Blackstad combines natural attractions with tangible traces of its local history. Deep forests, winding roads, open landscapes, and beautiful forest lakes shape the area. The Tjustleden trail, the Hängesten glacial erratic formation, and several cultural heritage sites offer different points of interest for a stay. You can tailor your visit to your interests: hiking and landscapes, or architectural history and other traces of the area’s past.

Landscape and hiking

The landscape is more than just forest: deep woods, winding roads, open landscapes, and beautiful forest lakes are all part of Blackstad’s character. This means that a trip focused on nature can offer a variety of experiences, from forests and water to open spaces. The Tjustleden trail adds a specific hiking option to the landscape.

Hikers can explore the Tjustleden, which offers varied and enjoyable experiences in the forest and countryside. Section 6, known as the Hallingeberg section, is about six kilometres from Blackstad. This distinguishes the trail’s general hiking opportunities from the specific location given for this section.

Another destination is Hängesten, a glacial erratic formation that was created during the Ice Age. Hängesten is in the area around Blackstad, on the road between Odensvi and Blackstad. As a natural attraction, the formation differs from hiking on the Tjustleden: here, the focus is on how a formation came into being during the Ice Age, while the trail offers an experience of forests and landscapes. If you choose based on your interests rather than following a set itinerary, you can consider these two options separately.

Church and cultural heritage surroundings

Blackstad Church (Blackstads Kyrka) was built in 1788–1790 to a design by Casper Seurling of Linköping; the master builder was Carl Samuel Modée. The architect and master builder provide different points of reference for the building’s history, while the construction dates set its historical timeframe.

The surrounding area is also part of its cultural heritage: the cemetery, together with the church, the chapel, and nearby buildings, forms a valuable cultural heritage setting. Those interested in local history can consider how these elements relate to one another, rather than focusing on just one building.

The local heritage association preserves older objects in the former parish granary, including the bowl of a 12th-century baptismal font and a so-called Pliktestock. The bowl dates from significantly earlier than the church, which was built in the late 18th century; together, the historical object and the church’s building history offer different ways to explore Blackstad’s past.

A more recent chapter in the local landscape

The local landscape also has a more recent historical layer. The school is located in the centre of the area and was one of the buildings to receive a mural during the Västervik Street Art Festival, held in the northern part of the municipality in 2020. The mural is therefore tied to a specific year and event, adding a later chapter of local history to the older heritage associated with the church and parish granary.

Discover more destinations: Hjorted, Edsbruk, Gunnebo, Blankaholm, Västervik, Gamleby, Loftahammar, Överum.

Back to the main travel overview: Västervik.