Södra Vi is a locality in Vimmerby Municipality in Kalmar County, within the land that was once the historical province of Småland. This population center, in the middle of forests and by the lake Krön, has a population of around 1.100 inhabitants. Industries in the area include the metal processing plant of Metallfabriken Ljunghäll AB and the sawmill of Ansgarius Svensson AB. Between the industrial area and the center is the old parish church.
A Short History of Södra Vi
Södra Vi Parish had its origins in the Middle Ages and a wooden church was built in the 14th century. The current stone church was inaugurated in 1755 as it replaced the former medieval church in the parish. The church and the parish acted as the local government up until the Swedish Municipal Reform of 1862. This was when its responsibilities were split between the church congregation and the new civic government of Södra Vi Municipality. The municipality became a part of Vimmerby Municipality in 1971 and the church congregation is since 2002 a part of the Södra Vi-Djursdala Congregation.
Commercial and industrial activity in the area has had Södra Vi as a smaller center for over a century. The first bank office opened here in the 1850s and existed to and from up until the early 21st century. Nearby the new company of Ljunghäll, a blacksmith company, was established in 1917. Ljunghäll Group is since 2014 a part of Gnutti Carlo. Another industry that was established in the 20th century was the sawmill Ansgarius Svensson AB that saw the first light in 1962.
Things to Do and See
The former parish church still stands proud and it is probably the most prominent building around. Well, that is if you exclude the massive industrial sites. In addition you can also find a small center with a few smaller businesses and a at the locality’s outskirt is the event venue known as Pumpen.
Södra Vi Church
This white stone church was inaugurated in 1755 and replaced the former medieval wooden church as the center of the parish. Its tower was completed in 1764, first a few years after the church had been inaugurated. The church is today one of the churches making up the Södra Vi-Djursdala Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
How to Get to Södra Vi
- Flights: The nearest airport is Linköping City Airport (LPI) which is 90 kilometers to the north.
- Car: The locality lies along Road 23 between Kisa and Vimmerby.
- Bus: Buses from Kalmar Länstrafik connect Södra Vi with the surrounding area.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 288 kilometers (3 h 10 min)
- Gothenburg – 272 kilometers (3 h 20 min)
- Malmö – 334 kilometers (3 h 50 min)
- Linköping – 85 kilometers (1 h 10 min)
- Kiruna – 1518 kilometers (16 h 30 min)
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