When it's a weekend and the weather is beautiful, staying at home feels like a crime for adventurous souls. That's why when our family friend expressed her desire to plan a road trip on Eid, we were more than excited to hit the road. We quickly made arrangements and decided to leave early in the morning with hopes of spending the night outside if possible.
A Family Adventure with Short Breaks in Between
This was our friend's first road trip to Southern Sweden with young children, and I had the challenging task of deciding where to stop and go. The journey from Stockholm to Jönköping is a 320 km drive that can be completed in around 3 hours, but we didn't want to feel exhausted or miss out on different cities along the way. That's when I came up with an idea - let's take short breaks at various locations en route! Our first pit-stop was Nyköping. We met at Rasta Nyköpingsbro, located just an hour away from Stockholm on E4 highway. This complex has everything one needs during a long drive- outdoor seating restaurant, Allting Goat sweet shop, ST1 petrol station and espresso house. It's spacious and child-friendly too, kids can run around in the open field or play on the outdoor playground while parents relax knowing their little ones are safe nearby.
Overall it was a fantastic experience that allowed us all to recharge our batteries before continuing our exciting adventure towards southern Sweden!
Uncovering the Beauty of Norrköping
Our next stop on our road trip was Norrköping, a quaint town located about 58 km from Nyköping. After sending the location to my friend, we eagerly set off towards this hidden gem. It took us around 45 minutes to reach Norrköping and when we arrived, it felt like stepping into another world. The weather was perfect for exploring as people were out enjoying the sunshine. We had been here four years ago on our way to Jönköping and stopped for lunch at Norrköping, we were amazed by what awaited us in the heart of this city- a river and waterfall flowing through its centre! This unique feature prompted us to choose Norrköping as one of our destinations so that we could show it off to our friends.
The Marvelous Waterfalls of Norrköping
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As we started exploring, I noticed that the central parts of the city are dominated by flowing water from the river while impressive factory buildings towered over it all. Many mills were built between 1850 and 1920 within close proximity to these rapids which have been used since mediaeval times. Thousands of people worked spinning wool and cotton in these factories during their prime days making Norrköping an important textile industry hub until 1870 when things began taking cyclical turns.
In the early 1970s, Norrköping's industrial landscape was in a state of disrepair. Many felt that it was time to demolish the old factories and replace them with modern buildings. However, the municipality had a different idea, they wanted to preserve this area and showcase its rich history.
Today, this once decaying factory area is Norrköping's pride and joy. It has become home to knowledge-based companies, universities and innovative research centres like Linköping University, Norrköping Science Park and Visualization Center C.
Lunchtime at Alibaba
It was two o'clock in the afternoon and now we were feeling hungry, so we headed to Alibaba restaurant. As some of us made our way towards the restaurant which was a 20 minute walk away, others decided to go get the car so that we could park near it. We had heard mixed reviews about Ali Baba's food, but decided to give it a try anyway.
The food turned out to be decent but what disappointed us was its quantity, too little for our liking. It seemed more like kids menu portions than adult ones! Nevertheless, we enjoyed a leisurely meal before continuing on with our journey at around four in the evening.
And with that our adventure didn't end there. There's still more to come. Our next destination was one we had been dreaming of for four long years, a small village nestled near Gränna in Jönköping municipality. Despite the setbacks we faced on our previous attempts to explore this enchanting place, this time around felt different. With clear skies above us and eagerness in our hearts, we were determined to discover every corner of this hidden gem amidst nature's bounty. But I won't spoil all the details just yet, stay tuned for my next blog post where I'll share even more exciting moments from our unforgettable journey!