Holiday apartment in Vadstena – Abbey Church, Castle and Lake Vättern

Vadstena brings together monastic history, a vibrant cultural scene and the landscape around Lake Vättern in a compact area. The Abbey Church of Vadstena is particularly distinctive: it was consecrated on 16 February 1430, built according to the detailed instructions of Saint Bridget, and is regarded as one of Europe’s most important pilgrimage destinations.

Culture and history

In the historic town centre, cobbled streets pass preserved wooden houses. Vadstena Castle began as a defensive fortress and was later transformed into a continental Renaissance palace. Today, the castle hosts guided tours and exhibitions; it also stages Medieval Days, a Christmas market and castle concerts.

Several museums preserve the town’s eventful history. The building of the Sancta Birgitta Convent Museum successively served as a royal palace, convent, veterans’ home and psychiatric hospital. A general tour traces this development from palace to convent, veterans’ home and hospital, and finally to museum. Hospitalmuseet – Stora Dårhuset was the first hospital in Sweden built exclusively for people with mental illnesses; the building is a state-protected historic monument.

The Vadstena City Museum includes a medieval two-storey storehouse. Its ground floor is made of rubble stone, while the upper floor is built of brick. The Folkungaätten Palace is also part of the town’s historic heritage: it dates from the 1260s and became part of the first convent of the Bridgettine sisters in the 14th century.

Pilgrimage tradition

Vadstena’s religious history is not confined to its buildings. The Pilgrimscentrum offers courses, hikes, retreats and seminars, and provides information about pilgrimage trails. Vadstena is also the destination of the pilgrimage hike along the Birgittaleden. Here, a defined network of trails, the Abbey Church and the traditions surrounding Saint Bridget come together in one place.

Nature and trails

The surrounding area also opens onto a variety of landscapes. The Tåkern nature reserve extends across Vadstena, Mjölby and Ödeshög and includes birdwatching towers, a nature centre and marked hiking trails. Omberg offers opportunities for cycling, hiking and excursions with views. The Östgötaleden and Pilgrimsleden trails lead from Ödeshög via Omberg to Vadstena.

Lake Vättern offers opportunities for swimming, fishing, kayaking and boat trips. Vadstena also has a beach and a guest harbour. Alongside the historic sights, water, shoreline and trails therefore form independent parts of the town and its surrounding region.

The stage and events

Vadstena-Akademien creates operas by commissioning new works and performing older operas that have often been unjustly forgotten. The programme at Vadstena’s Old Theatre includes operas and concerts. The theatre has been preserved in almost its original condition and is one of Sweden’s oldest theatres.

Getting there and information

Long-distance buses and trains to Vadstena run via Linköping, Mjölby and Motala; onward regional bus connections to Vadstena are available from there. Vadstena InfoCenter provides visitors with information about accommodation, restaurants, sights, experiences and activities in Vadstena and the surrounding area.

Also pay attention to which services are included, how the price is made up and which booking or cancellation conditions apply. Open several offer pages that you would like to examine more closely, compare these details at your leisure and only then choose the booking option that suits your own circumstances.

More local pages: Vadstena, Borghamn. More destinations in the same wider area: Kinda, Boxholm, Motala, Ödeshög, Åtvidaberg, Linköping.

Back to the main travel overview: Östergötland.