Stensjö by Heritage Village

Come and visit Stensjö village, Kalmar County’s first heritage village. Here you can wander through the heritage landscape and around the unchanged village, with buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. The cluster of red painted houses is located in a light, open landscape, with narrow, winding gravel trails and miles of traditional roundpole fencing.

Stensjö village takes you far back in time to a landscape created by haymaking and grazing over centuries and that is still partly maintained in the traditional manner. The fields are home to sheep, cows and pigs, and chickens wander freely around the village. You might recognise the location from Astrid Lindgren’s films about the Children of Bullerbyn Village, as several scenes were filmed in the village and on the paths around it.

The village of Stensjö was first mentioned in writing in 1351, as Stenzöö, ‘the rocky island’. The name makes sense if you see how the landscape looked before streams and other watercourses were drained to provide arable land. The oldest map of Stensjö is from 1709. At that time, all of Stensjö was owned by Wendela Hammarskjöld and used by a tenant. When the Great Partition agricultural land reform was introduced in 1815–1816 there were five owners, but the partition led to a dispute, which was why the next reform, in 1850, was not introduced here. That allowed all the farms to remain in the village instead of relocating.

Walking around Stensjö village

You can also walk along three different marked footpaths around the heritage landscape to take in more of the beautiful surroundings: Viråslingan/River Trail (1.3 km), Lomgölsslingan/Lomgöl Trail (1.4 km), Ängsslingan/Meadow Trail (1.4 km) and Skogsslingan/Forest Trail (3.7 km). Ostkustleden, the East Coast Trail, also passes through the village.

Tilia’s café

Since july 2023 there is now a café in the village that keeps it doors open during the summer season. It is named after a woman who lived here during the late 19th and early 20th century. She had a habit of inviting her friends for some coffee and bakery.

Further information

Stensjö village is open year round at all times of day. There is a road that leads all the way to the village car park. The terrain in the village consists of gravel trails and paths; those with prams and wheelchair should use the gravel trails. Toilets with a changing table and extra space are located by the car park. Around the village you will also see buildings with a key symbol; these buildings are like small museums. You can learn more about the village’s history and about managing a farm throughout the different seasons.

If you are visiting Stensjö village at a time when the café is not open it could be a good idea to bring a picnic basket. There are lots of benches with tables where you can stop for a picnic in the surrounding area and in the village.

It is prohibited to:
• Park motor vehicles, motorhomes, caravans or trailers, other than in designated parking spaces.
• Cycle on the gravel trails.
• Camp in enclosed pasture.
• Bring a dog or other pet that is not on a lead.
• Make a fire, other than at designated places.
• Damage living or dead trees and bushes.
• Intentionally disturb livestock and wildlife.
Without the County Administrative Board’s permission, it is prohibited to:
• Put up signs, path markers, orienteering markers or similar.
• Arrange competitions or other organised events.
• Collect moss, lichen or tree fungi.
• Dig or pull up ferns and similar.
• Collect insects or other invertebrates using lethal traps.
• Use drones.

Stensjö Heritage Village is managed by The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities

Stensjö village on social media

Last but not least, don’t forget to follow For more updates, follow The Stensjö Village Gardener on Instagram. For more updates follow Stensjö village on Facebook.