Advantageously situated between Linkoping and Norrkoping, only an hour by train from Stockholm and two from Gothenburg, Katrineholm is a small town with a combination of culture-rich life and closeness to nature, forests, and hundreds of lakes. Although the surroundings offer plenty of activities, I decided to focus my visit on the heart of town, partly as Katrineholm received the award “The town center of the year” in 1997 and the best street environment in 2001.
Without plans or a map I strolled through town on the lookout for interesting places to visit.
Sushi Corner
As a person who loves sushi it would take a lot for me to not notice a sushi bar. Sushi Corner on the corner to Drottninggatan and Köpmangatan has a low-key space with good sushi.
Annas Gröna Rum
A stone’s throw from the sushi restaurant, Annas Gröna Rum is the town’s much liked go-to place for plants, flowers and decorations.
The Culture House Ängeln
A couple of minutes stroll along the same street, on Djulögatan 27, the culture house Kulthurhuset Ängeln offers cultural events, an art hall with contemporary art by regional, national or international artist, library and café.
Local Gallery
Heading east on Djulögatan, I stumbled upon a modest gallery with impressive paintings from local artists. Every painting was for sale via a public auction.
Sköna Gertruds Te & Kaffe
Located by Stortorget Square on Katrineholm’s main pedestrian street Köpmansgatan, Sköna Gertruds Te & Kaffe has everything to please those who are fond of tea, coffee and chocolate.
Sultans Konditori
Sultans Konditori on Storgatan 27, situated on the other side of the train station, is one of the best and oldest patisseries in Sweden with a history dating back to 1896.
Where to Stay
Hotel Statt
For visitors who want easy access to Sultans home-baked delicacies, Hotel Statt is situated right across the street. Sweets aside, there are many other reasons to book a room here.
With a location only 50 meter from the railway station, guests who arrive by train won’t need to book a taxi (unless they travel with a lot of luggage).
The hotel is home to one of the town’s most popular meeting places, Scottish-influenced Pub Statt with tasty food and several TVs that show sport events. On weekends the restaurant turns into a nightclub.
Lunch is served all weekdays, in summer the glass terrace is quite appreciated.
A sauna on floor 5 provides relaxation, as does the ground-floor library with a selection of books and international newspapers.
In the morning, a luxurious breakfast buffet is served in the hotel’s elegant 20th century dining hall.
Of Hotel Statt’s 92 non-smoking hotel rooms, 45 are single, 47 are double, and 5 are VIP. My rectangular, not so small, single room on the second floor had WC, shower, hair dryer, desk, armchair, TV, and free wireless Internet. (Some rooms have broadband Internet.) All in all, a nice hotel stay.