At Trollegater, an approximately 200-metre-long hiking trail marked in orange leads from the car park to the caves. The nature reserve is home to one of the largest systems of primary rock caves in Sweden. The main cave is 110 metres long in total; you have to crawl through some passages. The short approach and the cave passages make for different parts of the visit. The car park has space for about 15 cars; there is a separate parking area for buses.
Hiking through a varied landscape
The Östgötaleden trail runs through the varied natural surroundings and diverse cultural landscape around Kinda, connecting Kinda with Linköping, Åtvidaberg, Ydre and Boxholm. From Kisa, there is also a southern link to the Sevedeleden trail in Småland. Pastures, deep forests, hilly terrain, ravines, rocks and numerous lakes give the landscape its varied contours.
For a specific stage, the Östgötaleden trail between Kisa and Horn is marked in green and graded as easy. Beyond Horn, the trail continues for another 14 kilometres on an easy hike to the border with Småland, where the Östgötaleden joins the Sevedeleden. This gives you a choice of both a graded stage and other sections of the trail network.
Circular Trails, Shorelines and Views
At Hallstad ängar, an approximately three-kilometre circular route connects Hallstad ängar, Borgarmon and Klevberget. From Klevberget, you can see across the deciduous forests of Borgarmon and the meadows of Hallstad to the broad expanse of Järnlunden. More than 200 regularly pollarded lime trees grow in the Hallstad ängar nature reserve; there is also a natural sandy beach on Lake Järnlunden.
On Hackelboön, an approximately 500-metre-long trail leads from the car park to a shoreline with a natural sandy beach that invites you to swim. The first 300 metres of the shoreline trail run along a wide, level path with fine gravel and are suitable for pushchairs or rollators. Hackelboön also has five Nature Agent activities for children aged eight to twelve.
Lakes and Waterways
Kinda is a region of many lakes: Åsunden and Järnlunden are among its defining lakes, and the Kinda Canal winds through the municipality. Day, evening and shorter trips are offered on the canal aboard a passenger boat. The canal and lake system offers good waters for paddling for much of the year; all locks have canoe landings for portaging. This means you can choose from passenger trips of varying lengths or paddle and portage at the locks.
The bathing spots also differ in their facilities. Åsunden’s beach has a sandy shore, jetties, a diving tower, a toilet and an accessible ramp. Värgårdsudde is centrally located in Kisa, on Lake Kisasjön; it has a jetty and a small sandy or grassy beach.
Emigration History and Church Art
The Kisa Emigrant Museum is housed in one of Kisa’s oldest cultural buildings, dating from the 18th century and associated with Sundius’ emigration agency. Exhibitions and sound installations tell the stories of individual emigrants, complemented by photographs, letters, documents and objects from the local area. In May 1845, Peter Cassel led the first organised emigration of 21 people to North America.
Tidersrums kyrka, the oldest wooden church in Östergötland, dates from the 13th century. Its furnishings include High Gothic paintings, sculptures from the early Middle Ages, an altarpiece from 1695 and an image of Saint Olaf from the 13th century. Horns kyrka was inaugurated in 1754. Its distinctive tower has a tall spire; the church also preserves much of the furnishings from the medieval church in Ekeby.
Discover more destinations: Kisa, Rimforsa, Västra Eneby, Horn, Linköping, Ydre, Sanktanna, Boxholm.
Back to the main travel overview: Östergötland.
