Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Only buses run to Vadstena - take bus 610 to Motala (for trains to Örebro), or bus 661 to
Mjölby (for trains to Linköping and Stockholm).
Blåklints Buss
( 0142-121 50;
www.blaklintsbuss.se
)
runs one to three services daily from the Viking Line Terminal in
Stockholm to Vadstena (Skr250).
Slussar) and Motala (15km north of Vadstena), has bikes for rent (Skr150 per day).
Around Vadstena
Rök
Sweden's most famous rune stone, the 9th-century
Rökstenen
, is near the church at Rök
(just off the E4 on the road to Heda and Alvastra). It's a monumental memorial stone
raised to commemorate a dead son and features the longest runic inscription in the world.
It's an ancient, intricate verse so cryptic that scholars constantly scrap over its interpreta-
tion. The outdoor exhibition and stone are always open.
Buses are virtually nonexistent, though the scenic flatlands around Vättern make for
perfect cycling.
Väversunda
The Romanesque 12th-century limestone
Väversunda kyrka
, situated 15km southwest of
Vadstena, is a bizarre-looking church, and contains restored 13th-century wall paintings.
The adjacent
Tåkern Nature Reserve
pulls in a diverse cast of birds; there's a birdwatch-
er's tower near the church.
Buses are hopeless; pedalling is your best option.
SMÅLAND
The region of Småland is one of dense forests, glinting lakes and bare marshlands. Histor-
ically it served as a buffer zone between the Swedes and Danes; the eastern and southern
coasts in particular witnessed territorial tussles. Today it's better known for the
Glasriket
(Kingdom of Glass), a sparsely populated area in the central southeast dotted with crystal
