Your Swedish Island (and much more) in - The Heart of Sweden

The Heart of Sweden is the Örebro Region, situated at Sweden’s demographic center – with Stockholm, Oslo and Gothenburg just a few hours away. Sweden has more islands than any other country. 267,570, to be exact. In The Heart of Sweden you will find some of them.

Accommodation choices to experience islands

Lilla Hotellet in Nora

The wooden town of Nora, 30 kilometres north of Örebro, offers daily-fresh ice cream with 100-year-old artisanal traditions, and Alntorps island, which you can reach by small passenger boat.

Lilla Hotellet Nora – Cosy accommodation in a century-old hotel

The wooden town of Nora - Visitnora

Gustavsvik Campsite & Resort

A five-star campsite in Örebro where you experience family adventure with the option to walk into town or take the bus directly to Lake Hjälmaren’s jewel of an island, Vinön.

Accommodation – Gustavsvik Campsite

The White House Bed & Breakfast on Vinön

Experience staying on an island. Vinön offers both Bed & Breakfast and cabins next to fields of meadow flowers and a sparkling lake. On the island you can enjoy Hjälmaren’s delicacy, the environmentally certified freshwater fish Pikeperch.

Accommodation – Vinön Inn

12 tips to experience for the whole family

Opera at Skäret

Homepage - Opera at Skäret

Every summer, in a former sawmill by a glittering lake in Bergslagen, you will find the Opera at Skäret. An opera house unlike any other, world-renowned for its unique acoustics. Here the silence of nature meets the power of opera in magnificent productions of works by the great masters such as Verdi, Puccini, Wagner and Mozart.

Örebro Castle

Örebro Castle - Experience 700 years of history!

A former royal castle in central Örebro with historic halls, exhibitions and other activities for the whole family. There is also a Castle Café. Open throughout the year.

Konst på Hög – Art on High

Konst på Hög | Visit Kumla

Konst på Hög, is a unique sculpture park on the top of a 100-meter high ash mound - Kvarntorpshögen, is a place adopted as Sweden’s strangest attraction. Here you will encounter an unexpected and playful mix of art, nature and magnificent views over Närkeslätten plains, which makes the visit a must for both art connoisseurs and families with children.

Vinön Island

Welcome to Vinön, Hjälmaren’s largest island - Visit Örebro

Vinön | Hjälmaren’s jewel

Vinön is Hjälmaren’s largest island and a popular excursion destination. Here there are bathing spots, an inn, a café and you can buy locally produced food. A free ferry runs from Hampetorp all year.

Wadköping

Wadköping’s wooden quarter is full of life - Visit Örebro

Idyllic open-air museum, beautifully situated adjacent to Örebro city park, with buildings from bygone times in Örebro. Restaurant, café, museums and shops. Open all year.

Paddle a kayak on Lake Vättern

Kayak courses & nature experiences in Vättern’s archipelago and Tiveden | Nature guide north Vättern

Fantastic nature experiences amongst 250 islands, cobbs and skerries in the north Vättern archipelago. Safe kayak tours with a guide in an uninhabited archipelago setting. Step ashore onto an island, wander, swim in crystal clear water and enjoy a meal by the campfire.

Fishing in Villingsberg

Fishing in Kilsbergen Sportfiske (Ädelfiske) Villingsberg & Karlsdal

Welcome to a genuine fishing adventure, both summer and winter. Fishing is done in small and slightly larger lakes. There are plenty of pike, perch and pikeperch, but also fine char farmed near the release sites in put-and-take lakes. A fishing license is required, the easiest way to buy is at ifiske.se.

Loka Brunn – spa for the whole family

Loka Brunn - Spa, hotel & conference centre

Take a break from the everyday in a historic and idyllic mill environment at Loka Brunn. Quality time for the whole family is on offer here with great food, relaxing spa and adventure in Bergslagen’s mystical forests – where a walk can turn into an exciting journey of discovery for the children.

Open Art

OpenArt 2026

Open Art is Scandinavia’s largest biennial for contemporary art outdoors. For twelve weeks in the summer, central Örebro is transformed into a large art gallery with exciting works of art on the streets and squares. It takes place 13 June to 6 September 2026.

Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel’s Björkborn

Björkborn Manor is Alfred Nobel’s last Swedish home, his laboratory, where he developed many of his inventions, is also here. Adjacent to the laboratory is Fiffiga House, an experimental workshop with technical ingenuity and exciting phenomena for children of all ages. Come along on dramatic theatre tours set in the unique environment of Alfred Nobel’s time.

Frövifors Papermill Museum

Welcome to Frövifors Papermill Museum! - Frövifors Pappersbruksmuseum

At Frövifors Papermill Museum, history, creativity and innovative art meet in a unique industrial setting. Here you will get an insight into paper’s long journey – from the well-preserved machine halls and historic machines, to how the material still inspires today’s artists and designers.

Julita Manor

Julita Manor and grounds | Sörmländsk herrgårdsmiljö | Julita gård

Julita Manor is a unique manor house milieu with preserved buildings and interiors, culturally historic gardens, park and a family area where the children can explore the lively play areas and visit Pettson and Findus farm.