Astrid Lindgrens värld i Vimmerby - farmor Annas hemliga resa 2024

Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

It was time for the annual secret trip with the grandchildren and some clues had been given to them in the spring in the form of a song, a picture of a soup bowl, a rat, etc.

Alice, aged 6 ½, and Elsa, just 4, have packed cuddly toys, toads and travel food in the form of salty sticks. A long drive from Enköping has a number of stops for swimming and food.

Vimmerby, yes it feels a bit like time stands still and over the city rests Astrid Lindgren's spirit of course.

Around the square, Volvoragare and EPA tractors drive around with the highest volume on, the techno music disturbs the small town idyll, which otherwise consists of restaurants and hairdressers. It must be dead here in winter. Stone dead.

We check into Vimmerby's hostel, which was the cheapest option, the hostel is located in the old station building and has 18 rooms, all claustrophobically small.

The place is in urgent need of refurbishment, our room has a bunk bed and an extremely shabby sofa bed, the door can barely be opened by the shivering, it is noisy and hot in the room.

Families with children stay here to let their little ones run around in the garden, which consists of a large lawn with a slide of unknown date and a small gazebo where the planks come off. The public kitchen is too small and there is no freezer. There is a queue for the counter.

Well, it's for two nights. It will have to do.

Astrid Lindgren's World was created in 1981 by private individuals and then passed into various forms of ownership.

Even before opening day, car after car rolls into the car park, Alice and Elsa are excited for a full day, me and their dad Erik too actually. I have been here with my children before, around 1991, when there was not so much, I remember our little town with its miniature houses.

Today, the theme park is visited by around 1/2 million visitors a year. We are some of them.

We start with PIPPI, of course, and sit down in front of Villa Villekulla to watch the day's performance when Pippi will be put in an orphanage and all the beloved characters are there; Kling and Klang, Prussiluskan, Tommy and Annika. And then a very real Little Old Man. However, Mr Nilsson was not alive.

The show is well done, with good actors and a nice script. So, everything is impressively well done, Hoppetossa is in harbour and the grandchildren are climbing and staking themselves ashore with the raft.

Of course there are a lot of people, but this day it was raining in the morning, so maybe slightly less visitors. We meet MATTIS !

Mattisborgen ... what a creation, we walk through the dark robbers' rooms with authentic decor. The robbers play dice games and we participate, grandmother gets to play horse and nag.

The robbers sing and dance, dragging visitors into a whirling long dance.

We're seeing a fantastic new show that has it all in the form of robbers, wild animals and tadpoles. It's a bit scary.

When the theatre ends with the Varga song, I get all teary-eyed with nostalgia.

In Astrid Lindgren's world, no one has to go hungry, there is coffee, ice cream and pancakes and the menus are more for children than for us old people. Price-wise, well what do you think is cheap here?

You can, of course, bring your own food and there are barbecue areas.

Neither Jumjum nor his father seems to be at home with the gardener, perhaps they are on a mission to fight Knight Kato riding Miramis?

Cherry Valley is an incomparable experience even for me as a grandmother. Beautiful little decorated houses, fine thoughtful details and above all vegetation in the form of climbing roses and perennials in all colours.

Katla's cave is both exciting and creepy and Alice and Elsa try to crawl through the hidden passage from Mattias' house.

EMIIY! Of course, we meet the overgrown ogre and he willingly allows himself to be photographed.

We rest our legs in Katthult and watch the theatre about when Emil poured putty on his father and carved his hundredth wooden tree.

The pig knuckle is in place and bribed with goodies.

It really is a folk tale, a fairy tale treasure that cannot be over-emphasised. I hear many different languages spoken, although perhaps it is mostly Pippi and Emil that are known outside the Nordic countries.

We wander through one beloved environment after another; Bråkmakargatan, Vasastan at Karlsson's, Madicken's home and Bullerbyn.

"At Nils Karlsson Pyssling, we're taking the plunge," says KILLEVIPPEN and steps into the big world.

The rat has moved to Södertälje and Bertil seems to be at school. At the play barn it is full speed, almost so you want to jump in the hay but I don't really know what would be said if a grandmother tumbled around there.

In the paddock there are goats and kittens to pet, scratch and brush. That's what we do.

After 8 intense hours we finish with a pancake buffet with extremely long queues, we spin chocolate wheels and take lottery tickets. The gift shop was the last stop, then grandma's wallet was empty so it was dusty. A lovely day with the son and granddaughters is over.

Here at home, I'm going to dust off the childhood books about Mio and all the other beloved characters that are still read by generation after generation.

Reflections on Astrid Lindgren's World in Vimmerby

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Incredibly well thought out, well maintained, many places to pause.
The shows are great with good actors interacting with people before, after and during. Lots of activities.
Many eating and snacking options, mostly based on children's food although home cooking for adults is available.
Plenty of toilets.

- Minus

Expensive. Of course it is expensive, everything is expensive. For budget visitors, bring your own packed lunch, own trolley.

Recommendation: Feel free to use two days, there is SO much to see and do. Please come at opening time.
Cost: High season one-day ticket children 3-14 years 375:- Adult 495:-. Hostel family room 4 beds around 900:- per night. Sheets 100 x 4. (Prices are valid for 2024)

Photo: Erik Spets and Anna Nilsson Spets

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Anna Nilsson Spets

60+ year old lady with a lifelong love for Africa. Emigrated to Flanders in Belgium and works with plants on a daily basis. Writes, takes photos and tries to inspire others to budget travel on their own. Blogs on "Anna's mix" about travelling, work, plants, writing and much more.