Blackstad – Landscapes, Hiking and Cultural History

Blackstad combines distinctive landscapes with points of cultural and historical interest. When choosing where to visit, you can consider the landscape and hiking, Hängesten as a geological formation, and the history of the church, cemetery and parish storehouse. This can help you decide which aspects of the destination best match your interests.

Landscape and hiking

Blackstad is characterized by deep forests, winding roads, open landscapes and beautiful woodland lakes. Forests and open landscapes offer contrasting scenery, while the woodland lakes add another natural feature. The Tjustleden offers hikers varied and enjoyable experiences in forests and landscapes. The section known as Section 6 in Hallingeberg is about 6 km from Blackstad. This puts a broad impression of the landscape alongside a specifically named hiking section as two distinct points of reference. If hiking is a factor in your travel plans, the location in Hallingeberg can help you place the named section.

Hängesten as a place to visit

A specific geological attraction adds to this landscape: Hängesten is a rock formation created during the Ice Age and is one of Blackstad’s places to visit. It is in the vicinity of Blackstad, on the road between Odensvi and Blackstad. Its location makes Hängesten a destination in the surrounding area; its history of formation offers a different perspective from the general description of forests, open spaces and woodland lakes. Those who also consider how landscapes were formed can view Hängesten as a specific geological point of interest.

The church and its cultural and historical setting

Blackstad Church was built from 1788 to 1790 to a design by Casper Seurling of Linköping; the master builder was Carl Samuel Modée. The details distinguish two roles in its construction: Seurling was responsible for the design, and Modée was the master builder. Together with the church, chapel and nearby buildings, Blackstad Cemetery forms a valuable cultural and historical setting. While the construction period places the church in its historical context, the surrounding area draws attention to several connected features of the local landscape.

Historical objects and a cultural event

The local heritage association preserves older objects in Blackstad’s old parish storehouse. These include the basin of a baptismal font from the 12th century and a so-called Pliktestock. The collection shifts the focus from buildings and their surroundings to individual historical objects. Thus, the church and cemetery represent architectural and spatial connections, while the parish storehouse puts specific objects at the center. A more recent cultural point of interest is the school in the middle of the village: during the 2020 Västervik Street Art Festival, held in the northern part of the municipality, it received a mural. The juxtaposition of an object from the 12th century and a festival event from 2020 spans a broad period of local cultural history.

Choosing Blackstad to suit your interests

When choosing Blackstad as a place to stay, you can weigh up different priorities: the landscape and the Tjustleden offer opportunities to enjoy nature and hike, while Hängesten adds an Ice Age formation. The area’s cultural and historical heritage ranges from the church’s architectural history and setting to the objects in the parish storehouse and the mural associated with the 2020 festival. This lets you base your choice of location on the interests that matter most to your trip.

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For the main travel overview: Västervik.