Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
TIVEDEN NATIONAL PARK
Tiveden National Park
PARK
(
activities 0584-47 40 83;
www.tiveden.se
;
visitor centre 10am-4pm May-Sep, 11am-4pm Sat &
Sun Apr & Oct)
Carved by glaciers, this trolls' home and former highwaymen's haunt 33km south of
Askersund makes for wonderful wild walking. The park is noted for its ancient virgin
forests, which are rare in southern Sweden, and has lots of dramatic bare bedrock, ex-
tensive boulder fields and a scattering of lakes.
Several self-guided walks, including the 6km Trollkyrka (Troll Church) trail, start from
the visitor centre in the southeastern part of the park, 5km north of Rd 49 (turn off at
Bocksjö).
There are also themed guided tours (Skr150), starting at 10am Wednesday through
Sunday from the visitor centre from mid-June to August. You can pick up brochures and
maps here, and there's a small shop.
A few kilometres north along Rd 49 is the turn-off to
Fagertärn
, a pretty lake that fills
with blood-red water lilies in July. Legend says a fisherman called Fager traded his daugh-
ter to the fearsome water spirit Näcken in exchange for a good catch. On their wedding
day, the daughter rowed out onto the lake alone and drove a knife into her heart, and the
lilies have been stained red ever since.
The park is a bit out of the way, and there's no public transport, but if you have your
own wheels it's worth a stop, especially for hikers.
The area is also good for
cycling
(the Sverigeleden trail passes nearby),
canoeing
,
fishing
,
cross-country skiing
and
horse riding
. The
tourist office
( 0583-810 88;
www.visitaskersund.se
; Torget, Askersund; 10am-7pm daily, weekdays only winter) in Askersund
or the Tiveden visitor centre can help make arrangements.
You can camp overnight in the park or stay in adorable little red huts at the
STF Tived-
storp Vandrarhem
(
0584-47 20 90;
www.tivedstorp.se
;
dm/s/d from Skr200/370/500, sites
Skr100;
Apr-Oct;
).
