Vadstena Guide

Vadstena sits on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern in Östergötland County, Sweden, and its old centre has hardly changed shape in centuries. Most buildings date from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Locals pronounce the name “Vasstena”, which you may hear on the bus before you see it on a sign. Vättern is the second-largest lake in Sweden and the sixth-largest in Europe.

Storgatan is the main street, and the shops still cluster there as they did in the Middle Ages. The medieval street layout survives as a pedestrian zone, so you drift between façades without traffic. On Rådhustorget, the town square, the Vadstena City Museum fills a 16th-century building and costs nothing to enter.

The lake is never far away. Vadstena Castle stands right on the shore with a moat, ramparts and round cannon turrets, and the northwestern tower is open to the public. Few castles in Scandinavia still have a water-filled moat, and the transparent water of Vättern is the backdrop when you walk around it. Inside, the Castle Museum shows 16th and 17th century furniture, portraits and paintings, and the western part includes the Rikssalen hall and a castle chapel.

North of the old town lies Vadstena Abbey Church, one of the largest medieval churches in Scandinavia. Inside are medieval wooden sculptures and Saint Bridget's reliquary beside the altar. Concerts are held there, and they are worth planning a day around. Mass and Divine Office are celebrated daily, and pilgrims arrive along the Saint Birgitta Ways.

The smaller museums suit a wet afternoon. The Leksaksmuseum, the Toy Museum, is at Slottsgården opposite the castle. Gottfrid Larsson-gården honours a local sculptor and also holds the Spetsmuseum, a bobbin lace museum in a town that has woven lace since the 17th century. The sightseeing train Hjulius gives a guided tour if your feet need a rest. Railway fans can add the museum of the Vadstena-Fågelsta narrow gauge line.

Beyond the centre, Borghamn lies 15 km south, with a harbour, fish to buy and a walk up Omberg. Lake Tåkern, a known birdwatching site, has a Naturum visitor centre. In summer the Vadstena Academy stages opera in the castle's Bröllopssalen, and the courtyard hosts classical and pop concerts.