accommodation etc. www.kristianstad.se/turism

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Hercules reserve. Photographer Kristianstads kommun/Mattias Roos.

VIBY – SOUTHERN ÄSPET IN ÅHUS Look up when you’re in Viby! Then you have the chance to catch sight of some storks. The stork disappeared from the Kristianstad region in the 1930s but now it is back. The Stork Centre in Viby was for many years home to one of the Skåne stork project’s breeding enclosures. Storks that were bred in the breeding enclosure now breed freely on the farm buildings and the old enclosure roof.

Even more bird species can be seen in the meadows of the Håslöv nature reserve as well the Hercules reserve near Viby.

They attract many ornithologists. For those who want to explore the flora and fauna of the coastal meadows, there are hiking routes, observation towers and an open air museum.

Between Kristianstad and Åhus the Sydostleden goes through the larder that is the Kristianstad Plain. Here, flour for crispbread, potatoes for crisps and wheat for Absolut Vodka are grown. Cattle of the Angus breed graze in the fields at Rinkaby. They keep the landscape open and provide a fine pasture beef.

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See free-flying storks on farm buildings in Skåne Viby. 43 Resupply at the Viby farm shop. 43 In the Håslövs Meadows and Hercules nature reserves you can explore the nature of Vattenriket. 44

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.kristianstad.se/turism, www.kristianstadsvattenrike.se

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Street in Åhus. Photographer Kristianstads kommun/Claes Sandén.

ÅHUS Åhus is one of Sweden’s best-preserved medieval towns and has many reminders of the Danish period. Narrow streets lined with picturesque half-timbered houses. By the River Helgeån estuary are the ruins of the castle Aosehus, for which building started in the twelfth century, and the remains of the city wall can still be seen.

All Absolut Vodka sold worldwide is manufactured, bottled and packaged in Åhus. The factory has a long history and the magnificent Spirit Church has been a landmark in the harbour since 1906. Åhus was long known for its three sins: eels, snuff and spirits. The smoking and export of eels, the cultivation of snuff tobacco and the purification of raw spirits were mainstays of business in the area.

Today Åhus is associated with swimming, beach handball and ice cream. Åhus has about 9,500 residents. In summer the population increases sharply, and locals and tourists share the beautiful beaches.

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One of Sweden’s best-preserved medieval cities with the church, half-timbered houses and alleys surrounding the square.

Harbour promenade with an evening pulse and many restaurants. 45 Guided tours at The Absolut Company Experience Centre. 46

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. turism.kristianstad.se/ahus

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Revhaken Ålakusten. Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

SOUTHERN ÄSPET (ÅHUS) – RIGELEJE Hanöbukten’s miles of sandy beaches are known as The Eel Coast.

Eel fishing has supported fishermen for generations and the small huts on the beaches, boats, fishing gear, eel feasts and smoke houses are a unique cultural heritage.

The up to 20 metre high shifting sand dunes make their special mark on the landscape between Åhus and Rigeleje. The pine forest was planted in the nineteenth century to protect against drifting sand.

The oak and beech forests that grew here before, were devastated in the seventeenth century when wood was needed for, among other things, shipbuilding.

Up until 1775 the River Helgeå only flowed by Åhus, but the digging of a dike had incalculable consequences. The river created a new route along the dike and out into the sea south of Lake Yngsjö, at Gropahålet.

Overnight the entire lake system in Kristianstad Vattenrike dropped by 60-70 centimetres. In the Friseboda nature reserve you can cycle right next to the sea.

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The Ålakusten’s many miles of sandy beaches by the Hanö Bay. Cycle access roads to the beach.

Discover the traditional eel fishing, eel huts and eel feasts www.alarv.se/alakusten.

In Yngsjö you can make a detour to Pulken. In the spring thousands of cranes rest here. 47 In the Friseboda nature reserve you can cycle so close to sea and sandy beach that you hear the waves. 48

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. turism.kristianstad.se/ahus

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The old mill Blåherremölla. Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

RIGELEJE – MAGLEHEM – BRÖSARP Beaches with white sun-warmed sand and endless blue sea. The east coast of Skåne is a paradise for swimmers, but swim calmly when you are out in the waves. Respect the warnings for underwater currents!

All the eel huts along the coast have names. Rompeboden at Rigeleje, dating from the eighteenth century, is one of the oldest and most beautiful.

The original huts were open facing the sea and had thatched roofs.

Maglehem is Kristianstad Municipality’s southernmost outpost. If you take a walk in the village you will see typical Skåne ”gatehus” and farmhouses surrounded by buildings. The church has medieval paintings and a baptismal font from the thirteenth century.

Maglehem was one of the stations on the Kristianstad Brösarp railway.

From the cycle path on the embankment at Maglehem you can turn off to Blåherremölla, an old mill in the River Julebodaån valley. At the mill is a café, gallery and mill museum.

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Rompeboden at Rigeleje, is one of the oldest eel huts. 49 Blåherremölla, in the River Julebodaån valley has a gallery, café and mill museum. 50 Local walks around Maglehem are described on the website www.maglehem.com.

From Folkes Torp there are extensive views over Hanö Bay. 51

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.kristianstad.se/turism

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Skånska Järnvägar. Photographer Hanseric Jonsgården.

BRÖSARP Brösarp, amid the hilly landscape, is the northern gateway to Österlen. Please take your time and stay an extra day, the village has much to discover. Café Smulan, with its own bakery, has been the meeting place in Brösarp since the 1950’s. Music with the coffee? Put a coin in the cafés jukebox and enjoy a golden oldie.

Talldungen Farm Hotel, which is also a restaurant, has been mentioned in The New York Times. At the Brösarp Gästgifveri & Spa the Scanian tradition of innkeeping is continued. The inn is well known for its skånska ”äggakaka” (Scanian omelette with hot smoked pork and lingon berries). Brösarps art gallery shows exhibitions by artists with ties to Österlen and Skåne.

During the summer the Skånska Järnvägar heritage line offers a grand and nostalgic experience. You can make a journey on a steam train that chugs along an over 100 year old railway between Brösarp and St. Olaf.

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Brösarp Gästgifveri & Spa offers traditional Scanian innkeeping. 52 Brösarp offers 100 km of hiking routes and running trails.

Take the steam train on the Skånska Järnvägar heritage line between Brösarp station and St Olof. 53

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visittomelilla.se, www.brosarp.se

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Alunbruket. Photographer Claes von Gegerfelt.

BRÖSARP-ANDRARUM-VITABY Brösarp with its gently rounded hills, expansive heathland and winding roads is very special, there is nothing similar anywhere else in Sweden. The route offers beautiful views of the hilly and well conserved natural and cultural landscape.

Christinehofs Ekopark and castle with the Alunbruket (potash alum works) from the eighteenth century, which was one of the country’s largest industries. Today several mounds of burned alum shale remain along with what is left of the last boiler house and several well-preserved buildings. Both Scania’s oldest coffee house, Kaffestugan Alunbruket with B & B, which serves home made delicacies and the Hallamölla waterfall are worth a detour.

Hallamölla waterfall, with its well-preserved mill, is Skåne’s highest waterfall with a total vertical drop of 23 metres. Verkasjön offers fishing (fishing permits can be purchased at Christinehof Castle) and for swimming during the summer months there is the Eljarödsbadet, a heated 25-metre pool.

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Christinehof Ekopark and castle in the Baroque style from the eightenth century offers guided tours, events and activities as well as a castle café and shop. 54 Kaffestugan Alunbruket.

Hallamölla - Skåne’s highest waterfall. 55 Eljaröds Brydestuga which was used for flax dressing - to dry and heckle the flax. Heckling is the crushing of the flax stalks.

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Events, Sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visittomelilla.se

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Kivikshamn. Photographer Hanna Björk.

VITABY – KIVIK High above the Baltic Sea, with expansive views, lies Vitaby church with the village consisting of a small number of farms below the church green. The surrounding area is made up of farmland, pasture and forest. In Vitaby there is also well-stocked country store called Helena’s Hörna. Perfect for preparing a picnic basket.

Kivik is an old fishing village that is still active, which was once one of Sweden’s largest shipping communities. Life on land and at sea, from the Stone Age to the present day, portrayed in the Museum & Archives ”on” Kivik. ”On” Kivik? Yes, you say that about fishing villages here!

Kiviksgraven, Scandinavia’s largest burial mound from the Bronze Age, is a powerful and mysterious ancient monument. The 3,500 year old tomb hides a cist with remarkable, carved images. Just north of Kivik is the small fishing village of Vitemölla with a seaside hotel and lovely bathing beach.

Don’t miss • In Vitaby, Helenas Hörna is a well-stocked country store. 56 • Between Vitaby and Kivik the route is sometimes more than 100 metres above sea level and close to the apple orchards.

• Kiviksgraven. 57 • Kiviks Esperöd Arboretum, Kiviks Musteri (cidery) with the House of Apples and Kiviks Art Centre are some of the local attractions. 58

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitystadosterlen.se

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Kivik. Photographer Sandra Schubert.

KIVIK – SIMRISHAMN Kivik is the village where the apple takes centres stage with the Äppelriket (apple growers cooperative), Kiviks Musteri (cidery) and the apple market. The village has plenty of choice for those that are hungry, such as for example Buhres, KiviksStrand, Kiviks Hotell and the intimate Kiviks Café. At the southern end of the Linderödsåsen ridge, Stenshuvud rises up. Stop and hike up to the top of the mountain.

At Svabesholms Kungsgård there is the English Garden and just south of there you will find Allé, which offers experiences for both the eye and the palate. Mandelmanns Trädgårdar in Rörum grow organic vegetables and are located next to the Rörum hills with the Sträntemölla nature reserve and waterfall.

The Gröna Butiken in Orelund offers fruit, berries and vegetables from their own farm. In Baskemölla, the East Skåne Artist Group exhibits art all year round at the Tjörnedala art gallery. The stretch Kivik-Simrishamn offers a varied and hilly arable landscape.

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The view from the top of Stenshuvud national park is more than worth the climb. 59 The Priest’s Bathtub, a unique volcanic formation south of the fishing village of Vik. 60 Mandelmanns Trädgårdar with their own organic produce and Gröna Butiken in Orelund with fruit, berries and vegetables from their own farm. 61

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Events, sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitystadosterlen.se

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Simrishamn. Photographer Region Skåne/Carolina Romare.

SIMRISHAMN Österlen’s capital dates back to the twelfth century. Picturesque pastel coloured houses with beautifully carved doors, which are typical of the area, line the cobbled streets. Apotekarns Trädgård is a Mediterranean paradise with an open garden and shop.

Scandinavia’s largest winery, the Nordic Sea Winery offers guided tours. Visitors can see how wine is made from the grape to the finished drink. Also visit the Österlen Museum with its local history exhibitions, Autoseum with the Frasse’s & Marianne’s music museum, the merchant courtyards, the Hotel Turistgården rose garden, Rosentorget, the Gösta Werner & Havet art museum and much more.

Shop in the town’s shops and stop for a coffee at one of the many cafés or enjoy good cuisine at one of the restaurants. A lovely bathing beach lies north of the town as well an outdoor pool with heated seawater.

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Take your time to enjoy the buildings of this authentic provincial town including the Rosentorget with its collection of Österlen roses. 62 Österlen Museum, Autoseum, Frasses & Marianne’s music museum. 63 New smokery and fish shop with fresh and locally caught seafood. 64 Visit the tourist office at the Marine Centre for more tips on sights, activities, museums, gardens, restaurants, cafés, swimming and harbour walks, etc. 65

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Events, Sights, facilities, accommodation etc. www.visitystadosterlen.se

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INFORMATION / TOURIST OFFICES

The church in Simrishamn. Photographer Tommy Gustavsson.

Växjö Cathedral. Photographer Mats Samuelsson.

PILGRIM ON TWO WHEELS Traditionally, it is walking pilgrims that one encounters on the pilgrim routes. A Google search shows that it is becoming increasingly common and fashionable to cycle as a pilgrim. When you cycle the Sydostleden, you have great opportunities to stop at the pilgrimage churches between Simrishamn and Växjö.

The eastern sections of the Skåne-Blekinge Pilgrim Way extend from Simrishamn northwards, via Brösarp, Åhus Sölvesborg, Mörrum and Karlshamn etc. to Fridafors. Here on the boundary between Blekinge and Småland (where the Diocese of Lund borders the Diocese of Växjö), the Western Sigfridsleden takes pilgrims north to Växjö via Ryd, Urshult, Väckelsång and Ingelstad.

On the route of the Sydostleden, you will pass some 20 of the pilgrimage churches on these pilgrim routes. Stop and let the churches allow you to experience tranquillity and the opportunity for reflection.

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Pilgrim Way Skåne-Blekinge www.pilgrimsvagen.se

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Western Sigfridsleden, Småland www.visitsmaland.se/pilgrim

Växjö tourist office Residenset, Stortorget 352 33 Växjö Phone: +46 (0) 470 73 32 80 www.vaxjoco.se turism@vaxjo-co.se

Bromölla tourist office Hermansens gata 22 295 31 Bromölla Phone: +46 (0) 456 82 22 22 www.visitbromolla.se turistbyran@bromolla.se

Tingsryd tourist office Skyttegatan 2 362 30 Tingsryd Phone: +46 (0) 477 441 64 www.visittingsryd.se turism@tingsryd.se

Kristianstad tourist office Stora torg 291 32 Kristianstad Phone: +46 (0) 44 13 53 35 www.kristianstad.se/turism touristinfo@kristianstad.se

Olofströms tourist office Östra Storgatan 24 293 34 Olofström Phone: +46 (0) 454 931 00 www.visitolofstrom.se visit@olofstrom.se

Tomelilla tourist office Centralgatan 13 273 30 Tomelilla Phone: + 46 (0) 417 181 10 www.visittomelilla.se turistbyra@tomelilla.se

Karlshamn tourist office Pirgatan 2 374 81 Karlshamn Phone: +46 (0) 454 812 03 www.visitkarlshamn.se turistbyran@karlshamn.se

Simrishamn tourist office Marint Centrum Varvsgatan 2 272 36 Simrishamn Phone: +46 (0) 414 81 98 00 www.visitystadosterlen.se turistbyra@simrishamn.se

Sölvesborg tourist office Repslagaregatan 1 294 34 Sölvesborg Phone: +46 (0) 456 81 60 00 www.visitsolvesborg.se turistbyran@solvesborg.se

Regional tourist offices Småland www.visitsmaland.se Blekinge www.visitblekinge.se Skåne www.visitskane.com

SYDOSTLEDEN South east Sweden bike route GÖTEBORG

VÄXJÖ

KARLSKRONA KÖPENHAMN ODENSE

MALMÖ

SIMRISHAMN

ROSTOCK SWINOUJSCIE

BERLIN