Sustainable through Sweden: 20 stops in Småland & Öland

A few months ago, our founding team, Madeleine and Benjamin, received a request: Would you like to travel through southern Sweden and discover many sustainable experiences in Småland and Öland?

Ahoy, we're Madeleine, Benjamin, and our little son. Come along and join us on our sustainable trip to southern Sweden! Perhaps our report will inspire you to plan your next vacation in Småland and Öland? We hope you enjoy it!

1. Arrival & Preparation

"For the travel report, you should know that we were only on the road for a week, and we recommend planning at least two weeks if you want to see everything. And that leads to our first tip for sustainable travel: the principle of slow travel. Slow travel allows you, for example, to plan your shopping, always use up all your food, and get to know the local nature and culture much better."

On June 31, 2023, the journey finally begins! But we still have a lot to do:

• Our preparation for long car journeys always begins with a service for our VW T6 at the workshop. Safety first!
• Then we work through our shopping list. This includes, for example, cartridges for the gas stove, fresh fruit and vegetables, plenty of snacks, and food that will keep well even in warm temperatures in the car.
• We pack as little luggage as possible. This has two advantages: We don't have to move around as much, and we use less fuel. All our toiletries fit into a travel case in the felt holder on the back seat. We use a "shower bar" for shampoo and shower gel, and we've also replaced toothpaste, sunscreen, conditioner, and dish soap with solid products.
• We all have our own water bottles, which we refill whenever we have the chance. I also highly recommend a travel kettle and a mug that you always carry with you to avoid using coffee-to-go cups. Another tip for home: I bought myself a favorite mug with a carabiner and have gotten into the habit of never leaving the house without it.
• This time, we filled a casserole dish with vegan lasagna and whatever vegetables we had left over and simply brought it along. We wrapped our sandwiches in wax paper, which we reused during the trip whenever we needed to bring opened food.

And then we were off. We decided to travel by ferry, as we didn't want to drive such long distances in one go with our young son. We spent the first night in Malmö, and this is where our adventure through Sweden began, heading towards Småland and Öland.

2. Ikea Museum in Älmhult

https://ikeamuseum.com/en/

In our search for sustainable trends and developments in Sweden, one topic immediately struck us as obvious: the furniture business. Because somehow the Swedes manage to make everything look pretty and tasteful, while also being sustainably minimalist and long-lasting! So, our first stop was the IKEA Museum in Älmhult.

"We still have some furniture from our childhood bedrooms in our apartment, and we also furnished our children's room with the Trofast shelving unit. It always looks tidy. We painted it white and stuck little wooden signs on it so everyone knows what's in the toy boxes."

Since we were interested in learning more about IKEA's founding story, we asked an employee who patiently answered our questions. This IKEA store is the first ever to exist and showcases the evolution of furniture over the years. What's particularly exciting is that you can also see the original designs here. Our son was able to discover things around every corner, scan barcodes, and touch and learn about the materials.

We spent a particularly long time in the "Democratic Design" section of the main exhibition. This section explores IKEA's philosophy, including how we reconcile sustainability and affordability.

Together with form, function, and quality, these are the five guiding principles of product development. This exhibition explores, among other things, the use of recycled plastic and other materials that can reduce the ecological footprint of furniture. Since we are passionate about this aspect, we spoke in detail with a museum employee.

The museum's exhibitions change regularly, so you can come back every year to see the latest developments. There are always recycling collections—be sure to keep an eye out!

My personal highlight was visiting the museum shop, which offers many unique gift ideas that you'll hardly find at any other IKEA store worldwide. We took a pleasant break from the car ride here and learned a lot along the way. Our latest travel acquisition is a rainbow-colored IKEA bag, which we'll use from now on to transport our BRACENET nets. We also plan to use it to collect trash, should we encounter any.

You can then enjoy a meal with your family in the in-house restaurant. By the way, in addition to the well-known dishes, there are now also vegan versions – have you heard of the Plantbullar?

For anyone who loves vegan and gluten-free treats and can't get enough of Swedish design at IKEA, we highly recommend the lovingly decorated Muff Café. The owner personally prepares many of the delicacies on offer at the counter. We love discovering the countries we travel to through their flavors, and in this café, you can get a first taste of Sweden with regional ingredients and herbs. We ate our way through the menu and can truly recommend every dish on the small menu. We were able to romp around in the garden with our son and felt very welcome here. The 207 positive Google reviews were right – be sure to stop by.

With our little car enthusiast on board, we naturally had to visit the Bilkyrkogården Kyrkö Mosse car cemetery. It was once a scrapyard that Åke Danielsson operated from 1940 to 1991 and then abandoned. But the vehicles remain.

Today, nature is literally reclaiming everything here. Plants, even trees, grow out of old, moss-covered vehicles. We took a break, transported ourselves back in time, and imagined what the vehicles once looked like. During a walk in the forest, with rays of sunlight filtering through the trees, we captured some wonderful motifs and thoroughly enjoyed our time. Our little man was able to get into almost every vehicle and didn't want to leave.

It's a shame that there is so much junk in nature - but it's also fascinating to see how nature is reclaiming its habitat.

3. Muff Café

https://www.instagram.com/muffalmhult/

For anyone who loves vegan and gluten-free treats and can't get enough of Swedish design at IKEA, we recommend the lovingly decorated Muff Café.

The owner personally prepares many of the delicacies on offer at the counter. We love discovering the countries we travel to through their flavors, and in this café, you can get a first taste of Sweden with regional ingredients and herbs. We ate our way through the menu and can truly recommend all the dishes on the small menu. We were able to play in the garden with our son and felt very welcome. The 207 positive Google reviews were right—be sure to stop by.

4. Bilkyrkogården Kyrkö Mosse – the car cemetery

With our little car enthusiast on board, we naturally had to visit the Bilkyrkogården Kyrkö Mosse car cemetery. It was once a scrapyard that Åke Danielsson operated from 1940 to 1991 and then abandoned. But the vehicles remain.

Today, nature is literally reclaiming everything here. Plants, even trees, grow out of old, moss-covered vehicles. We took a break, transported ourselves back in time, and imagined what the vehicles once looked like.

During a walk in the woods, with sunbeams filtering through the trees, we captured some wonderful shots and thoroughly enjoyed our time. Our little man was able to get into almost any vehicle and didn't want to leave.

It's a shame that there is so much junk in nature - but it's also fascinating to see how nature is reclaiming its habitat.

5. Getnö - Lake Åsnen Resort

https://www.getnogard.se/en/

One of our highlights was Lake Åsnen Resort in Åsnen National Park. Although we've been to northern Småland several times, this was our first time discovering this beautiful place.

The owner, Ingrid, the second generation to run the park, loves it and knows every stone. She sees at least one moose every week on her daily forays through the national park. We learned that a female moose lives on almost every island, and that the bull moose swim to the islands to mate. Maybe you'll be lucky and spot a swimming moose?

Here, we felt like we were experiencing a piece of Canada in the middle of Sweden. It felt so far away from home, even though it was only a day's journey away!

All around us were lakes, small, romantic red houses, and unique nature. If you imagine Sweden by the lake, that's exactly what it is. You can find places like that all over Sweden, but here, every minute you drive around a bend and have to exclaim, "Oh, how beautiful!"

We stayed in this wonderfully equipped house:

https://www.getnogard.se/en/houses/haren

The house is equipped with everything you need for a pleasant camping experience, including a microwave, stove, grill, and shower. If you're craving something warm, you can book meal kits that you can prepare yourself, or simply sit down at the on-site restaurant.

It was so cozy here that we're considering hosting our next BRACENET team outing here. The venue is perfectly equipped and even has its own dance bar that you can rent.

We had a charcoal grill package, which we immediately put to use. And here, too, there are vegan and vegetarian options.

You're in the middle of the most recent nature reserve inaugurated by the royal family. And you can really feel it: a place so peaceful we only know it from fairy tales.

Have you already seen Åsnen's "Big 5"? Here you can observe ospreys, moose, black-throated divers, cranes, and sea eagles up close. We even spotted a nest with young birds.

Here you can rent canoes or a boat and explore the lakes from the water. We discovered a huge black-throated diver's egg and even spotted one of these massive birds in the water.

Although we're not usually the biggest fans of campsites, we recommend this spot for its secluded cabins and close proximity to nature. We only knew about a floating island for sunbathing from summer stories—we would have loved to stay here longer.

Next time we'll rent one of the houses that you can only get to by boat and stay a little longer.

https://www.getnogard.se/en/houses/vikingaborgen/

6. Åsnen Full Experience

From the resort, you can take numerous excursions and explore the surrounding area. We loved spending the day swimming in the lakes of Åsnen and returning to camp in the evening.

We were particularly impressed by the extensive recycling options both in the surrounding area and at the accommodations. At every hiking trailhead, there were options for proper waste separation and sufficient bins. There were even special bins for dog and child waste.

Something that particularly struck us was that there wasn't a single piece of trash on the ground, in the bushes, or in the lake. Not one. It touched us deeply that there are still places where both locals and visitors show such respect for the environment.

Especially as parents of a small child, it was very nice not to have to constantly remind them to pick up something. This allowed us to concentrate on observing caterpillars and dragonflies. We checked out several routes, all of which we can recommend.

Here you will find a brief overview:
https://www.vastervikoutdoor.com/vandring/

7. Kingdom of Crystal

Småland is famous for its glass art, which we now bring directly to your wrist. On our journey through Glasriket, the "Kingdom of Crystal," we met Lioba, a glass artist who works both on commission and with her own creations. We had the opportunity to experience the art of many guest artists in The Glass Factory and watch Lioba at work. We were particularly impressed by the fact that they reuse their excess glass – this is genuine, elaborate, and sustainable craftsmanship.

Did you know that glass is mostly made of sand? For more information, listen to our Ocean Crime podcast episode: https://ocean-crime.podigee.io/29-sandraub-wenn-der-welt-der-sand-ausgeht

In our shop, we had two Bracenets inspired by our trip. One of them featured a glass bead made from Lioba's production surplus. With your purchase, you not only support BRACENET and Healthy Seas, but also artists from the Kingdom of Crystal. Be sure to stop by again; we might have them in the shop again.

8. Öland

We expected many stunning views from Öland, but this unique, sometimes barren landscape, dotted with high peaks and native plants and animals, still surprised us. The same goes for the roads that wind along the coast, the beautiful, fine beaches, and the scent of lilacs that stretches as far as the eye and nose can see. You'll find the rugged coastline and the excellent food here without having to search far.

Öland is very different from the rest of Sweden and is definitely worth a visit. Even the north and south of the island are distinctly different. Whether on foot, by bike, or with a camper, you can enjoy a very varied vacation here. We particularly enjoyed the combination of our trip to the mainland and the island.

Throughout our journey, we were accompanied by entrepreneurs who had managed their accommodations, farms, and restaurants with dedication and love over the past few years. They put their heart and soul into every nook and cranny and had a story to tell us about every corner.

This warmth will stay with us for a long time. What we appreciate about the Swedes is their reserve. However, if you ask questions and show interest, they will share their stories with shining eyes. It's no surprise that the royal family has a residence here and can maintain their anonymity despite the diverse culture.

9. Arontorp Kroppkakor

Arontorps Kroppkakor, Torslunda 102, 386 96 Färjestaden.

Delicacies that locals queue for an hour at Arontorps Kroppkakor? This is definitely worth a try. If you're traveling to Öland, be sure to stop by and grab a portion to go or try it on-site. Here you'll find regional dishes, either buffet-style or to-go.

Kroppkator consist of potato dough filled with pork and onions, served with cream, butter, and lingonberries. A flavorfully interesting dish that surprised our palates. Of particular note is the strong emphasis on regional ingredients in Sweden, which minimizes the carbon footprint of all meals. "Regional" here means that the flour comes from the village mill, the milk from a neighboring farm, and the cheese from a nearby dairy.

10. Hiking in the World Heritage Site: Agricultural Landscape in Southern Öland

Hiking through southern Öland truly amazed us. There are orchid species found only here, and many herbs that now characterize the island's cuisine and flavors. I recommend exploring the island's treasures with a guide and learning something along the way. Over 140 km of hiking trails lead through this extraordinary southern Swedish landscape.

Although the landscape appears flat at first glance, you'll continually discover new soil structures and numerous monuments that speak of another era. Our tour lasted about an hour, and we enjoyed every second.

11. Eksgården Krog & Rum – Hotel and Restaurant

Address: Gårdby 149, 386 92 Färjestaden