In the Flight Path of Nils: Visiting Skåne, Kebnekaise, Värmland and Visingsö By Goose By Sydney Vickars
Vittskövle castle in north-eastern Skåne. Photo: skane.com © Birger Lallo
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culminated in the publication of her two children’s stories, published in 1906 and 1907 respectively. These children’s stories were commissioned and assigned as “supplementary reading with the special idea of introducing educational and entertaining” aspects to regular geography lessons. While the two books were embraced by the Swedish public school system, the adult audience has also “found them books of permanent value.” It is therefore interesting to note that adults and children alike enjoyed travelling with Nils throughout their country, and the global audience that so lovingly embraced the stories from abroad testifies to a Sweden worth traveling to and around.
Klarälven in Värmland. Photo © VTR/Vildmark i Värmland
hildren in the Swedish educational system should be familiar with Selma Lagerlöf’s The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and The Further Adventures of Nils Holgersson. Selma Lagerlöf was born in 1858 on the small family estate of Mårbacka in Värmland. She practiced as a teacher for ten years before writing, introducing many of her own childhood memories into her texts. Her interest in the pedagogy behind literature is illustrated by the research she conducted into nature studies and bird behaviour. Eventually, this research
Visingsborgs castle ruin on Visingsö.
The 14-year-old boy travels between March and November of 1898 and his story contains a number of genrespecific tendencies. Based in folklore, this spectacle of the children’s literature canon talks about humanity, the moral code and teaches children and adults alike about the intricacies of Swedish wildlife, geography and customs. If Nils were a traveller today, he would discover a very different Sweden in the cities, towns and mindset of the people, yet much the same in terms of the nature and countryside. Though Nils traveled extensively throughout Sweden, we have focused on four areas he visited that provide offthe-beaten-track attractions – that look much the same today as when he flew by some 115 years ago.
Skåne
The southernmost region in Sweden is known as Skåne. As Sanna Toringe, a librarian, author and journalist from Skåne says, the beginning and ending of the story are located in Västra Vemmenhög, “where the sky forms a vault over billowing cornfields and small farms… that still look almost the same as in Nils Holgersson’s day” – though now you can hear aircraft from the nearby airport at Sturup. The castles in Skåne are some of the most beautiful of modern day attractions and offer a return
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