See & do
Challenging hikes
It doesn’t take much to enjoy the beautiful nature we have in Linköping – maybe a pair of comfortable shoes and some snacks. That’s it! Then you’re all set to head out. But to make it a bit easier for you on your adventure, we’ve put together some hikes for those looking for longer and more challenging trails.
1. Östgötaleden between Vidingsjö Recreation Center and Bjärka Säby
Hike the Östgötaleden trail between Vidingsjö Recreation Center and Bjärka Säby. You’ll pass through a varied landscape with oak meadows, majestic oaks, and beautiful lock environments along the Kinda Canal, to name just a few. This trail offers the perfect combination of the best nature Linköping has to offer – oak landscapes, castles, canals, and proximity to the city. A tip is to make a small detour to visit Hjortkällan, the ancient homestead at Bjärka-Säby, and the new Bjärka Säby Castle.
The trail is part of the Östgötaleden, approximately 19 km long, and is easy to moderate in difficulty. There are picnic areas, shelters, restrooms, and a summer café (New Bjärka Säby Castle) along the route. Bus connections are also available at several points. Read more about the hike here!
2. Long Hike from Harvestad/Ullaberg to Old Linköping
This hike starts at Harvestad in southern Linköping, passing through Ullaberg, Ullstämmaskogen, Ekängsdalen, Vidingsjöskogen, Tinnerö, and ends in Vallaskogen and Old Linköping. The trail covers several different types of nature, including deep coniferous forests, beautiful oak meadows, and charming bird lakes – perfect for those looking for a relatively flat and easy walk, but with a longer distance, as the hike is 16 kilometers. A map of the hike can be found here!
At the entrances to the different areas and nature reserves, you’ll often find picnic areas, barbecue spots, and in some places, dry toilets (Ullaberg, Ekängsdalen, Fröberget) and water toilets at Vidingsjö Recreation Center and Old Linköping.
The hike begins at the bus stop at Harvestad Gård. Turn right onto the gravel road. Follow it for one kilometer, and you’ll reach the parking lot for the bird lake area Ullaberg and Mossen. Continue for another 700 meters to reach the resting area and entrance to the site. Ahead of you is the bird lake. Follow the unmarked trail to the left into the meadow. Stay on the trail for a few kilometers. At one point, the paths split, and there are orange arrows both straight ahead and to the left. Choose the path straight ahead. Cross the long boardwalk that goes over the water. When you reach the gravel road, turn left onto it. Follow the road for a few hundred meters until you reach a barbecue spot. Turn right and continue following the orange markings. Now the water will be on your left. Walk a few hundred meters until you come to an information sign that says “Red Loop.” Follow the red markings through the Ullstämma Forest Reserve. This trail is a few kilometers long. Eventually, you’ll come to a new information sign. Here, many paths meet, so it’s easy to go the wrong way. But stay left here and begin following the orange markings. After about 1 km, you’ll reach the resting area and entrance at Ekängsdalen. Continue following the orange markings. This will be your route for the rest of the hike. After a few kilometers, you’ll arrive at Vidingsjö Recreation Center. Pass it and continue toward Tinnerö. You’ll enter the Tinnerö Nature Reserve, and the trail meanders slightly south before turning north. At “Karlaplan/Djurgården” in the northern part of the reserve, you’ll pass a large parking lot and a bus stop. Continue west along the trail. You’ll pass through a tunnel and enter the Vallaskogen Nature Reserve. Continue following the orange markings, and eventually, you’ll arrive at the urban area of the Open-Air Museum of Old Linköping.
Feel free to use naturkartan.se to see the locations of facilities like barbecue spots and resting areas. Also, enable location tracking on the map so you can easily navigate your way.
Take the bus to the Harvestad stop, position A or position B, in southern Linköping. This is where the hike starts. The hike ends in Old Linköping, and buses depart from the Old Linköping stop, position A or position B.
3. Hike the Stora Vidingsjörundan and Southern Tinneröstigen
The hike follows trails and paths used by many hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. The terrain is relatively even, but there are sections with more stones and roots. It’s a long route that can be completed in one day if you wish, or divided into two days with an overnight stay in a shelter or tent in areas that are not nature reserves.
The hike is about 23 kilometers long and takes you through large parts of the natural area. The route covers much of Vidingsjöskogen, including all its sub-areas, and the southern and central parts of Tinnerö. It’s a hike through coniferous forests, wetlands, and oak landscapes with meadow areas. A map of the hike can be found here!
This description starts at Vidingsjö Recreation Center and heads toward Ullaberg, ending with Tinnerö and then returning to Vidingsjö Recreation Center.
Start at Vidingsjö Recreation Center and follow the green markings (LOK-milen). Continue all the way to the vicinity of Ullaberg, where you’ll leave the LOK-milen trail near a gravel road and instead follow the gravel road up to the entrance of the Ullaberg wetland area. At the barbecue spot, begin following the orange markings, which lead you along a path near the water at Ullaberg. Follow this path for about 1 kilometer until you reach a junction where the Östgötaleden trail splits. Follow the marking that turns left. This will bring you to a gravel road between Svennersborg and Kärr. After about 200 meters, turn left and follow the orange markings into the forest, following the edge of the Mossen wetland area. After a few kilometers, you’ll reach an information sign about the Ullstämma Forest Reserve’s red-marked loop. Follow this trail through the reserve. After about 2 kilometers, the reserve ends, and you’ll reach a new information sign. Here, you’ll start following the green markings (LOK-milen) again and continue all the way back to Vidingsjö Recreation Center. On your way back, you’ll cross over Ekängssjön and into Vidingsjöskogen Nature Reserve.
Once back at Vidingsjö Recreation Center, follow the signs toward Tinnerö. Pass the Fröberget area with the spectacular insect hotel. Follow the gravel road until you reach an information sign called “Södra rundan” (“Southern Loop”). Turn left through a passage and over a stream. Now, follow the red-marked Tinneröstigen trail. Continue past the “Stora Tallen” (Big Pine) and around Rosenkällasjön. At the parking lot and information area called “Dämmet” (Dam), turn left and continue following the red-marked Tinneröstigen. Pass the parking lot/information sign at Tinnerö Grave Field/Tinnerö North. After a while, you’ll return to the information sign called “Södra rundan.” Here, stop following the red markings and walk along the gravel road toward Fröberget. After passing Fröberget, continue back to Vidingsjö Recreation Center. The hike is complete
Feel free to use naturkartan.se to see the locations of facilities like barbecue spots and resting areas. Also, enable location tracking on the map to easily navigate your way.
There are several suitable starting points for this circular route. Start at Vidingsjö Recreation Center, which you can reach by both car and bus. Alternatively, Ullaberg, Ekängsdalen, and various parking areas in Tinnerö also work well for those coming by car.
4. Hike Rängen Runt
Rängen Runt is a very popular hiking trail that offers several exciting stops along its 45-kilometer stretch around Lake Rängen. The trail is based on the Östgötaleden and Kyrkleden, and along the way, you’ll encounter varying landscapes, many swimming spots, and accommodations where you can literally choose between castles and cabins.
You can choose to hike selected parts of the trail in a single day, complete the entire loop, or why not divide the hike into three days and stay overnight at one of the charming accommodations along the route? More information and a map can be found here.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Estimated Time: Approximately 12 hours
Marking: Orange, as well as the symbol (RR)
Sections:
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
Public Transport
It’s easy to reach the eastern side of the hiking trail using public transport. If you’re coming from Linköping’s central station, take bus line 566 towards Brokind. The line has several bus stops near Lake Rängen, but if you want to reach the trail directly, we recommend getting off at the bus stops Hovetorp, Bjärka-Säby, or Enebacken.
To use public transport in Linköping, you need to download the Östgötatrafiken app, where you can also purchase your bus ticket. The prices are zone-based, and a single adult ticket costs 50 SEK. If you get off at Hovetorp, the bus ride takes about 30 minutes.
Hiking
Rängen Runt is also part of the Östgötaleden, meaning you can reach the route by hiking through forests and open fields.
By Car
There are several parking areas where you can park your car around Lake Stora Rängen during your hike. Parking is available at Hamra, KFUMS Lägergård, Bjärka-Säby, Västerskogs Nature Reserve, Storsjön, Vårdnäs Stiftsgård, and Engelskan Nature Reserve.
*This text has been automatically translated.