Rugstorp and Abbetorp are two neighboring villages at a road junction between Bäckebo and Ålem, in the northeastern part of Nybro Municipality. Together, they form the cultural heritage area “Rugstorp Abbetorp kulturmiljöområde.” This shared designation provides a cultural context for the area without narrowing its stories to a single theme. Local connections range from a person from the area to memorial sites and former social functions. On your trip of discovery, art history and the history of specific places can therefore be explored as distinct perspectives. The geographical setting brings together three elements: the neighboring villages, their shared cultural designation and their location in the northeastern part of Nybro Municipality. Bäckebo and Ålem mark the reference points for the road junction mentioned here.
Cultural history: wood art and places of remembrance
The woodcarver “Rugstorparn” came from the Rugstorp-Abbetorp area and worked there. Another trace is the exhibition “Rugstorparn,” about wood sculptor Helge Rugland, which was located at Rugstorps Lantgård in Rugstorp. The name “Rugstorparn” thus appears in connection with both the woodcarver and the exhibition title, but the references are different: for the woodcarver, it refers to his origins and work in the Rugstorp-Abbetorp area; for the exhibition, it refers to Helge Rugland as its subject and Rugstorps Lantgård as its location. Wood art can thus be encountered both as the story of a person and as the subject of an exhibition.
Vargstenen stands by the road between Rugstorp and Ă…lem and commemorates the last wolf hunt in SmĂĄland, in 1868. The memorial stone thus links a specific place with an event and a clearly stated year. Rugstorps Sten, by contrast, is a legendary glacial erratic at the Rugstorp road junction. In the past, it served as a meeting and gathering place. This distinction can help you choose a theme: Vargstenen draws attention to a dated event in SmĂĄland, while Rugstorps Sten highlights its former social function as a place where people gathered.
Farm experiences
“Taste the Farm at Rugstorps Farm” is a guided farm experience at Rugstorps Lantgård. For the lamb safari, visitors meet at the noticeboard outside the café; then they walk together from the meeting point to the sheep barn. These details offer different points of reference when choosing: “Taste the Farm” focuses on a guided farm experience, while the lamb safari includes a meeting point and a shared walk as part of the activity. If you plan to take part in “Taste the Farm,” check the latest dates again before your trip.
The cow release at Rugstorps LantgĂĄrd is also a tradition. An SVT report dated April 25, 2026, and updated on April 29, reports that the cow release has attracted thousands of visitors over a period of more than ten years. The focus here is therefore on the long-standing tradition and the interest it draws, while the lamb safari information describes the itinerary for a single event.
Discover more destinations: Runnö, Gullabo.
For the broader travel overview: Kalmar.
