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Skirö and the area around Wallby Säteri are known as the Garden of Småland, a name that dates back to Carl Linnaeus. The name comes from the rich flora, the many deciduous trees, the lakes and the rolling landscape.
Hiking
Hiking in the Garden of Småland offers beautiful trails through pastures, cultural reserves and deep forests. At Wallby Säteri you will get simple maps and tips on hidden gems. A few suggestions:
Skirösjön Runt 6.3 km. This trail was created by Wallby Säteri and takes you through beautiful forest, over hills and through pastures with grazing cows. It then follows the country road back to Skirö, past Skirö church and finally down the tree-lined avenue to Wallby Säteri.
Fröjda Backe 2.5 km. This shorter trail also starts at the hotel. It follows the gravel road and climbs through the horse paddock to a seating area with fantastic views over the lake. It continues into the forest, full of wood anemones in spring, and finally along a forest road through idyllic Småland countryside before you turn up the avenue to the manor.
Höglandsleden 20.6 km. On this stage you hike through the eastern part of the Garden of Småland, crossing several actively grazed pastures with high natural value. You pass viewpoints with beautiful, sweeping views of the landscape and glittering lakes. In the Högarp cultural reserve, preserved since 1816, you can experience what a farming community looked like 200 years ago.
Cycling
Cycling in the Garden of Småland offers beautiful Småland terrain with meadows, forests and charming gravel roads. The area is hilly and the gravel cycling is fantastic. Popular routes and tips:
Saljen runt 34 km. The “Saljen runt” route has a little of everything Småland has to offer. A stretch of living countryside with villages set among beautiful meadows and pastures, secluded forests, rippling lakes and streams. Along the way you will find cosy cafés and historic manor houses, Åsa-Nisse’s home district in Skirö, and Stenberga with Pälle Näver and its open-air theatre.
The long route through the Garden of Småland 64.3 km. The long route through the Garden of Småland offers a mix of smaller gravel roads, asphalt and hilly countryside in the South Swedish highlands. The route was created by Wallby Säteri in collaboration with Smålands Turism and is perfect for experienced cyclists who want to discover more of the area’s hidden gems.
Cycle in the Småland film landscape. Cykla i Filmlandskapet Småland offers guided bike tours to some of the most beautiful places in northern Småland. The tours start from the square in Mariannelund and take you to Katthult, Bullerbyn (Noisy Village) or the filming locations in and around Mariannelund. Hear film secrets and anecdotes from the time when Astrid Lindgren’s classic stories were turned into films.
Relaxation & wellness
Jetty, swimming and spa the Wallby way! Just a few hundred metres from Wallby Säteri & Gårdshotell, Lake Skirösjön glistens. This is where you will find the swimming jetty, the small sandy beach and the sauna. Few things beat a dip in the lake combined with the warmth of the wood-fired sauna.
Family activities
Borrow a fishing rod and catch a small perch before breakfast, pet the cat, paddle a canoe or swim until your fingers turn wrinkly. Rubber boots are available to borrow if you want to jump in puddles and make mud pies.
You can also borrow toy boxes, story books from the library, football pitch and footballs, bikes and bike helmets, hobby horses and fishing rods, and there are plenty of animals to say hello to.
A stone’s throw from the restaurant, with the avenue and the lake as a backdrop, is the newly built pétanque court. Boules can be borrowed at reception.
The restaurant has a children’s menu.
Fishing and canoeing
Feel free to borrow a rowing boat or canoe, perhaps for a fishing trip or a voyage of discovery? Why not borrow a fishing rod and try your luck? Lake Skirösjön has plenty of freshwater fish such as perch and pike. If luck is on your side, Wallby Säteri will happily cook your catch in the evening!
Wildlife around Wallby
Wildlife around Wallby is rich and, with a little luck, you may spot roe deer, moose, wild boar and even lynx. More than 200 bird species also nest around Lake Skirösjön, and the lake is full of fish such as pike and perch. The manor also has its own animals: horses, cows and sheep that graze in the surrounding pastures for much of the year. You are also likely to meet one of the farm cats.
Cultural experiences
Högarp village. Experience the Högarp village cultural reserve in Stenberga parish. The farms line a village street with their pastures and fields alongside. Visit and immerse yourself in what life was like in the early 20th century.
Kulturgatan Bodafors. A vibrant destination in the Småland highlands with a focus on craftsmanship, design and creativity. In summer you can enjoy exhibitions, have fika at Bageri Röda Längan, take part in workshops and events, and visit the Lehmann family’s well-preserved intarsia workshop.
Virserum Konsthall. With 1,600 square metres of exhibition space, the art gallery shows contemporary art in exhibitions about everyday life, research and current social issues. Wood, forests, sustainability, textile craft and fibre art are central themes that recur in the gallery’s exhibitions. A countryside art gallery whose story is intertwined with Virserum as a community and the history of the town.
Kleva Gruva. Kleva Mine is located about 15 km from Vetlanda, deep in the forest on Kleva mountain, surrounded by the beautiful Småland landscape of hills, forests, juniper bushes, lakes and typical red wooden houses with white corners. Join a mine tour, go on a treasure hunt and try your luck panning for gold. Or take on the obstacle course, grill moose sausage over an open fire and visit the small museum. The mine is also home to a large number of bats.
Skirö church. The church dates from 1837, and the remains of a medieval church ruin can also be found here.