Ellen Key’s trail: between Lake Vättern, beech woods and the history of Omberg

Park in the car park at Stocklycke Hamn.

Blue markings

(S/E) Start climbing the path to the right of the road.

(1) A little further on, carefully cross the car park, the road and the hamlet of Stocklycke Vandrarhem to continue the climb.

(2) About 1 km past the last buildings, turn right towards Hjässan. Carefully cross the road and the small car park and continue in the same direction.

(3) Cross the summit and begin the descent. At the end of the path, turn right. Start a slightly steeper descent and take the three-way junction after the stone steps.

(4) At the bottom, turn right and follow the road for a short while, then take the path on the left which descends towards Ellen Keys Strand.

(5) Continue along the path behind the car park at Ellen Keys Strand, then head straight down to the left and walk for about 1.5 km through the tall beech trees until you reach the car park at Stocklycke Hamn (S/E).

Toilets are available at car parks (1), (2) and (4).

(3) Hjässan is the highest point on Omberg. Here you can enjoy the small viewing platform offering a superb panorama of Lake Vättern, Lake Tåkern and the Östergötland plain. You can also find the remains of an ancient hill fort, a reminder of the site’s strategic importance in the past.

(5) Ellen Key was a Swedish writer, educator and thinker of the early^20th century, known for her progressive ideas on education, the role of women and the art of living. Deeply attached to Omberg and Lake Vättern, she had her house, Strand, built here as a place of beauty, simplicity and reflection.