Hiking trails: Ellen Key's Trail
⋅ Älvarum Trail
⋅ Ombergtrail (Around Omberg/Östgöta Trail)
Motiontrack: Ommaspåret
Hiking suggestions: "Marialeden"
⋅ former Klosterleden Alvastra-Vadstena
Nature trails: Greta's garden
⋅ Omberg and ice age
⋅ Orchid Trail
⋅ Forest loop (Trees and bushes)
Detail maps: Alvastra
⋅ Stocklycke
⋅ Borghamn / North Omberg
Show map on full screen ⋅ pdf
6.1 km
This hike offers views for miles, beech forests that smell of wild garlic, scraggy shoreline forest, and a blooming hayfield.
The path goes down toward Vättern on the boulder ridge from the Stocklycke parking lot. After about 200 meters, you will come to a hayfield – one of the most species-rich and most endangered types of nature in Sweden.
From Stocklycke hamn, the path winds through a varied “shoreline forest”, past the Rödgavel grotto toward Bokskogen nature reserve. Just south of the nature reserve, Ellen Key built her tasteful house, Strand, in 1910, designing it as “a home for the soul”. Sverkersgården, just after Strand, is an old crypt church. The path passes Omberg's Touristhotel and then takes a steep incline up to the highest point in Omberg, Hjässan, where views of Östgötaslätten, Tåkern, and Vättern await. Around Hjässan, you will find the ruins of Hjässaborgen, the largest of Omberg’s ancient castles.
The pond of Mörkahålkärret nature reserve harbors toads, frogs, and other pond animals. Keep an eye out for grass snakes on the prowl for frogs! The last leg of the path goes through a beautiful beech forest.
7.5 km
On this hike, you can experience the diversity of the heights and the natural spruce forests, get a taste of Lake Vättern, and visit some gorgeous lookout points.
A few hundred meters after the start, the path enters a so-called glaciofluvial channel—a remnant of the Ice Age. North of Pers sten, you follow a bewitching and gorgeous stretch down toward Älvarums udde. You can catch glimpses of Lake Vättern through the trees of the deciduous forest and behind awe-inspiring spruces. At Älvarums udde, you can go down to the pebble beach for a dip or to catch some fish for dinner. Just north of Älvarums udde is Storpissan Nature Reserve. In the spring, the Storpissan stream, which runs along the northern boundary of the nature reserve, builds a forceful Stream straight out into Vättern.
Take a detour to the slope of Marberget, with its magnificent view of Vättern and the forests of Omberg. The return trip passes Borggården, the most well-preserved of the mountain’s three ancient castles, and the limestone marsh in Mörkahålkärret Nature Reserve.
26.1 km
The crème de la crème of the mountain’s natural and cultural treasures lies along this hiking path. Västra Väggar, Alvastra, and Ellen Key’s Strand are well known in Sweden and abroad, but along this path you will also find lesser-known favorites, such as Bockakyrkogården and Renstadfällan.
The route up to Storpissan nature reserve is described under “Älvarumsleden”. North of the mouth of Storpissan, you will find an oak landscape that is reminiscent of the Djurgården epoch when the mountain was a royal hunting ground. Livestock graze here once again. The hike continues past the lime-rich Vitlerbäcken toward the viewpoint Västra Väggar. Here, you can peer down into the clear water of Vättern from 100 meters above. At Drottning Omma's Borg, you will find wall ruins from a 1,500-year-old castle. You will also get a view of the historical Borghamn with its limestone quarry, port, and Bockakyrkogården – the burial site of soldiers and prisoners from the "Kronoarbetskåren" (Royal labour corps).
While hiking along eastern Omberg, you will soon meet Östgötaslätten. You will pass Ombergsliden nature reserve, which harbors some of Östergötland’s foremost orchid marshes, and Renstadfällan’s natural pastureland, which is rich in flowers and offers a view of Tåkern and the plains. At Höje Lilläng, you pass unique pasture and hayfield environments. Stop for a while and read about the nature conservation project going on here. On the southern slope of Omberg, you will meet extensive beech, ash, and elm forests. Alvastra kloster is made up of the grand ruins of the medieval Cistercian monastery. The path from Ombergs turisthotell and back to the starting point, Stocklycke, is described – in the opposite direction – under ”Ellen Key's trail”.
NOTE! Some sections of the route between Stocklycke Harbour and Ellen Key's Strand consist of paths in close proximity to the steep bank of Lake Vättern. Caution is advised here—especially if the ground is damp or if you have small children with you.
[Texts are published with kind permission of Sveaskog]
Ekopark Omberg
Folder Ekopark Omberg (in English)
Folder Trails Ekopark Omberg (in Swedish)
Östgötaleden (Östgöta Trail)
The Omberg Trail also forms stages of the Östgöta Trail, an extensive network of over 1,500 kilometers of hiking trails covering the entire Östergötland region. If you want to experience the varied nature and rich cultural environments of Östergötland, you can choose from over a hundred stages of varying difficulty and head out into the beautiful Östgöta landscape!
The Omberg Trail/Omberg Loop ends in the north at Brottsledet. From there, the Östgöta Trail continues via the historical center of Borghamn (the Borghamn listed buildings, Borghamn Strand), Hovanäsudden, and Bårstad, onwards to Vadstena Abbey Church. See uMap (Östgötaleden Omberg–Borghamn–Vadstena).
Östgöta Trail
Östgöta Trail's digital map
Östgötaleden - St. Klintslingan
5 km
In June 2024, Region Östergötland (the manager of the Östgötaleden trail), in collaboration with Sveaskog, set up a circular hiking trail in southern Omberg to the ‘Emerge’ windbreak at St. Klint, which was created by the Arknat network and opened in August 2023. The windbreak offers a wide view over the plain.
From Almalyckan in Alvastra, follow the eastern route of Ombergsleden towards Södra Djurledet, but after a kilometer turn left and walk up over the southern fault to Klintvägen. From there, continue to the right and arrive at the windbreak ‘Emerge’ after another 500 meters on Klintvägen.
The walk continues past Lilla Klint towards Nyhagenkärret and from there back over the fault and along it back to Almalyckan.
A pleasant hike on the sunny side of Omberg, but with two steep slopes.
Shorter and easier trails to St. Klint are included in our hiking suggestions in Swedish.
Note: On the Östgötaleden map boards (e.g., at Almalyckan), the loop is marked in blue. The track itself is marked in orange. Make sure you follow the right trail!
Signature Trail Omberg
The western section of the Omberg Trail is part of the Swedish Tourist Association’s "Signature Trail Omberg" (Ödeshög–Borghamn–Vadstena, 51 km). A signature trail is beautiful and offers spectacular nature experiences. The trail’s natural environment is characteristic of its region. There are 16 signature trails in Sweden. If you hike ten of them, you receive a diploma.
0.8 km from Sjövägen, 0.6 km from entry to beechwood.
See the pillared hall of the beechwood forest outside Ecopark Centre. This 650 m trail can easily accommodate wheelchairs, walking frames, and prams.
The 650 m long circular route is very easy to walk with a wheelchair, rollator, and pushchair. Visually impaired people can orientate themselves using a guide rope. There are two rest areas with tables along the way, and benches on a bridge over the beautiful stream. In spring, the forest is full of magnificent birdsong. Wood anemones, dark lungwort, and violets also bloom. In summer, the deep shade of the beech forest ensures peace and tranquillity. The beech forest at the Ecopark Centre is ‘only’ 130 years old and used to be the farmland of the Stocklycke farm. Look out for piles of stones and remnants of ditches over which small bridges lead.
1.7 km
Ommaspåret is an approx. 1.7 km long motion track below Marsafällan, between Drottning Ommas Borg and Steneborg. The circuit also passes Mormorskällan (Grandmother's spring), Borghamn's limestone quarry, and Brottsledet.
The lights have been dismantled due to storm damage.
After the rerouting of the Omberg trail between Steneborg and Vallgatan in August 2020, the Klosterleden also got a new route between Alvastra and Borghamn, and the "Maria trail" was replaced by the new (Virgin) Maria round. Both follow the Omberg trail (Around Omberg/Östgöta trail).
The old routes remain and you can still hike them. Especially the "Marialeden" is popular with visitors to northern Omberg.
10.3 km / 15 km
The "Maria Trail" is a shorter ca. 10.5 km long day hike that leads from Borghamn through the beautiful Omberg Ecopark and passes the Monastery of the Sacred Heart, Ombergsliden, Västra Väggar, and Drottning Omma's Borg.
If you want to hike for an additional hour, follow the trail behind Svartsvall to Hälle källor and then walk along Norra Sjövägen to Västra Väggar.
Note: The Marialeden does not have its own markings. Follow the maps of UpplevVadstena or the directions in Swedish.
Marialeden was planned when there were public car parks directly at the harbour in Borghamn. Today, the municipal visitor car park at the harbour entrance (junction N Sjövägen/Borghamnsvägen) or Brottsledet is recommended as a starting point. The Ombergsliden nature reserve car park works equally well.
The former Alvastra–Vadstena Monastery Trail has had varied routes and exciting shortcuts. Markers and signposts bear witness to this. Feel free to continue along the old routes. Roads and shortcuts have not lost their charm.
40 km
On Klosterleden from Alvastra Monastery to Vadstena, you hike over Omberg, the holy mountain of Östergötland. One admires the view over the Vättern, visits the Convent of the Sacred Heart, hikes over the plain of Östergötland, and finally reaches the pilgrimage destination, the abbey church in Vadstena. Accommodation is available at the youth hostels in Stocklycke and Vadstena, Borghamn Strand, and the Pilgrim Centre in Vadstena.
The entire Klosterleden, which once stretched from Kolmården in the north and Alvastra in the south to Vadstena, received its name because it passed eleven monasteries with five different monastic traditions.
The Klosterleden begins at Alvastra Monastery. Via Hjässan and Stocklycke, you get to Västra Väggar. From there, you can either take the path via Svartsvall, Ombergsliden, past the Convent of the Sacred Heart to Borghamn or Rogslösa, or hike directly to Borghamn.
Note: The Klosterleden was marked with the "Birgittakringla" and red arrows on posts. Some markings are damaged, and some posts are missing. However, the trail follows Ellen Key's trail via Hjässan and Ombergsleden to Västra Väggar and the old route of Ombergsleden from Svartsvall via Ombergsliden to the Abbey of the Sacred Heart and on to Borghamn.
Facilities:
The map section shows all the ways and paths between Borghamn Strand, Brottsledet and Drottning Omma's Borg.
The direct connection between Borghamn Strand and Drottning Omma's Borg past Bockakyrkogården is steep and you have to hold on to ropes. In addition, the path crosses two fence steps, one of which is directly in the slope. Hikers with walking difficulties or with dogs are best advised to use Bockavägen and Sjövägen (i.e. the official route of Marialeden) or alternatively Bockavägen and the lower motion track.
Facilities:
Facilities:
Signpost Östgötaleden
Photo: Jim Löfgren
