See the Best of Odeshog Sweden in 5 days

Perfect for a self-drive itinerary

Odeshog is the seat of the Östergötland County, Sweden and is located about 262km south of Stockholm near the eastern shores of beautiful, windswept Lake Vattern, second largest lake in Sweden. This area carries history and lore set against the peaceful countryside where nature lovers can relax and unwind to their hearts content. You can find a variety of outdoor adventure activities from hiking to fishing to kayaking or ziplining. Many places for you to experience the ubiquitous Swedish Fika too!

An Easy Swedish Countryside Adventure

​I’ll let you in on what I did recently with my 5 days in this area of Sweden. Arriving here was easy by train. I flew into Stockholm, took the 15-minute Arlanda Express to the Stockholm Central station and caught a fast 2 hour train to the sleepy town of Mjolby. (Easy to do even if severely jet lagged after 12 hours of flying!) But if you are doing a self-drive, you can come in from a variety of directions, and then make a circle of the region. I’ll relate my adventure just as I experienced it.

Day 1: Starting point of the little town of Mjolby

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​The Mjolby Stadshotell is conveniently located right across the street from the train station. This town is not very big, nor noisy, so it was a pleasant relief to check into a 3-star tourist hotel that had all the comfort and amenities needed even if for a one-night stay. The bar is well-stocked, Dinner served until 9pm, and a full-breakfast buffet Swedish-style available with lots of variety. My room was a small standard single with 1 bed but was adequate and quiet. 

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Day 2: Drive to Omberg Ekopark

​We had lunch at the Stocklycke Café, very popular amongst the locals and guests. This is actually part of renovated B&B and our host (who is also the owner) Hannah, was happy to show us around the grounds. There are miles of marked hiking trails in the adjacent woods. We took a short hike to the rocky shores and were told the legends and lore of giants walking across the lake Vattern to capture fair maidens and hiding them in rock caves. The legend of Omma has even become a music festival held on the grounds here. Overall, this is a very nice family place to stay near the quiet outdoors away from the cities. So many wonderful views to explore of Lake Vattern!

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What is a Swedish Fika?

Departing the Stocklycke Vandrarhem we drove out into the woods, stopping for the customary afternoon Swedish Fika otherwise known as Coffee & Sweets. We started a fire, made some coffee and had the Swedish cinnamon bun. It was a great pick-me-up on a cold day. It’s something you can easily get used to 😊

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Overnight at the Urnatur Treehouses Extraordinaire!

Heading next to the southern tip of Lake Vattern is Odeshog. You can have an extraordinary adventure on the 800 hectares of the Eco-Lodge Urnatur. It’s something you won’t want to miss when planning your own escapade. This unique lodging was hand-made with love by 2 Swedes with a vision for sustainable hospitality. The outdoor kitchen, the lush vegetable garden, many fuzzy, warm farm animals to greet you politely. A full Swedish sauna cottage with a dock right outside the front lends itself for you to jump into the ice water lake after a nice sweating. Hike 10 minutes back to your treehouse or ride a bike, take a walk, view the immense scenery in this Swedish garden of Nature. Be prepared for no electricity or Wi-Fi in the treehouses, nor are there flushable toilets just modern outhouses. It’s truly a nature lovers paradise.

Day 3: Naturum Bird Sanctuary at Lake Takern

After breakfast in the Tin House (the only building with public Wi-Fi at UrNatur) we drive about 10 minutes away to a much smaller Lake Takern. It is a preserved wetlands area home to 18,000 bird species. There is no fishing or other activity allowed as it is strictly for the birds. While you can’t walk out to their resting grounds, you can view them via the lookout stand. Your guide will tell you everything interesting about the area. The visitor center holds informative video sessions as well as interactive learning activities.

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Sartshoga Vingard B&B

Another 10-15 minutes away is yet another unique accommodation. A single winery that produces sparkling wine, a rarity for this area of Sweden since the weather is not always so warm.
We got there on a sunny, blue-sky day and toured the vineyard by the owner Niclas and his happy-go-lucky dog. We learned how there are governmental restrictions to the selling of locally made wine but our host found a way around that by creating a lovely restaurant on his premises, combining it with a renovated farmhouse of tastefully decorated rooms. They also treated us to an informative wine tasting tour which you too can arrange ahead of your visit. 

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The Tidernas Landskap

A bit of information about this translated from Swedish to English:
"The Tidernsas  Landsskap offers a rich selection of culture and activities, places for recreation and peace of mind, good accommodation and package solutions around Alvastra monastery. In the Middle Ages, the Alvastra monastery was founded and the medieval towns of Vadstena and Hästholmen were important places.
Holy Birgitta's monastery and the Abbey Church became, and are, an important pilgrimage destination. To the east, Tåkern is one of Europe's foremost bird lakes. To the south, Holaveden's magical forests are spreading. Beside Vättern lies the ornate Omberg, the mountain of flowers."

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​The landscape of the times lies east of Lake Vättern and is an ancient and yet living area. In the area, cultural heritage and natural values ​​are close to each other, in the midst of  a living village in constant change.

The Swedish Hostel Takernvandrarhem

This communal lodging house has 8 Rooms. It sits on the edge of the lake so the backyard area is huge with outstanding views where parents can relax and children can play. It also is located next to the local church & cemetery. Learn more here

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Day 4: Meet Swedish King Gustav Vasa in Vadstena

Today we were honored to have King Vasa give us a personal tour of his castle. Afterwards our guide led us into town for a nice local lunch of veal and beer. It was a beautiful September day when the annual Art Walk held in this town. We visited an art gallery which had the original room upstairs where the King once lived. Walking through the town to view 4 different era architectural styles on one corner then off to visit the oldest building in Vadstena . We also saw the oldest building, Martin Skinner's house, with its “natural outdoor” toilet. (Basically a 2nd story window would drop out to the walk below)

​Onward to the insane asylum, well really it was called The Dahlstromska Garden. It was once a mental hospital where wealthy Swedish with psychological issues were treated. One member of our group locked herself into a room by mistake. (Our guide was moving us along and closed the door thinking we were all out) After a moment of panic we were shown another room complete with antiqued wallpaper. The thing about this place is that a young couple bought it, renovated it, and now have created a zero carbon footprint using sustainable techniques for this historical building. It’s an example of what can be done if you really set your mind to it.​

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Another Swedish Fika – Yes Please!

Driving out of Vadstana we stopped at the charming, and oh-so-popular Vaderstad Centralkondietoriet Café for our ritual Fika. Yummy! Many choices of sweets, urns of coffee and comfortable rooms with vintage furniture and even a large outside balcony all make for a social friendly afternoon as many families were there too! Next door an open-air flea market was happening. 

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Rokstenen Rune Stone and Alvastra Monastery Ruins
If you're going to go all the way to Sweden you must stop and see the only Rune stone left standing in all of Sweden. It stands all by itself next to a modern church. It's been there since circa 800. Amazingly preserved too! Nobody ever quite figured out what the Swedish King was really saying to his son in the cryptic engraving.

The Alvastra Monastery ruins were created in 1134 by French Monks. When the Swedes decided to do away with Catholicism, they got rid of the French Monastery as well. 

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Day 5: Tour the famous author Ellen Key’s home

After breakfast at the Ombergs Turisthotell we take a stroll on a very windy day to view the historical Ellen Key home on the shores of Lake Vattern . It sits perched up on the cliff side with expansive views. The shore that day almost made it feel like a beach with the wind whipping up strong pounding waves. This is how Ms. Key would have liked it. A perfect setting for an independent, feminist author who wrote about love, life and education of children. [No photo taking allowed inside]

Head out on the highway to Gothenburg

Later we pile into our nice Peugeot Van and journey 3 hours south to Gothenburg. Arriving just before dinner at the Gothenburg Central Train Station, we see that it is a city square with hotels on all sides. Most were going on to the Clarion Post Hotel but I made my way to the Radisson Blu Scandinavia across the canal. It is located adjacent to a well-preserved 18th century park.
Thus my mini-adventure ended and my travel conference began. Let me know what you think about the photos you see of the places I visited. You can also find all of these places listed on TripAdvisor too! ​