Kyrkleden Vårdnäs - Bjärka Säby, Östgötaleden, St. Birgitta Ways

There are many threads connecting Saint Bridget to the oak landscape south of Linköping. The earliest known owner of the Bjärka estate was, according to a document from 1275, Bengt Magnusson. In 1303, he became the maternal grandfather of Bridget. When Saint Bridget was in Rome in the mid-14th century, she met Johan Pettersson, the then owner of Bjärka and Sweden’s first known gardener. Upon seeing him, Bridget exclaimed: “My dear Johannes, I have a task for you. Return to Sweden and renovate the old royal estate I have been given by King Magnus and Queen Blanka. It shall become a monastery.”

The old church trail connecting Vårdnäs Chapel with the New Castle at Bjärka-Säby Castle Chapel is part of the Östgötaleden. Today, you can start a week-long hike from Vårdnäs Stiftsgård through Bjärka-Säby to Linköping and continue all the way to Vadstena. This hike traverses one of Northern Europe’s most significant oak landscapes, rated by WWF as one of Sweden’s 21 most amazing places of great importance for nature experiences, but also home to many endangered species and habitats in need of protection.

(aug 2024)