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PRESENTED BY EAST SWEDEN

The seven wonders of Östergötland

From the natural to the man-made, the stunning, diverse region of Östergötland has many highlights. The Local uncovers some of them and ponders, is this the best place to live in Sweden?

Published: 28 October 2022 08:42 CEST
Updated: 16 February 2023 17:10 CET
The seven wonders of Östergötland
Cross-country skiers in Glottern Nature Reserve outside Norrköping. Photo: Fredrik Schlyter/imagebank.sweden.se

Östergötland, or East Sweden, is flanked by the Baltic Sea on one side, and impressive Lake Vättern on the other. It’s home to cities, including Linköping and Norrköping, and a number of vibrant towns. The region has a reputation for being a haven of innovation and industry and is well connected, with two airports and short connection time via train to Stockholm – just 1.5 hours from Norrköping and about two hours from Linköping. 

A population of 467,000 people already call this beautiful pocket of Sweden home, and more and more people are moving here. They are drawn to its work-life balance, study opportunities, exciting tech careers and affordable living, where nature and city life are both on the doorstep.

We spoke to two of Östergötland’s residents – Anna Österlund, a nature-lover who grew up in the region, and Colombian-born Hela Galvis who has lived and studied in Sweden for five years – and also got some help from East Sweden to round up seven wonders that make Östergötland so special.

Discover more about the inspiring region of Östergötland

1. Cool industrial landscapes

Östergötland has creativity and industrial innovation built into its DNA it seems. Nicknamed Sweden’s Manchester for its industrial heritage and vibe, Norrköping is a medium-sized city about 135 kilometres south of Stockholm. The city is home to former textile warehouses and paper mills from the Industrial Revolution era, which are well-preserved and located on the waterfront in the city centre.

The historic buildings and waterways, with their dams and waterfalls, are accessed via bridges and paths and make for a unique landscape. 

Both Hela and Anna highlight Industrilandskapet (The Industrial Landscape) of Norrköping and its evolution today. “Now these closed textile factories are pulsating restaurants, museums, homes, apartments, co-working office spaces, walking routes – the area’s really come to life … it’s absolutely one of the coolest things to see here,” says Anna. 

“There are beautiful canals to walk around in both Norrköping and Linköping,” says Hela.

Another transformation of a former industrial area is underway in Östergötland in the birthplace of the Göta Kanal, Motala. Known as the ‘cradle of industry in Sweden’, the area of the old Motala Verkstad is about to change, starting with the exciting, newly renovated Lokverkstan, an event area bringing unique life, action and concerts to this historic waterfront.

2. An impressive man-made feat: Göta Kanal

Speaking of Göta Kanal, this local wonder is an engineering marvel. Constructed in the early 19th century, the canal and its 58 locks runs for an incredible 190 kilometres and links to waterways that reach from Söderköping in Östergötland to Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast. 

From ice skating in the winter to swimming in the summer, and from cycling beside it to boating along it, there are a number of ways and places to enjoy the canal. 

One of Anna’s weekend activities, after a fika with friends and her children, is a walk by the canal. “You can’t help but to be amazed by the engineering, and that’s from 200 years ago when they built it, and it’s still up and running,” she says.

Find out more about what life is like Östergötland – where you don’t have to choose between career and lifestyle

Anna Österlund enjoying Östergötland’s nature walks with her family; Hela Galvis making the most of the summer sun in Söderköping.

3. A growth region with career opportunities 

East Sweden can be described as a hub of ICT, tech and innovation with international cutting-edge expertise. Its strength in these fields comes from the mix of high-end research, industrial companies and exciting smaller start-ups. 

There are an impressive 45,000 businesses in the region including several big international companies that operate from here, like Toyota Material Handling, Siemens Energy, Ericsson, Saab and Väderstad. And there are more than 170,000 jobs in a range of different industries waiting to be snapped up. 

Logistics and transport is a major employer – the region has a strong infrastructure and a good logistical location. The forward-thinking nature of the region means there is an emphasis on the logistics of the future, centring on efficiency and sustainability. 

For students, Linköping University is one of the largest in Sweden, with more than 32,000 students and an array of course opportunities with its 120 degree programmes. 

And work opportunities don’t only centre around Östergötland’s main cities, Linköping and Norrköping. Other areas in the region are also home to companies and have a history of industry still thriving today, for example, steel in Boxhom, aluminium in Finspång, and in Mjölby, the headquarters of Toyota Material Handling. 

Learn about the exciting possibilities of a tech career in East Sweden

4. The great outdoors

We can’t talk about Östergötland without mentioning its natural attractions. The Östgötaskärgården, Archipelago of Östergötland, lies off the east coast in the Baltic Sea. Made up of St. Anna, Arkösund, and the Gryt and Tjust archipelagos, it features seaside villages, lighthouses, harbours, beaches, stunning rocky outcrops and pockets of green isles – perfect for weekend boating, fishing, camping and kayaking adventures. 

On the other side of Östergötland, is the beautiful – and huge – Lake Vättern, its eastern shores forming Östergötland’s border. On the waterfront here at medieval, cobblestoned Vadstena is where St Birgitta of Sweden established her convent and order.

St Birgitta’s Trail is a pilgrimage route that finishes in Vadstena and traverses breathtaking Östergötland scenery, winding through verdant meadows and mystical forest for 145 kilometres to Söderköping.

The equally fantastic Östgötaleden takes hikers on 1500 kilometres of trails through all 13 of the region’s municipalities. So no matter where you are in the region, you can easily access and walk a marked nature trail.  

It’s this closeness to nature that both Anna and Hela enjoy about living in the region. Marked, family-friendly walking trails, exploring lush countryside and visiting pretty lakeside spots for outdoor fika are some of the activities that fill their weekends.

“It’s a place for soft adventure,” says Anna. “There are accessible hiking trails throughout the region. It makes it really easy for us as a family, even with strollers, to get out into the woods. And even by the ocean we have really nice hiking.”

Kayaking the St. Anna archipelago. Photo: Visit Söderköping/Crelle Ekstrand

5. Cities worth talking about

Norrköping and Linköping are exciting cities with nightlife, charming shopping quarters like Knäppingsborg in Norrköping, and restaurants serving up incredible local produce (which can actually be found throughout the entire region!).

“In Norrköping there is this kind of small explosion of culture happening,” says Hela. “You can randomly run into a concert, or a new design store that has popped up.” 

There are also plenty of museums, like Linköping’s Friluftsmuseet, to entertain the kids for days, and Norrköping Art Museum for modernist lovers.

Norrköping hosts annual cultural events year-round, like the three-day Kulturnatten, the summer street party Augustifesten, and the light art festival from November to January, Norrköping Light Festival. 

“The cities in East Sweden are pretty much like any other capital city where things are available,” says Hela, adding that the difference is the less hectic pace of life. 

Anna agrees, “I may love the countryside, but I don’t think I’ll ever want to live far away from a city … I want to always have the possibility to go to a nice restaurant or a decent theatre show and I can get everything that I want from Östergötland.” 

6. Small town appeal 

It’s not only the bigger cities of Östergötland that are wonders of the region; its towns are lively hubs too. 

For example, culture lovers will enjoy Vadstena, a historical town with an interesting calendar that includes annual summer operas and Shakespearean dramas. 

While charming Söderköping is the launching point to exploring the St. Anna archipelago and has a postcard-worthy medieval town centre, ice cream shops dotted along the Göta Kanal and a host of family-friendly events and markets throughout the year. 

The Norrköping Light Festival illuminates the city’s industrial landscape. Image: Peter Holgersson AB

7. A place of innovation

The region breeds creativity, innovation and growth. It’s home to a broad array of innovation hotspots, including its two impressive science parks: Linköping Science Park and Norrköping Science Park. Here, research, education and entrepreneurship collide, giving birth to exciting collaborations and innovation. 

Advanced materials like solar cells on a roll, energy-storing paper and artificial skin are being developed in this high-tech region, where fascinating research and development is taking place and a business cluster for new materials is forming. 

It’s a place lauded for its innovative healthcare, too, thanks to the high-quality, advanced medical care throughout the region, and the open research climate of the nationally and internationally recognised University Hospital in Linköping.

As with much of Sweden, there is also a focus on the environment. The breadth of sectors in Östergötland – from companies to universities to public institutions – are working toward smart solutions, the circular economy and green resource efficiency. 

“Here people work in this high-tech environment where there is in-depth knowledge and thinking but it is also very calm and there is respect for nature and people really don’t want to rush,” says Hela, who praises the calmer and more respectful work-life balance she has felt since moving to Norrköping. “If you’re into that, this is your place to be!”

Dreaming of a change to the good life? Find out about life in East Sweden

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READER INSIGHTS

How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who’ve been there, done that

The Swedish job market poses unique challenges for newcomers. The Local's readers share their best tips for cracking the career code.

Published: 10 April 2024 11:32 CEST
Updated: 13 April 2024 15:50 CEST
How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who've been there, done that

Network, network, network!

A statistic that often gets tossed around is that seven out of ten jobs in Sweden are obtained through personal connections, and there’s no doubt that a good network is crucial to your job hunt, making the labour market extra challenging for newcomers to the country.

In fact, networking was the main tip mentioned by The Local’s readers.

“The job market is quite hot in Sweden, and talent is in short supply. People hiring do not have a lot of time to find the right talent, and tips from friends, colleagues and former colleagues are the way to first, find out organisations are hiring, and secondly, get your CV on the short list,” said Kyle, a Canadian reader who works in innovation management in Gothenburg.

“If you are going for a major employer like Volvo, network gets you in the door, as HR does not have much to do with hiring… the hiring managers do all of it and have no time, due to the insane number of consensus meetings. If you are looking for smaller organisations, they have even less time to find people, and networking is their primary way to find talent,” he added.

NETWORKING IN SWEDEN:

Some of the networking tips readers mentioned were going to job fairs, getting an internship to help you establish connections in your preferred field, joining clubs (this could be anything from your local gardening association to meetups for coders, but focus on clubs that may be popular among people working in your chosen field), and drawing on your organic network of friends, neighbours and others.

Don’t neglect the groundwork

The saying “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” is getting worn out (and people may look at you funny if you turn up to interviews in a Batman suit), but there’s truth to the notion of making sure you know what you want – and preparing for it.

In other words, don’t wait for a job ad to appear before you start to customise your CV and figure out what skill set you need. Create your CV now so that you’re ready to tweak it to your dream job – you could even have a general look at job ads in your field to see what requirements are needed. And don’t forget to spruce up your LinkedIn profile so that it fits with your career goals.

“I believe that several factors contribute to successfully landing a desirable job in Sweden. It’s essential to prepare to meet the requirements beyond just having a university degree. Many individuals realise these requirements only after completing their studies when they start searching for a job, which can be too late,” said Adnan Aslam from Pakistan, who works as a food inspector.

“I recommend identifying the job advertisements for positions you aspire to hold in the future and then preparing for those requirements during your studies. For me, acquiring a basic level of proficiency in the Swedish language and obtaining a Swedish driving licence were crucial. I pursued these goals during my studies and was able to secure a desirable job before graduating,” he added.

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Felipe Cabral even has a GPT assistant trained on his own CVs and old cover letters, and said the set-up only takes ten minutes if you already have your documents. “With that in place, you can give instructions like: Read this job description and create a tailored version of my CV and letter for it. (…) Remember to always review and ask it not to create data aside from your documents.”

Be flexible and ready to adapt

Moving to a new place inevitably means having to learn not just the practicalities such as how to write a CV or which websites to use to look for job openings, but also learning how to navigate a new culture with all its unspoken expectations.

Swedish workplaces are generally less hierarchical than many other countries, but that doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want whenever you want without anyone raising an eyebrow. Swedes are usually direct, but be careful of being too abrasive or boastful: raising your voice, even during a spirited argument, or banging your own drum to show off your skills may not go down well.

“Talk, deliberate, complain like a Swede and you’ll come across like you know what the job entails, so your trustworthiness increases,” said an Indian data analyst who preferred to remain anonymous.

“Office politics are just as strong in Sweden as anywhere else. The flat hierarchy is deceiving as social hierarchy is enforced quite a bit in that lack of formal hierarchy. Take your time in learning these dynamics wherever you work before revealing your talent and capabilities. Expect those internal politics to happen, and they won’t hurt so much when they do,” said Kyle, the Canadian reader in Gothenburg.

This article about Swedish office politics may be useful.

Stay true to yourself

Adapting to your surroundings is one thing. Completely changing who you are is another.

For one thing, your happiness is as important as your career progression, and for another, your foreignness need not be an impediment: it’s also a skill that sets you apart from the rest. It means you have unique experience, and also, in the right setting, provides an opportunity to sometimes violate those social rules we mentioned above, because people assume you will, anyway.

“Trust is key. Build trust in your network, work with integrity. It’s OK to violate jantelagen if you are maintaining integrity. Sometimes your outsider and more honest/open opinion will burn bridges, especially those that may feel threatened by talent. But it will build trust with other colleagues who see it as brave and more trustworthy to work with,” said Kyle from Canada.

Hunker down for the long haul

We don’t want to scare you, because there are plenty of examples of people who quickly find their dream job in Sweden and settle into their new workplace, enjoying perks such as long summer holidays, generous parental leave and the famous work-life balance.

But if you do find it tougher than you expected: know that you’re not alone.

Several readers who responded to the survey said they were still trying to find a job in Sweden.

“I found jobs all over Europe but not here. They say they have a lack of experienced senior engineers but the don’t seem to be doing much to solve this,” said a Brazilian in Gothenburg.

A reader from Bangladesh said she was “at a loss” as to how to make a career change from her current AI role in Stockholm, despite many years of experience as an IT project manager.

“Over the past 18 months, I’ve submitted over 600 applications to various organisations. Unfortunately, despite being overqualified for some positions, I’ve faced rejections at every turn, from both large and small companies. The job market here, especially for foreign-born women, feels overwhelmingly challenging,” she said, adding that the struggle had impacted her mental health.

The Local has on several occasions reported on foreign residents’ struggle to get a foot on the Swedish job ladder, with many facing hurdles such as employers’ unfamiliarity with international degrees, discrimination, or a lack of network that can provide paths into a company.

So during the job hunt, don’t forget to care for yourself. Share your concerns with fellow job-seekers, ask for help and join networking groups – this is good not just for creating new contacts, but also in terms of your social well-being and meeting people who are in a similar situation.

And finally, as one British reader in Stockholm advised, keep looking: “Be open-minded with the opportunities that present themselves. It isn’t an easy market to enter and doesn’t feel inclusive.” But he added, “don’t give up”.

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