Hike around Lake Rängen
Around Lake Rängen is a very popular hiking trail which offers several exciting stops during a 45 kilometre long stretch that circles Lake Rängen. The hiking trail incorporates the Östgöta Trail and Kyrkleden (Church Trail) and along the way you are met by ever-changing landscape, many bathing spots, and accommodation where you can literally choose between castle and cabin.
Tips for a multiple-day hike
You can choose how you want to split up your hike. You can always hike selected sections of the trail on different days or take the whole trail around. Why not split up the hike into three days with overnight accommodation along the way? To make it simpler the volunteer Rängen Runt Society has come up with suggestions on the best way to discover the trail and its sights in three days.
Day 1
Take the morning bus (566) from Linköping Travel Centre to Östanskog. Go onto the trail and hike in the direction of Stafsäter farm ice cream where you can eat your pack lunch and buy an ice cream. Then continue towards Vårdnäs Stiftsgård Centre where you have booked your first overnight accommodation. Why not land on one of their BBQ evenings with accompanying drinks package.
Day 2
After a good night’s sleep and a wonderful breakfast buffet, ask for a pack lunch and then continue your hike on “Kyrkleden” trail. Take the opportunity to sunbathe and swim at some of the bathing spots by Storsjön or Sätrasjön lakes where you stop for lunch…
Up in the forests by Kulla we recommend that you switch off your mobile and walk for a while in silence. Enjoy the stillness and experience the forest’s own rhythm. Soon you arrive in Bjärka-Säby where you have booked your next overnight accommodation on the guest floor of Nya Slottet Bjärka Säby castle. In summertime there is a castle café in the castle and June to August guided tours of the castle are available.
Day 3
Sleep late, well into the morning. Take your breakfast on the castle veranda, sit there and fill your social media with provocatively beautiful pictures of yesterday. Don’t forget to tag #rängenrunt. When the castle opens the café at 11.00 you can provision for your final stretch which runs along the beautiful Kinda kanal. By the afternoon you have completed the circle by Hamra Lock and can, in the peace and quiet, wait for the bus with your feet dangling in the water.
Get to the hiking trail around Lake Rängen
Public transport
It is easy to get to the eastern side of the hiking trail with public transport. Start from Linköping Travel Centre, take bus number 566 towards Brokind. The line has a number of bus stops adjacent to Lake Rängen – but if you want to reach the hiking trail directly, we recommend that you get off at Hovetorp, Bjärka-Säby or Enebacken bus stop.
To use the public transport system in Linköping you need to download Östgötatrafiken’s App where you can also buy bus tickets. The prices are zone-based where a single adult ticket costs 50 kr. Getting off at Hovetorp, the bus trip takes around 30 minutes.
Hike
Around Lake Rängen is also a part of the Östgöta Trail, which means that you can reach the route by hiking through forest and across plains. The hike here is around 25 km long
Car
There are also several parking places where you can leave your car, all around Lake Stora Rängen, during your hike. Parking is available at Hamra, KFUMS Lägergård farm, Bjärka-Säby, Västerskogs Nature Reserve, Storsjön lake, Vårdnäs Stiftgård Centre and Engekskan Nature Reserve.
Note! Visit ostgotaleden.se for correct and updated maps
Practical information on the trail
Distance: circa 45 km
Level of difficulty: Easy
Time: circa 12 hrs
Markings: Orange, with the symbol (RR)
Stretches:
Bjärka-Säby - Sätravallen: 11 km
Sätravallen - Vårdnäs Stifsgård: 7,2 km
Vårdnäs Stifsgård - Stafsäter Gårdsglass: 9,5 km
Stafsäter Gårdsglass - Hovetorps slussar: 8,5 km
Hovetorps slussar - Bjärka-Säby: 5,5 km
Practical homepage for this route:
Östgötaleden
Bjärka-Säby
Rängen runt
Rängen runt
Map of providers along the Kinda kanal (voluntary associations) (se)
Download the map here
Partners
