Hultsfred between music history and cycling routes

Hultsfred can be explored through a variety of themes: music history, traces of the former Hultsfreds Slätt military grounds, museums and cycling routes through the landscape. There are also places such as a restaurant serving Swedish-style home cooking and a ceramics studio. You can choose which side of the town to explore based on your interests and the kinds of activities you have planned.

Music history and traces of the Slätt

At Hultsfreds Slätt, a trail about two kilometres long, with 24 information boards, loops around the grounds. The Slätt was an important military training ground and is connected with the stories of Vilhelm Moberg and Astrid Lindgren. Another circular route, Hultsfred – The Walk, runs alongside Lake Hulingen on the historic festival grounds. Around 40 physical signs mark the loop starting at the Klubben venue. The two trails cover different aspects: one takes you through the history of the Slätt, while the other connects the town with its festival culture.

You can also use an app with Hultsfred – The Walk, offering music, film clips, facts and augmented reality experiences. This concept is designed for experiences on site in Hultsfred. If you are particularly interested in the festival’s history, you can also visit the “Home Sweet Hultsfred” exhibition. It covers the history of the Rockparty association and the Hultsfred Festival; the pictures, films, posters and anecdotes date from the period when the festival was at the height of its importance in Sweden. Exhibition visiting arrangements may vary.

The “Rätt & Slätt” exhibition also tells the story of the Slätt. It is now housed in the former provision storehouse, which the soldiers called “Fläskförrådet”, and is about life on the grounds. For a different historical perspective, the Hultsfreds-Hus Museum displays offices with drawing tables and office machines from the 1940s to the 1980s. Models of houses, house catalogues, pictures and drawings illustrate the history of Hultsfreds-Hus. Museum visiting arrangements may vary.

Cycling and hiking trails with varied scenery

There are several route descriptions to choose from for a cycling trip. Hultsfred Gravel is a 73.4-kilometre loop that heads south along scenic roads and past numerous lakes. Hulingen Gravel circles Lake Hulingen in Hultsfred: the route follows gravel roads through several nature reserves and alongside lakes. When planning, information about the routes’ layout and surfaces can help you tell them apart.

Another option is a rail bike on the narrow-gauge railway. The tour starts in Hultsfred and runs 11.5 kilometres each way towards the Målilla Sanatorium. Along the way, the route passes through Ödhult, about five kilometres from Hultsfred. There is a rest area there with a coffee table, a waste bin and a ball court for children. The route also crosses Lake Hesjön and follows its shore near Målilla. As operating arrangements may change, check them before planning your trip.

You can explore the surroundings on foot along a variety of trails. The hiking trails in the Visit Hultsfred guide follow soft paths with views through forests, villages and cultural landscapes. One trail starts at Kalvkätte farm in Hultsfred. The Lönnebergaleden offers one section from Hästhagsgölen to Hultsfred and another from Hultsfred to Lönneberga. The route crosses the northern part of Hultsfred Municipality and connects the Ostkustleden with the Sevedeleden. Historic settings and archaeological remains lie along the Lönnebergaleden.

Museum, archive and local offerings

The Svenskt Rockarkiv focuses on the history of Swedish popular music: the archive is also an association whose aim is to collect this history. The archive’s complete articles can be viewed at its premises in Hultsfred. For visitors who prefer to get hands-on with crafts, Vemod keramik has a shop, a showroom and a classroom in the Blåklinten building on Norra Oskarsgatan. The studio accepts enquiries about introductory ceramics courses.

You can plan a break at the Mat restaurant in Hultsfred. Swedish-style home cooking is prepared from scratch there every day. The wider region is also home to Hulingsryd, a municipal nature reserve in Hultsfred Municipality with varied scenery and a wide range of habitats. For visitor information, you can contact the Hultsfred Tourist Information Office at 0495-24 05 05; check the contact details before your trip.

Hultsfred is the southern terminus of a narrow-gauge railway line. Train services are seasonal and may change, so check the latest service information before travelling. This will help you fit the cultural offerings, trails and travel options to your own plans.

Discover more destinations: Mörlunda, Silverdalen, Virserum, Vena, Järnforsen, Rosenfors, Dalsebo, Hultsfred, Lönneberga, Målilla.

Go to the main travel overview: Kalmar.