Discover Ydre: Sommen, nature and culture

In Ydre, you can plan a stay centered around water, nature trails and cultural sites. Sommen, hiking and cycling options, as well as museums and historic sites, offer a range of experiences. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ydre, it helps to think ahead about which experiences you want to shape your trip.

Sommen, hiking trails and nature

Naturum Sommen is located on Torpön in Lake Sommen. A large aquarium displays fish from the lake, and guided tours are also offered during the season. Check the dates if you’re planning to join a tour. Sommen is home to 22 fish species, including the Sommen charr, which has survived there since the Ice Age.

The Norra Vi Trail starts at Norra Vi Church in Ydre. The route is 50 kilometers long and runs mostly along gravel roads; the entire route is accessible by car. Check the route before setting out, as detours or maintenance work may lead to changes. Cycling options in Ydre also include routes along paved roads. A nine-kilometer hiking and cycling trail starts at Brosjögården in Ydrefors. Check the route conditions and signage in advance.

A hiking trail runs around the entire island of Torpön. For a shorter option, visit Hedners park: the trail there is about 700 meters long and partially adapted for accessibility. Its accessibility may change due to maintenance work or weather. The park is a restored botanical heritage site from the 19th century and is valued as a nature reserve for its mature, robust deciduous trees and diverse woodland environment. Waterfalls are among the attractions at Susehålsravinen, a nature reserve in Ydre, and you can explore them on foot. Check the latest access information before your visit.

Sandstorpskärret offers a different landscape: the nature reserve contains steeply sloping open bogs, a rare natural habitat in this part of Sweden. There is no parking or other visitor facilities. You can visit independently and at your own discretion; check the latest information from the relevant authority beforehand. Fishing also requires planning: Ydre has around 100 lakes, and a fishing permit is required for all of them. Before fishing, check where permits are sold and what rules apply.

Museums, farms and crafts

The Andrew Peterson Museum displays diary entries, information about emigration, photographs and items from his life, such as tools. The exhibits may change. In Asby, the Skolmuseet is housed in a school building dating from 1872; its opening hours may be tied to those of the associated museum. Smedstorps dubbelgård is an old, quadrangular farmstead set amid a well-preserved cultural landscape. One of its buildings houses part of a museum.

The history of crafts can also be explored at various sites. Österfors smedja is a water-powered smithy built in 1876. It opens to visitors for a few weeks each summer, when the history of the smithy and the blacksmith’s skills are on display. Dates vary from year to year. Today, Sunds bruk consists of a blast furnace ruin. Drawings, photos and information signs on the site give an impression of what the place looked like about a hundred years ago.

Local food and leisure

Nääs Gårdsbryggeri has a room for beer tastings, a restaurant, a pub and a farm shop. Since opening hours and offerings may change, it’s a good idea to check them before visiting. Brostorps gård makes cheese and has a summer café and farm shop; the café is seasonal. For an active break, there’s an 18-hole disc golf course at Torpavallen in Hestra; its layout may change.

When planning around seasonal offerings and routes, check the relevant dates and latest information.

Discover more destinations: Rydsnäs, Österbymo, Åtvidaberg, Boxholm, Vikbolandet, Söderköping, Finspång, Linköping.

For the broader travel overview: Östergötland.