Vadstena Abbey & the Blue Church
St Birgitta's abbey · 1300s
The abbey church, of blue-grey limestone, holds St Birgitta's relics; the abbey grounds and the old convent buildings lead down to the lake.
KlosterområdetMedievalPilgrimage
Vadstena, Sweden
Ideal: 1–2 daysBest: May–SepPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Vadstena in 60 seconds
Vadstena is a small town with a great past. Here St Birgitta, Sweden's patron saint, founded her religious order in the 14th century, and the abbey church — the Blue Church, from the colour of its stone — still holds her relics; pilgrims came from across Europe. On the shore stands Vadstena Castle, which Gustav Vasa began in 1545 as a fortress against the Danes, a perfect Renaissance palace with round towers and a moat. Between the two run quiet streets of old houses. The surrounding plain of Östergötland is full of history: the ruined Cistercian abbey at Alvastra under the wooded hill of Omberg, and, half an hour away, the Rök runestone, with the longest runic inscription in the world. Combine it with Gränna across the lake.
LakeCastleMedieval
Best for
- History
- Hidden gems
Known for
- Vadstena Abbey
- Vadstena Castle
- St Birgitta
- The Rök runestone
Skip if
You need things to do into the evening — Vadstena is a quiet town of churches and a castle, best on a slow summer day.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Vadstena fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Vadstena Castle
ModerateGustav Vasa's Renaissance castle
A royal fortress of 1545 rebuilt as a palace, its moat open to Vättern; in summer the Vadstena Academy stages opera here.
SlottetCastleMoat
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Vadstena Klosterhotel
ExpensiveDining in the old convent
Seasonal Swedish cooking — Vättern crayfish in season — in the medieval convent buildings by the abbey.
KlosterområdetHistoricSeasonal
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
The Rök runestone
The world's longest runic inscription
A 9th-century stone covered on every face with a cryptic poem; it stands by Rök's church, 30 minutes south-east.
RökFreeVikings
Omberg & Alvastra
Beech-wooded hill and a Cistercian ruin
Walk the old beech woods over the lake on Omberg, then the ruins of Alvastra, Sweden's first Cistercian abbey, founded in 1143.
OmbergRuinsWalks
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Old Vadstena
Between the abbey and the castle
A short walk along Storgatan joins the two great buildings, past medieval houses and the old town hall.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Vadstena town
ExpensiveHotels in the convent and by the harbour
Sleep in the abbey's old convent buildings for the full effect.
HistoricLake
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Trains run to Mjölby or Motala; Vadstena is a short bus ride or drive from either. By car it is about three hours from Stockholm.
- Getting around
- The town is walkable; a car or bike is needed for Omberg, Alvastra and Rök.
- When to go
- May to September, when the castle, abbey buildings and lakeside cafés are open.
- Taste locally
- Vättern char and crayfish, and Östergötland's farm produce.
- Combine with
- Gränna & Visingsö, and Linköping and the Göta Canal to the east.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 800s
The Rök runestone is raised, carved with the world's longest runic inscription.
- 1346
King Magnus gives his estate at Vadstena to Birgitta for her new religious order.
- 1391
Birgitta is canonised; Vadstena becomes the order's mother house and a goal of pilgrims.
- 1545
Gustav Vasa begins Vadstena Castle as a fortress on the lake.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Gränna & Visingsö
Peppermint rock and a royal island
Across Vättern's south end — Gränna & Visingsö has its own guide.
1 hr by car round the lakeIslandLake