Best of Magasin Visit Östergötland, English

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WITH NATURE ARCHIPELAGO MAGIC WALK LIKE A PILGRIM BACK TO THE FUTURE

Pick and choose – year round Imagine your house set in the greenery with Göta Canal close to your garden boundary, just 15 kilometres as the crow flies from a city with shopping, cafés, restaurants, rich culture and a choice of events. On the other side of the fence, cows and horses graze, and within cycling distance, several farms and shops sell locally produced vegetables, fruit and other produce that deserve a place on the dining table. That’s what it’s like for most of us who live in Östergötland.

Hike along Östgötaleden Hiking Trail in the morning and enjoy a performance at Östgötateatern Theatre in the evening, or start the day with a salt-sprayed paddle and end by gliding in a rowing boat on a quiet lake and take home your own freshly caught fish. In Östergötland you decide what your personal experience should be like: climb Omberg Mountain, treat yourself to a retreat at Birgittasystrarna, see world performers at the Bråvalla Festival or enjoy an opera staged at the International Vadstena Academy. Take Grandma to look at the tigers at Kolmården Wildlife Park and the ferry to Vikbolandet to visit a farm where you can cuddle cats and pigs. Experience history at the Swedish Air Force Museum, or learn about the personalities from the region in the displays at our community centres. The future? That can be found at Visualiseringscenter C. Would you like to experience all this? Come by plane, car, bus or cycle. Our door is always open.

Susanne H. Fredriksson is the director of tourism in Östergötland. She’s thrilled about the changing of the seasons in general and the new Visit Östergötland website in particular.

A warm welcome!

Susanne H. Fredriksson, editor-in-Chief and publisher

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Contributors Magasin Visit Östergötland is published by Visit Östergötland, part of Region Östergötland, Drottninggatan 26, 602 24 Norrköping. Tel, +46 10-103 00 00. www.visitostergotland.se, info@visitostergotland.se Publisher: Susanne H. Fredriksson.

Editor: Albin Wiberg, FranzénWiberg text & form.

Editorial: Kristian Kårdal and Susanne H. Fredriksson Visit Östergötland.

Design: Kristina Franzén, FranzénWiberg text & form.

Cover: Mikael Svensson/Johnér.

Print: Larsson Offsettryck AB, Linköping, 2016.

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One with nature

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t’s raining. The drops fall gently on the trees’ foliage with a quiet patter, forming a graceful filter, lightyears from Instagram. A deep breath of fresh, unmistakeable Swedish nature. Or virgin nature if you like.

It is 14 years since Ulrika Krynitz and Håkan Strotz lopped the first pine on their journey to completing their environmentally friendly mammoth project Urnatur Wood Hermitage, which opened seven years ago. Two pioneers in eco-tourism then, living yardsticks in the steadily growing international industry today.

So, it was no surprise that they raked in the Grand Travel Award’s Eco-Tourism prize 2012 or that the German giant Der Spiegel ranks Urnatur as one of Sweden’s coolest green destinations. Rather, it’s just another two confirmations that the time is right for the couple’s genuine life philosophy and business concept. Everyone is happy. And soon Ulrika and Håkan will be too.

Håkan only has time to say a quick hello before heading off to Stockholm where he is partaking in an event on green tourism at the Central Station.

“I prefer to be here on the farm, but sometimes I have to go out among people,” he says with a slightly self-deprecating laugh.

IT’S ALL TOO EASY to think that Håkan Strotz and Ulrika Krynitz are your typical reactionary counterurbanisers. A misconception that couldn’t be more wrong. At Urnatur, it’s full speed ahead. Here, you are met by the future, not the past, with nature as an obvious hub of the activity, and of the whole existence.

“We are not very good at self-praise. We received an award in Germany as one of the 100 best hotels in Europe, and as one of the 10 best in our category. They sent a certificate that we could put up, but I’m not sure we want to publicise it. People who find their way here can make up their own minds. We don’t talk a lot about everything being ecologically sustainable and locally produced; to us it goes without saying. But there has been a big change. Five years ago we were seen as a bit odd and strange, and people wondered how our ‘Stone Age village’ was going, but now, everyone who has some awareness agrees that climate change is a serious problem that we must deal with.”

Håkan is the extrovert forest officer, nature school teacher, ideas man and very practical person who is happy to start new and seemingly impossible projects, and Ulrika the e

Håkan Strotz and Ulrika Krynitz at the sheeps barn near their home in Sjögetorp outside Ödeshög.

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biologist, artist, visionary and realist. Well, to tell the truth it is a bit of everything, of both, perfect symbiosis that is in its element: Holaved Forest, a few kilometres outside Ödeshög.

It’s time to try Ulrika’s culinary skills. We crouch through the low door of the food cottage. Behind a curtain, we hear clattering, spluttering and chatting. This evening, Ulrika enjoys the help of daughter Siri who recently finished upper secondary school and has worked on the farm since then, apart from a stay in Berlin.

The fire in the fireplace warms us and dries the wet clothes on our backs. The candle flames flicker in the natural draught and spread light in the darkness. Soon, Siri comes in with a tall carafe with water that she places in the centre of the table.

“Help yourselves, birch sap!”

Well, what else. We pour ourselves a glass each and try it.

The fresh, slightly sweet taste is not bad at all. In a blindfold test, we may have mistaken it for sugared water, but the mere knowledge that every drop has been extracted from an incision in a birch tree makes us drink with dignity and moderation. A little later we finally get to find out what has been hiding behind the smells that have whetted our appetites behind the kitchen curtain. We are served lamb mince steaks from the farm on generous plates with wild garlic butter and a glorious mix of beetroot, Jerusalem artichoke,

Every inch (almost) of Urnatur is hand made by Håkan Strotz. It took 11 years to finish the eremitage.

mushrooms and sunflower seeds. And, with that, a bottle of Raccolto Cabernet Sauvignon. Organic of course.

The flavours are fantastic: rustic, home-made, healthy, with a mix of spices that brings out the natural flavours. The atmosphere naturally adds to it. For dessert, we are served lovely soft panna cotta with stewed fruit. A perfect end to dinner.

ULRIKA COMES and joins us. We start to talk about the philosophy behind Urnatur’s wood hermitage.

“It took a while for the concept to spread and to get people to understand what we were working on and for. The idea is for the business to be based on the farm and to use what the farm offers. We only serve our own lamb and, as far as possible, our home-grown vegetables and herbs, and our own eggs. We do of course supplement this, but the farm is the basis.

“We are very interested in nature conservation and biological diversity, and by living off a farm and on it – one that is today considered too small to live off – we are making a contribution to both these interests. And thanks to this, we have created an environment that attracts guests from the whole world and, at best, we may influence them to think a little about how we live and how we manage our resources in today’s society. It is a win-win situation.”

Where do your guests come from?

From all over Sweden and the whole world, though our international guests are mostly from the USA, Switzerland and Germany. Some only stay a few days.

What do you think then?

It’s cool, and at the same time it’s two-fold. If you work with eco-tourism, the environmental aspects are two-fold when it comes to guests who have come a long way. But often they come to Sweden for some other reason, and they have read about us and try to combine it.

No offence, but what do your guests do when they are here?

Well, that is the crux, and the beauty. There are a lot of exciting places to visit nearby, but our guests just want to stay here. And I suppose that is what we suggest on the homepage, that people can just come here and just be, land and discover the surroundings. You miss such a lot if you always try to maximize the programme.

What are your plans for the future?

We are quite happy really. There is always a risk of over­ developing. We cannot take more than 16 meal guests, and we already have 23 beds. It all becomes a bit awkward. We don’t want to lose the exclusivity and genuineness.

Is that why it is not signposted from the road, so that your guests will be left in peace?

Yes, if they pay to stay here, people shouldn’t suddenly come walking in the forest and look in through the windows. That’s not great. If people are curious, they should book instead. Though it does happen that people call and are curious, and if we don’t have any guests, we may let them come and have a look anyway.

What do you do to treat yourselves?

We feel that we have everything we need here, so when we have a quiet moment, we have so many lovely places to be in, so we like to enjoy what we have created.

Urnatur, is it your life’s work?

Yes, in a way I suppose we have tied ourselves down here, but at the same time we both make sure we remind ourselves that we chose this, and if we should get tired of it and feel that we don’t want to do it anymore it wouldn’t be good, so then we would have to hand over to someone else.

As the raw dampness in the air has got under my skin, I end the evening with a good session in the wood-burning sauna. Clad in just a towel, I then fumble about quickly to my wooden house. It is pitch black so I navigate by the light from the lit paraffin lamp that shines through the windows and makes the house look like the Holaved Forest has had an inquisitive visit from outer space.

Text: Albin Wiberg Photo: Johnny Franzén and Ulrika Krynitz

The food is excellent, vegetarian, grown in the own garden.

In 2012 Urnatur was awarded the Swedish Eco Tourism prize by Grand Travel Awards, and ranked as one of the 100 best hotels in Europe.

Pilgrim Find happiness and yourself in the footsteps of St Birgitta

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ne of the most poignant scenes in film history comes from the masterpiece The Mission, shown on the big screen in 1986. In short, the film is about a slave trader, played by Robert De Niro, who kills his brother and then does penance by dragging a big sack of scrap metal up the muddy mountain slopes of the Iguazu Falls.

The scene shows an exhausted De Niro meeting a group of redeemed Guaraní Indians and their Jesuit priest, played

by Jeremy Irons. The meeting then leads to De Niro finding the meaning of life. For some of us, the scene is a fairly good reflection of our picture of a pilgrimage. You should cure and improve, work hard and be confronted by your demons to be blessed at the end destination by some kind of forgiveness by a higher power.

It’s no longer quite like that, but the pilgrimage is nonetheless a fascinating, mystical remnant from times gone by that has left a very strong impression on Östergötland. We packed up the car and set off on a pilgrimage (as it turned out once we found out a bit more about the subject) in the foot­steps of St Birgitta from Linköping, via Vreta Convent Church to the St Birgitta Church in Vadstena.

Unfortunately, only ruins remain of the Benedictine convent in Vreta, but with the useful help of the educational information on the site, you can get a clear picture of what the old convent used to look like and what life was like in the convent. The convent was founded circa 1100 and closed in 1582. The convent church remains, and in the summer it is really beautiful here.

We continue towards Vadstena where we have agreed to meet the pilgrimage priest Tomas Wettermark at the Pilgrim Centre. He knows most of what is worth knowing about pilgrim destinations and pilgrimages.

“If you look back at history, you could say that the motivation for the pilgrimages has, at least partly, changed. At

For most of the about 5.000 people that makes the pilgrimage to Vadstena­every year the main reason is spiritual enlightenment.

the time of St Birgitta (1303-1373), when pilgrimages were already an old phenomenon, the reasons were sometimes, but not always, about a healing journey. You had quite simply done something that wasn’t good and you wanted to make amends through, for example, a physical exertion such as walking to Vadstena. At that time, you could even be sentenced to it as a punishment,” explains Tomas Wettermark.

“Naturally, the reasons then were largely the same as they are today: wanting to explore, time for thought and prayer, and the joy of reaching your destination. Today, thank goodness, the situation is quite different. Of course there are still those who set off on a pilgrimage looking for a cure and healing and to find themselves because of something stupid they have done, but for the vast majority, it is a combination e

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of a spiritual experience and physical exertion.

“It is difficult to define the concept of a pilgrimage briefly.

The word pilgrim comes from the Latin word pelegrinos, which comes from that concept per ager, which means across the field. And that tells us it is about an external walk through woods and fields to find out what is over there.

Then there are many undertones, so a pilgrimage may not be just any old walk. When we use the word pilgrim here at the Pilgrim Centre, we like to have a Christian, spiritual or religious interpretation of the walk. It is a symbol of life, a picture of the life walk from the day you are born, and the walk starts through arable land and fields and over asphalt, via meetings with people and things you leave behind. All the time longing for new destinations on the way to your final one, which is heaven or paradise.”

Could, let’s say, a slightly overweight atheist in his 40s who wants to explore Östergötland also benefit from a pilgrimage?

Absolutely. I believe that all people are pilgrims. That is to say, on their way. And on a journey, whatever the purpose, you get help from what you meet on the way: a beautiful view of Bråviken, Lake Vättern or a billowing field. Of course it’s not only beautiful photographically, but it bears witness to there being a creative force, some sort of source of life that we can wonder about and take pleasure from.

Likewise, if you meet something along the way that is ugly and you want to make more beautiful. Some sort of callings or tasks are awakened in people when you start to reflect on what it really looks like here.

Is any previous knowledge or special preparation required to get that little bit extra out of the pilgrimage?

A pilgrimage is about learning along the way, but, of course, if you are going on foot, you can prepare by reading about the route you are going to walk, maybe a portrayal by some previous pilgrim. Then you should start preparing in terms of equipment with a pair of shoes that are not brand new and a rucksack that fits reasonably well on your back.

And pack light.

ÖSTERGÖTLAND HAS two well-maintained pilgrim routes with Vadstena Convent Church, which has St Birgitta’s reliquary, as the main destination. The best known is Klosterleden Trail, which start by Krokek Convent and continues via Norrköping to the former Söderköping Convent, Askeby Convent, Linköping Cathedral and Convent, Vreta Convent, the convent ruins in Skänninge to Vadstena Convent Church. It then continues to Heliga Hjärtas Convent in Borghamn and Alvastra Convent in Omberg, for those who want to go further. The trail is approximately 270 kilometres in total. It is most common that people walk the stretch between Linköping and Vadstena (approximately 75 km), which takes three or four days, or Alvastra and Vadstena – a stretch of approximately 40 kilometres, which takes two to

three days at a slow tempo. Overnight stays are in parish homes or youth hostels along the way.

The second trail, Birgittaleden (85 km), was opened by the Pilgrim Centre as recently as Ascension Day 2011, and it will be extended in 2016 to start in Söderköping and thereby follow the same route as St Birgitta’s relics were carried when she returned home to Östergötland in 1374. From Söderköping, the trail goes via Linköping Cathedral and continues to Vreta Convent and then along Göta Canal to Borensberg, Birgittas Udde, Ulvåsa, Ekebyborna, Motala, and Västra Stenby with the Birgitta Spring, before reaching the final destination of Vadstena Convent Church.

Does it sound a lot? Don’t worry, there are no requirements to walk the whole trail to be classed a pilgrim.

“No, no, every place is a destination,” Tomas Wettermark assures us.

“It’s important to remember that every place you decide to reach, whether it is Korpilombolo, Söderköping or Gränna, is a pilgrim destination in itself. What you are constantly looking for is a meeting place between people, and for those who want, a meeting place between man and God. We count all who come here to the destination in Vadstena as pilgrims, whether they have walked or cycled, travelled by car, bus or boat. They have made their way across arable land and fields and maybe across a lake to reach a destination and be reminded that the destination exists. We have a fairly relaxed definition of what a pilgrim is.”

EVERY YEAR, about five thousand walking pilgrims arrive in Vadstena. The number of pilgrims who choose other modes of transport to visit Vadstena, the Convent Church and the Pilgrim Centre is about 400,000 per year. Many choose to stay overnight at the Pilgrim Centre guest house and take part in its courses, meetings, retreats and walks.

Outside the entrance to the Pilgrim Centre, there is a bunch of about 20 well-used walking sticks left behind by previous pilgrims. We walk on down to the convent church just a few hundred metres towards the shore of Lake Vättern. The church was consecrated in 1430, and its architecture and appearance, according to St Birgitta, come from detailed instructions from Jesus Christ in person, conveyed to St Birgitta via visions. Among other things, Jesus Christ is supposed to have conveyed that the church should not have any murals except those portraying his suffering and less about his Holiness.

We are offered an exclusive guided tour by Ronny Nilsson, the vestry – whose purpose is to keep order in the interior of the church and prepare for the daily prayers at 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm, except for Sundays when there is high mass at 11 am. The enormous church contains many important objects.

First and foremost, the pilgrim destination, St Birgitta’s re­liquary, which is protected by armoured glass. After her death in 1373, the remains of St Birgitta were carried in a procession in a wooden coffin from Rome to Vadstena.

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PC ARKIV

There are two well maintained pilgrim trails in Östergötland, The Abbey trail (270 km) and the Birgitta trail (85 km) both ending in the Abbey Church of Vadstena.

“People often start the walk as a physical exertion but end it having found themselves or maybe God.” A pilgrimage and a half. The reliquary is sacred, as is the coffin­in which it was carried, as it had been in contact with Birgitta Birgersdotter, who was canonised by Pope Bonifatius IX, 1391. In 1999, she was elevated to patron saint of Europe.

Ronny explains that the convent church has many visitors from Germany and Italy and quite a few Danes and Norwegians. The same applies to Sancta Birgitta Klostermuseum (St Birgitta’s convent museum), which is just 50 metres from the convent church in the old royal palace.

“The convent museum is part of the pilgrim destination in Vadstena, so most pilgrims who visit the convent church also come to us,” explains Markus Lindberg, Head of the Museum.

The museum is newly renovated, and the second floor includes 59 cells that were home to as many nuns who had taken their vows to live the rest their lives in chastity, observance and poverty.

We continue to our basic night quarters.

After a good night’s sleep at the Pilgrim Centre, we meet with Tomas Wettermark at breakfast.

There is currently a pilgrim course with about 20 participants. I cannot help but ask a few questions that have been bothering me.

If I go on a pilgrimage to get a spiritual experience, but all I can think about is how I’m going to do my fermenting dough, is there a trick to get me on the right track?

Yes there is. We suggest different prayer books, and we have a guidebook for Klosterleden Trail and a small leaflet

for Birgittaleden Trail that include suggestions on how to spend your intellectual life during these days. A book of poetry can also add meditation material on the way. But usually, the trail reveals things to you. A lot of good thoughts come into your head or heart and you start processing things and discover that you have a really good dialogue within you. People often start the walk as a physical exertion but end it having found themselves or maybe God. Okay, and when you have been filled up with all this, how do you process the experience?

When we walk in a group, and we do that quite often, there is usually a priest or deacon who is bound by professional secrecy with whom you can discuss your thoughts.

Has the pilgrimage been modernised at all in the past thousands of years that the phenomenon has existed, or are the roads and the destination the same?

Ha ha, yes and no. You could say that the outer and inner stipulations to long to set off in the footsteps of your ancestors and to do what all the others have done throughout the ages on roads that others have walked to reach these destinations are important things for many of us to this day.

We say our thanks and drive off home. In the car, we find a strange sense of calm. Call it enlightenment, call it insight, call it a longing for home. Robert De Niro would probably have called it peace of mind.

Text: Albin Wiberg Photo: Johnny Franzén

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JOHNNY FRANZÉN

Cutting edge science made understand­able makes you feel pretty good.

Back to the future Experience high technology and air force history of world class

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ew technology comes in many guises, and for many reasons. And we may as well admit that most of it is above the heads of most people, requiring an engineering degree or two to understand how it all works. Two high-octane destinations in Östergötland with the main aim of making technology understandable and accessible to the general public are the Swedish Air Force Museum, for airborne technology, in most cases obsolete, and Visualiseringscenter C, where the very latest in high technology is on display.

“In many cases, new technology is very complex and difficult to understand. But as sight is our most active sense, by visualising complicated things we want to create an understanding of how we can learn by using new technology,” explains Johan Klittmark, Head of Marketing at Visualiseringscenter C. In fact, the Municipality of Norrköping, Linköping

University­, Norrköping Science Park and Interactive Institute Swedish­ICT thought it so important to get the general public to learn about and understand the technological achieve­ments in the region that they formed a consortium that founded Visualiseringscenter C to show the results.

The centre opened its doors on 27 May 2010 in the beautiful, well-preserved and carefully restored industrial landscape in the centre of Norrköping. Visitors come here from near and far to learn about important parts of Östergötland’s technological wonders. The aim is thus to get us mere mortals to understand, in a smart and easy way, the ultra-modern visualisation research carried out at Linköping University’s Campus Norrköping.

“The main aim is that children should explore and learn more about technology and to arouse an interest in science subjects. We invite school groups here either as a class for educational purposes or on a school trip. Many students start or end themed work based on one of our exhibitions here,

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VISUALISERINGSCENTER C

so we have employed an educationalist who works with our school programmes,” explains Johan Klittmark.

For those of us who have just learnt to download an app, it is a bit daunting to walk around Visualiseringscenter C – a jittery feeling of having broken into some secret future lab combined with a childish fascination of actually being allowed, yes, even encouraged to touch, twist, turn and test.

We are joined by the Production Manager Katarina Sperling one floor up of the permanent exhibition with the telling title ‘To show what we can’t see 2.0’, which includes a visualisation table that shows which parts of the brain are used for the different activities. At another installation, you can try pairing synapses that move on the floor in a big semi-circle with LED screens.

“Over there you have a microcosm, and here is something we call ‘Food on the table’, which is about sustainable development and ecological footprints. With the help of a touch table, you can put out icons for different food products and see how much carbon dioxide a food product emits during its life cycle,” explains Katarina Sperling as she clicks on crispbread and a piece of South American beef.

A little further along, on yet another touch table, we find Urban Explorer where you can take a closer look at a 3D version­of Norrköping. It is a collaboration between Visualiseringscenter C, the Town-Building Office and Hyres­ bostäder in Norrköping, which are behind it, and as well

VISUALISERINGSCENTER C

Get blown away in the dome at Visualiseringscenter C, in the old industrial heart of Norrköping.

Master your brain. In Mindball, for a change, the winner is the one who can keep the brain activity to a minimum.

as allowing visitors to see every street corner in the city, the 3D model is used to facilitate city development issues.

Here, on the second floor, you will also see the real superstar of Östergötland’s visualisation research: the virtual autopsy table, which is really worth an exclusive article on its own and which has revolutionised a whole industry.

Researchers at Visualiseringscenter C headed by Professor Anders Ynnerman are behind this tremendous international pioneering success.

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The medical advances of the virtual autopsy table are enormous, but maybe the biggest gain, despite everything, is that it shows the pure aim of Visualiseringscenter C: to take high technology to the people. Here, a five-year-old, a plumber, a hands-on photographer or anyone at all can be looking at the same data and explore it in the same way as doctors, archaeologists, zoologists and experts at the British Museum.

If the virtual autopsy table is the Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the visualisation research, then the IMAX cinema is the changing room where the team bond. The cinema with 102 seats and a concave screen provides an exhilarating 3D experience.

Visualiseringscenter C is behind several of the productions shown here.

JUST UNDER AN HOUR away, 7 km west of the neighbouring city of Linköping, in Malmslätt, there is a just as exciting but much more down-to-earth example of Swedish engineering.

The first exhibition hall in the current museum building was opened by King Carl XVI Gustaf himself in March 1984. In 1989, Prince Bertil cut the ribbon to the second hall, and in June 2010, the Swedish Air Force Museum was honoured with a new opening in connection with the completion of its biggest and most comprehensive extension. The success was immediate. The museum was awarded the prize for best exhibition 2010 and Museum of the Year 2011.

“We have Östergötlands Flyghistoriska Sällskap [Östergötland’s historic flying society, ÖFS] to thank for much of that. The society was formed in 1967 with the aim of establishing a Swedish air force museum, so it’s thanks to them that the museum is here today,” explains Elisabeth Lagvik, head of the public unit at the Swedish Air Force Museum, and she continues, “the society has a restoration group that has been working on a SAAB B 18 for almost 30 years and is making it very nice. The enthusiasts are also helping by being in the museum on Saturdays and Sundays to answer visitors’ questions about aeroplanes. They are a fantastic asset for the whole museum.

Yes, of course ÖFS is responsible for much of the hardware, but it is the museum staff who have done the last part of making the Swedish Air Force Museum accessible and interesting to the masses. In the flight lab, you can live out your wildest flight dreams without restraint (it doesn’t matter if you mess up) with the help of data animation to build your own aeroplane, try being an air-traffic controller in an air control tower, feel aerodynamics, try radio intelligence and set off on a flight in an aeroplane of your choice in a simulator. There is also a special Gripen simulator, which should be pre-booked as it requires an instructor by your side.

“The flight lab has been created for children as the primary target group, but anyone is welcome to try,” says Elisabeth Lagvik.

So, it may be worth planning your visit when the children have left, if you want free rein to play – on Wednesdays, the museum is open in the evening until 8 pm.

The Swedish Air Force Museum is located on holy military ground for flying enthusiasts. It was here at Malmen that Sweden’s flight pioneer Carl Cederström held court and opened Sweden’s first flying school in 1912.

The stylistic and impressive museum building in glass with a black-painted facade is worth seeing in its own right.

“The Swedish Air Force Museum was formally founded in 1977 after a decision by Parliament that an air force museum should be established, just as there were already an army museum and a navy museum, so a state-owned museum for each of the three branches of the armed forces,” explains Elisabeth Lagvik.

It wasn’t a bad collection that was put together. Many of the approximately 300 aircraft in the collections are unique in the world, which isn’t really that strange as Sweden has not been at war since the SwedishNorwegian War in 1814.

“The collection includes a big German-made Junker B 3.

Most were lost in connection with the Second World War, but Sweden had bought a number at the beginning of the 30s, so the one we have is the only preserved Junkers JU 86K in the world. We also have two rare Italian planes, one Fiat CR.42 Falco, J 11 in the Swedish Air Force, and a Reggiane Re 2000bis, J 20 in the Swedish Air Force, and an early German Heinkel called Sk5 in Sweden, which was found in a barn in Småland in the 60s,” explains Rickard Käsper, who has every air force nerd’s dream job. He is the intendent for the museum’s collections and is paid to go around and polish the museum’s approximately 100,000 objects, everything from exhibited, stored, deposited and airworthy aircraft to objects from the many different activities of wing life, such as uniforms, drawings, textiles, medical and technical objects, and much, much more.

How often do you test-fly the planes?

Never the planes we have here. They may well be airworthy, but if you imagine the oldest ones, it would be an enormous loss if anything should be damaged or break, and there are probably no parts to repair them with, so we absolutely dare not do that.

But wouldn’t it have been a clear cash cow to offer flights with the old rarities?

Yes, of course, and we can see that our flying days attract huge crowds. We are part of sponsoring Swedish Air Force Historic Flight at Såtenäs, and we own a large number of

“It may be worth planning your visit when the children have left, if you want free rein to play.”

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JOHNNY FRANZÉN

their aeroplanes. But they are only display flights, so I don’t think you can go there as a private individual.

Are there many old Swedish planes out in the barns?

Ha, ha, new ones are always being found. It’s really strange. Suddenly, you can get a call that someone has a Draken­in the garden! There seem to be quite a few who made sure they took a plane home with them when wings closed down and the like.

There has not been any epic aerial combat to defend Sweden­, at least none that the general public knows of. The question of the importance of the Swedish Air Force to the country in modern times is justified. Or, certainly, if you turn it around: what would Sweden have been today without its air defence? The fact is that Sweden was well armed, ready to defend its neutrality with the world’s fourth biggest air defence at the end of the 50s and beginning of the 60s and in a good position internationally throughout the Cold War. The proof can be found at the Swedish Air Force Museum.

Text: Albin Wiberg

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FLYGVAPENMUSEUM

At Flygvapenmuseum you get a close look at (used to be) flying treasures from all over the world since the beginning of aircraft.

You are encouraged to interact too.

During the 50s Sweden was well armed with the world’s fourth biggest air defense.

OSTKUSTENKAJAK

There is no way to get closer to Östergötland Archipelago than moving slowly forward in a kayak.

Paradise awaits Östergötland Archipelago is of world class at every level

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ay the word ‘archipelago’ and most of us get a dreamy look in our eyes. For many, the archipelago symbolises the unique richness of Swedish nature – a glittering bright blue sea, cliffs warmed by the sun, freshly smoked fish and magical days that never want to end. The archipelagos of St Anna, Gryt and Arkösund are of absolute top class. Together they form Östergötland Archipelago, a marine paradise with thousands of islands and skerries, and a fauna that makes fishing enthusiasts and professionals from all over Europe come to Östergötland. And, yes, the pike fishing is indeed among the best in the world.

In recent years, this previously relatively untapped – and difficult to access by anyone without own transport – paradise has opened up more and more to visitors. Today, anyone can get here by public transport or taxi boat, and there are small visitor-friendly archipelagos like Harstena and Mon

with a fish smokehouse and bakery. The range of activities on offer has also been broadened and raised a level, with everything from culinary journeys of local produce to seal safaris and adventures in sea kayaks – a development that is taking place cautiously and in harmony with the soul of the archipelago, the original, genuine and unspoilt.

For those who choose to spend a few days in Östergötland Archipelago, a memory for life awaits.

“The potential of experience tourism with kayaking, fishing, cycling, climbing and hiking is enormous. We have great breadth and variation here in Östergötland, and that favours all of us who target active people who are rarely satisfied with just doing one thing when they come to visit,” says Christian Swanson who runs Ostkustenkajak, which has its base at the holiday facility KustCamp Ekön. Östergötland Archipelago is a well-known destination in kayaking circles, appreciated, not least, for its ease of access

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and diversity. Here you can paddle in lee inside the skerries and explore deep bays, or make your way out to the outer isles towards the open sea. Most of the islands are uninhabited and the Right of Public Access applies.

The majority of those who choose to spend their holiday in Östergötland Archipelago are Swedes, but rumours of its beauty and wide-ranging experiences are spreading fast and the foreign markets are growing strongly.

“The archipelago’s geographic location with its proximity to several airports means that, in principle, we can pick up our guests from the airport on Friday evening, drive them out, serve dinner and put them up in a hotel, then two days of kayaking with a chef who goes out to them and cooks – the possibilities are almost endless. On Monday morning they can be back at work, talking about their experiences,” explains Christian Swanson.

A clear difference between Swedish and foreign guests is their long-term planning. Guests who come from a long way away such as Germany, Holland or Canada book months in advance while Swedes tend to wait until they’ve seen the weather forecast to decide. One person who is used to keeping an eye on the weather forecast is the respected fishing guide Kari Danielsson. He knows every clump of reeds and shoal in the waters of Slätbaken, and where the pike are depending on the wind and weather. Since Kari started his company Catchmore a couple of years ago he has been busy guiding and tailoring packages for anglers the world over.

“Most are Europeans: Russians, Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Englishmen, Poles, who have found their way here, but I have also had guests from the USA – including a former professional woman golfer who was here last summer,” says Kari.

“The competition is not from other actors in Östergötland but from Thailand, South Africa and the West Indies. The nature experience you get here can only be had in a few selected places in the world,” continues Kari. “And do the fish bite? Oh yes, some time ago, a guest caught [and released] 37 pike in one day! And the group of six people he was fishing with caught a total of 74 pike that day. More than 50 bites per group is not unusual. That’s the level it’s at.”

Text: Albin Wiberg

JOHNNY FRANZÉN

“Rumours of Östergötland Archipelagos’ beauty and wide-ranging experiences are spreading fast and the foreign markets are growing strongly.”

Tranquility and natural wonder year round.

Enjoy world class fishing in a relaxed atmosphere.

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Getting here and travelling round

OSCAR LÜREN

You can travel to Östergötland by car, ferry, plane, train or bus. The Öresund Bridge between the Danish capital, Copenhagen, and Sweden’s third largest town, Malmö, has made travel to Sweden from continental Europe easier than ever. The journey from Malmö to Östergötland takes between three and four hours by road or rail. Once you arrive in Östergötland, a convenient way to explore the region is to use the regular buses, trams and local trains operated by Östgötatrafiken.

Go places and enjoy the rush.

Arriving by air Linköping City Airport has direct connections with Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

Stockholm Skavsta Airport, just an hour’s drive north of Östergötland has direct flights to London Stansted and many other European cities. Stockholm Arlanda Airport with numerous interna­tional connections is two hours’ journey from Östergötland.

Arriving by ferry There are ferries to Sweden from both Germany and Denmark. Scandlines, Stena Line, Finnlines and TT-Line bring you and your car or camper to Sweden, from where you can take the E4 motorway direct to Östergötland.

Arriving by road or rail From the south and Copenhagen, it’s simple to travel to Östergötland by car, camper or bus. Cross the Öresund Bridge to Malmö, then take the E4 motorway north. It passes right through the heart of Östergötland.

There are also direct inter-city and express train services from Copenhagen.

Östergötland Area: 10,562 km² Form of government (Sweden): Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy Seat of county government: Linköping (153.000 inhabitants) Language: Swedish. Many Swedes also speak good English.

Currency: Swedish krona (SEK) Opening hours: Banks are usually open Monday–Friday 10–15;. Shops are open Monday–Friday 10–18, Saturday 10–14. Shopping malls have longer opening hours and are also open on Sunday. Food shops in the larger cities and towns are usually open 8–20.

Exchange facilities: In banks, or in currency exchanges, where the opening hours are longer.

In case of illness: SOS emergency phone number is 112. For the Medical Advice Service phone 1177 Time zone: CET (UTC+1), CEST (UTC+2) Drinking water: Tap water is safe to drink.

Average temperatures: January: -2.8°C/27.0°F. July: +17.2°C/63.0°F Hours of daylight: January 6 hours. July: 18 hours

Öresund Bridge www.oresundsbron.com Ferry companies www.scandlines.com www.stenaline.com www.ttline.com www.dfdsseaways.com Trains and buses www.sj.se www.ostgotatrafiken.se www.swebus.se Airports www.norrkopingsairport.se www.linkopingcityairport.se www.skavsta.se www.swedavia.se/arlanda www.jonkopingairport.se Airlines www.flysas.com www.klm.com www.ryanair.com