STF/HI Vandrarhem Rimforsa.

Welcome to a clean and friendly hostel built on the peaceful, wooded shore of Lake Åsunden. Located in the heart of the scenic province of Östergötland.

Our hostel is surrounded by pastoral farmlands and forests, lakes and nature reserves.
This area has been inhabited and farmed since the Stone Age.

Facilities:
The main hostel building has 25 beds in 1-5 person rooms, a large lounge with fireplace and small library, dining room with a view over the lake and a kitchen for self-catering.
Breakfast is available for an extra fee.
We are an ecologically aware hostel and follow HI recommendations to protect our environment.

Attractions:
This is ideal country for lowland walking. The trails crisscross varied landscapes, winding though oak groves and conifer forests, across verdant meadows and glades, along lakeside paths and through farmlands.
You might walk an entire day without meeting anyone, only a roe buck or a moose or a hawk.
Walking in another direction, you might end up at a lakeside full of picnickers.

The Östgöta Trail is part of European Trail 6 and passes a few kilometers from the hostel. Other marked trails are 18 and 30 km long.
Sverigeleden, Sweden's well-marked bicycle route, runs close by.
If you don't have your own wheels, rent a bike from us to explore the picturesque countryside.
Don't forget to take along binoculars for birdwatching, and plenty of water.

Public transportation will get you to the village of Kisa where a small Emigrant Museum documents the fates of Swedish farmers and their families who emigrated to the United States in the 1800s.

Botanists and birdwatchers will enjoy an excursion to one of the nearby nature reserves.
Hallstad ängar is a beautiful linden meadow still cared for and mown as the ancient farmers did.
Hackelboö is a bridged island where waterfowl nest in protected areas, and where a wide variety of Swedish flora is found.

Our 42 000 square meters estate includes a soccer field.
There are 600 meters of lake shore for swimming, both sand beach and smooth rock face.
Start your day with a morning dip just behind the hostel.
Rent a rowboat or a kayak and paddle the glittering lake or lazy canal. Go spelunking in Trollegator, Sweden's largest cave in primary rock. A guided excursion departs weekly from Rimforsa.
This area has become increasingly popular among rock climbers.

Service: The nearby village of Rimforsa has food shops, bakery, cafes, post office, pharmacy and tourist office.
At some of the nearby farms, you can buy local produce ranging from jellies and jams to smoked venison and moose steak, from fresh eggs to fruit and vegetables.

Communications: Some come by car, hikers come on foot, bicyclists on wheels.
Trains run regularly from Stockholm via Linköping and from Kalmar. Östgötatrafiken, the county bus network, has five routes that pass through Rimforsa several times daily.
Some guests come by boat, either in their own craft or on the M/S Kind, a passenger boat which traffics the Kinda Canal between Linköping and Rimforsa several times each week.

How to get to the hostel?
We are located about 3 km from the train/bus center.
For a fee, we will do a prebooked afternoon pickup from the train/bus center shortly before opening time.

Booking: It is advisable to book in advance.
Before June 1, tel. 08-560 323 61. Thereafter 0494-201 37.
Sorry, no credit cards.
Beds per night are (2010):
adults 200 kr, children   90 kr (STF/HI members) or
adults 250 kr, children 115 (nonmembers).

Open dates: May 1 to September 30.
Reception hours are 8-10 and 18-20.

We hope to see you soon.

Your host family: Karin, Birgitta and Per Brydolf.