Astrid Lindgren's Smaland: A Family Pilgrimage

This is a five-day family route through Astrid Lindgren’s home country around Vimmerby: the theme park, the farm where she was born, and the real farms from the Emil and Noisy Village films. Every place is checked against its own 2026 calendar.

When you need this

Your children know Pippi, Emil or the Noisy Village children, and you want more than a day at the theme park. Maybe you want to see the house where Astrid Lindgren was born, or stand in the farmyard where Emil locked himself in the carpenter’s shed. Maybe you’re travelling without a car, or wondering whether the October school break works. This page puts the whole trip in order. For the park itself in depth — tickets, shows, accessibility — see our guide to Astrid Lindgren’s World.

The five places

Astrid Lindgren was born on the farm Näs, then just outside Vimmerby, on 14 November 1907, and grew up there with her three siblings. Five places around the town let a family follow her from childhood to the stories and the films. Näs itself and Vimmerby’s municipal tourist office both list the film places as places to visit.

We name these places because they are the attractions themselves. We don’t recommend hotels, restaurants or shops.

When to go

Each place keeps its own calendar, and they only line up in high summer. In 2026 all five were open together from 22 June to 16 August. Outside that window, plan around what’s closed.

Bullerbyn’s outdoor areas can be visited all year; its summer café opens only from 22 June to 16 August. Katthult says the farm can also be visited before and after its high season, without its summer activities, but gives no fixed dates. The park had not published its 2027 dates by late September 2026.

The October variant. Choose 16–18 October or 24 October–1 November 2026 for the park, when fire baskets and an autumn market light it at dusk. Filmbyn is open on the same days, and Bullerbyn’s outdoor areas are always open. Näs, though, closed for the season on 20 September. Its only October opening is Salikon Day, 24 October, with a puppet show for ages 3–7 and a childhood-home tour at 12:00.

The plan at a glance

Getting to Vimmerby

Vimmerby is on the Linköping–Kalmar railway, served by the regional Krösatåg trains. SJ runs them for a cooperation of six regional transport companies.

• From Stockholm: a train on the Southern Main Line to Linköping, then the Krösatåg south.
• From Copenhagen or Malmö: the Öresundståg to Kalmar, then the Krösatåg north. On 24–25 October and 21–22 November 2026, rail works at Alvesta replace some trains between Kalmar and the south, so those trips take longer.
• The park’s own stop: in park season, some trains stop at the Astrid Lindgren’s World station, 100 m from the entrance. Not every train does, so check yours. Vimmerby station is the other stop, 15–20 minutes’ walk from Näs.
• Tickets: on the Krösatåg, Kalmar länstrafik’s fares apply from the county border. Buy a whole-trip ticket in its app (Swish, card or customer account) or on board by bank card only. Öresundståg and SJ trains sell no tickets on board.
• Bikes: no two-wheeled bikes on the Krösatåg Kalmar–Linköping.
• By car: the park gives Stockholm about 3 h 20 min and Gothenburg about 3 h. Our own route measurement puts Stockholm–Vimmerby at 298 km, about 3 h 55 min of pure driving. A new entrance road means GPS may show the wrong route to the park, so follow the road signs at the end.

Plan the whole journey door to door in Resrobot, the national journey planner. Train travel in general is covered in how train travel in Sweden works, and the Copenhagen leg in our Öresundståg guide.

Days 1–4 in Vimmerby

Day 1: the town trail. Vimmerby’s tourist office publishes a walk in her footsteps. It takes in the bronze statue of Astrid at her typewriter, unveiled in 2007, and Klemens gränd, where an Emil scene was filmed. It also passes the yellow house that inspired Pippi’s sweet shop, and ends at her grave in Vimmerby churchyard. The tourist office is in the town hall on Stora Torget. From 10 August to 31 October 2026 it opens Monday–Friday 10:00–16:00, closed for lunch 12–13.

Days 2–3: Astrid Lindgren’s World. In summer the park runs about 30 shows a day, all in Swedish and all included in the ticket. After each show, children can play in the setting that was just the stage. The park itself says one day isn’t enough to see everything. So buy a two-day ticket, which must be used on consecutive days. Tickets are sold by season, not by date, and children under three enter free. Bring a picnic; own food is welcome.

Day 4: Astrid Lindgren’s Näs. Allow three to four hours. The exhibition Astrid Lindgren and the Power of Stories takes about 40 minutes, and the childhood-home tour about 45, all on foot. The house is still a private home owned by the family, so you can only go inside on a guided tour. The tour costs extra on top of the entrance ticket, and your park ticket gives 25% off Näs entry. In summer, individuals can join daily tours in Swedish, English or German; book ahead. Näs recommends the tour for children aged eight and over. Younger children can use Lekhagen, a garden meadow built for climbing, swinging and stilt-walking. Näs also sells a guided walk from the farm into town that ends at her grave; check dates when you book.

Day 5: film country

This is the car day. The three film places lie west of Vimmerby, towards Mariannelund on road 40.

Bullerbyn (Sevedstorp). Astrid’s father, Samuel August, grew up in the middle farm, and Lasse Hallström shot the Noisy Village films here in 1986. Children can jump in the hay in the little barn, hide inside a hollow ash tree and meet sheep, cows, rabbits and hens. There’s room on the grass for a picnic. The houses are private homes and closed to visitors, so stay in the open areas. The parking fee pays for the upkeep of the village’s outdoor areas, toilets and cleaning.

Katthult (Gibberyd). The same family has owned this farm since 1898. Walk among the buildings from the Emil films, find the carpenter’s shed with Emil’s wooden figures, and meet the farm animals. Dogs on a lead are welcome, and you can eat a packed lunch on the grass. It’s about 25 km from Vimmerby: follow the brown “Katthult” signs from road 40 near Mariannelund, or from Rumskulla church.

Filmbyn Småland (Mariannelund). An indoor exhibition with film sets, original costumes and props from the Emil, Pippi, Noisy Village and Ronja films, plus a chance to make your own film. Outside there’s a play forest where children and dogs can run. It’s about 20 minutes’ drive from Vimmerby. Without a car, bus 325 runs from Vimmerby or Nässjö to Mariannelund, and Filmbyn got its own stop in summer 2026. We found no bus that reaches Katthult or Bullerbyn.

Day 6 (optional): Kalmar Castle. If you’re heading south, stay on the Krösatåg to Kalmar. The castle is about 750 m from the central station. From 22 June to 9 August 2026 its grounds became the Children’s Castle (Barnens Slott), with challenges, theater and treasure hunts included in the ticket. See our Kalmar Castle guide. For a slower base, a week in a rented cabin by a lake works too; see renting a stuga.

Rules on private land and at Näs

• Bullerbyn’s houses are private and closed to tourists. Use the barn, the ash tree, the swings and the grass.
• The right of public access (allemansrätten) comes with a duty: do not disturb, do not destroy.
• At Näs, the childhood home is guided-tour only. Outside summer, tours run only for pre-booked groups of at least eight.
• No wheelchairs or walking frames inside the childhood home, and no pushchairs in the Näs exhibitions or restaurant.
• Näs takes no cash. Eat packed lunches in the gardens, not in the restaurant or on its terrace.
• Dogs: on a lead in the Näs gardens but not in its exhibitions; welcome on a lead at Katthult; allowed in Filmbyn’s forest but not its exhibition.
• By the water: drowning often happens quickly and silently. Keep under-threes within arm’s reach, and put children in life jackets at lakes and on jetties.
• In the meadows: check children for ticks every evening. They are often bitten on the head and upper body.

Mistakes to avoid

• Doing everything in two days. The park alone is hard to see in one day, and Näs takes three to four hours.
• Coming in late September for the childhood home. Näs’s regular season ended on 20 September 2026.
• Walking into Bullerbyn’s gardens. They belong to the people who live there.
• Bringing a toddler on the house tour. It’s recommended from age eight; the exhibition and gardens suit everyone.
• Planning Katthult by bus. No route was found; it is 25 km out of town.
• Arriving at the park on 19–23 October 2026. The autumn opening is split, and the park is closed between the two blocks.
• Prepaying an unknown private cabin owner. Consumer authority Konsumentverket advises against paying rent in advance to a private owner you can’t verify.

Practical information

FAQ

How many days do you need for Astrid Lindgren’s Vimmerby?

Five days covers it without rushing. Give Astrid Lindgren’s World two consecutive days, since the park itself says one is not enough. Spend a third day at Näs, her childhood home, which takes three to four hours, and a fourth on the film farms Bullerbyn and Katthult and the Filmbyn exhibition. Add a travel day at the start.

When is the best time for an Astrid Lindgren trip?

Late June to mid-August, the only window when the park, Näs, Katthult, Bullerbyn’s café and Filmbyn are all open; in 2026 it ran from 22 June to 16 August. The October school break works for the park and Filmbyn, but Näs opens only for single events then and Katthult’s summer season is over.

Can you visit Astrid Lindgren’s childhood home?

Yes, but only on a guided tour, because it is still a private home owned by the family. The tour takes about 45 minutes and costs extra on top of the Näs entrance ticket. In summer individuals can join daily tours in Swedish, English or German; at other times only pre-booked groups of eight or more. Näs recommends it for children aged eight and over.

Can you visit the real Bullerbyn and Katthult?

Yes. Katthult, the Emil film farm in Gibberyd, is open daily from 13 June to 13 September, 10:00–18:00, and can be visited more simply outside that season. At Bullerbyn in Sevedstorp, where the 1986 films were shot, the outdoor play areas are open all year, but the houses are private homes and closed to visitors.

How do you get to Vimmerby without a car?

By train. Regional Krösatåg trains on the Linköping–Kalmar line stop at Vimmerby and, in park season, at the park’s own station 100 metres from the entrance. Connect at Linköping from Stockholm or at Kalmar from Copenhagen and Malmö. Bus 325 continues from Vimmerby to Mariannelund for Filmbyn, but Katthult and Bullerbyn are easiest by car.

What is open in Vimmerby in October?

In 2026, Astrid Lindgren’s World opens on 16–18 October and 24 October–1 November, 10:00–18:00, with an autumn market and fire baskets at dusk. Filmbyn opens 15–18 and 24–31 October. Bullerbyn’s outdoor areas are open all year. Näs, her childhood home, opens only on 24 October for Salikon Day, which includes a tour at 12:00.

Related guides

• Astrid Lindgren’s World: a practical guide — tickets, shows, pushchairs and accessibility for the park days.
• Småland: forests, lakes and Astrid Lindgren — the wider region, if you have more days.
• Junibacken in Stockholm — the indoor Astrid Lindgren house, for a first or last day in the capital.
• Sweden with kids: a two-week family itinerary — Vimmerby as one stop on a longer route.
• Kalmar travel guide — the optional sixth day on the coast.

Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Astrid Lindgrens Näs, Astrid Lindgrens Värld, Vimmerby kommun and Vimmerby Turistbyrå, Katthult, Bullerbyn Sevedstorp, Filmbyn Småland, Kalmar länstrafik, Jönköpings länstrafik, Östgötatrafiken, Öresundståg, Kalmar Slott, Naturvårdsverket, 1177, Konsumentverket — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.