Lakvik is a railway station and a few surrounding settlements in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden. The old railway is mostly gone, but one short part has been saved and is now a railway museum with Lakvik at its starting point.
Our Impression of Lakvik
Who doesn’t like trains? We are probably several small Sheldons here that are just unable to resist a visit to a place like this. Any family member that is not interested will just have to wait.
A Short History of Lakvik
When the railway through Lakvik opened in the 1870s the railway connected Västervik with Norsholm via Åtvidaberg. Lakvik is between Åtvidaberg and Norsholm and it was here that an additional short route was built down to Lake Risten.
The railway was mostly intact until 1964. That year the line between Åtvidaberg and Norsholm was decommissioned and the rails were soon afterward dismantled. It was a few years later in 1971 that local train enthusiasts found a new use for the area. There had been a local railway at Oxkullen and as it needed more space the area in Lakvik was purchased in 1971. The railway was moved to the new location and Risten-Lakvik Museum Railway was established.
Things to Do and See
If you like trains you will probably find a reason to explore this place. If you bring your family, there is a small playground and available seating so that they can wait until you are done. This area is very specific in its focus, so finding alternative activities might be hard. That is, of course, with the exception of nature. Nature is all around here with both fields and forests.
Risten–Lakvik Museum Railway
Apart from the old railway, Risten–Lakvik Museum Railway has also collected memorabilia from several different decommissioned railways in Sweden and put them to use at the museum. The station building was 1987 moved from Bersbo Station. There is also a small playground next to the railway station.
How to Get to Lakvik
- Flights: The closest airport is Linköping Airport (LPI) 35 kilometers away.
- Car: Lakvik is along countryside roads east of Linköping.
- Bus: Bus 538 from Östgötatrafiken stops here along its route between Björsäter and Åtvidaberg.
- Train: The closest train station is in nearby Åtvidaberg.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 205 kilometers (2 h 18 min)
- Gothenburg – 311 kilometers (3 h 26 min)
- Malmö – 455 kilometers (4 h 45 min)
- Linköping – 36 kilometers (37 min)
- Kiruna – 1436 kilometers (16 h 53 min)
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