Guest post by Marco Benitez

Nestled in the rolling hills of the fertile Smoky Valley, Swedish heritage is alive and well. Välkommen till Lindsborg!

Lindsborg was settled in 1869 by a group of Swedish immigrants from the Varmland province of Sweden who envisioned a community rich in culture, learning, religion, business and farming.

These values remain strong as indicated by a city rich in the performing and visual arts. It is also home to the Smoky Valley School District and Bethany College, and multiple churches thrive there. Lindsborg is a place where businesses flourish and agriculture continues to play an important role in the community.

I embarked on a voyage across Lindsborg and here are some things to do, sites to see and places to eat that I recommend to visit for a complete Little Sweden experience.

Activities and Events

Search for the Wild Dala – For those of you asking, “What the heck is a Wild Dala?”, don’t be ashamed, I had to ask too. A Dala is a bluntly rounded, tail-free horse, usually red with white stripes, and is perhaps known as Sweden’s best-known icon.

The Dala can be found everywhere in Lindsborg. Traditional horses are on front porches, on coffee mugs and even on the side of police cruisers. In 2000, inspired by Chicago’s cows on Michigan avenue, Lindsborg transformed the traditional Dala shape into a fiberglass form. These horses add a boosted feel of Swedish heritage as these uniquely decorated and themed horses parody aspects of the city’s culture. Open-air tours of the Dala horses are available, and new Wild Dalas are still being rounded up.

Messiah Festival of Music & Art – Going on now until Easter Sunday, Lindsborg continues an annual tradition started by Johann Sebastian Bach. This year marks the festival’s 200th anniversary. Concerts featuring the music of Handel and Bach will be performed at Bethany College during Holy Week. In addition to the concerts, the Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery hosts the Midwest Art Exhibition. The exhibition features works from the permanent collection and new works by regional artists.

Restaurants

Butcher, Baker & Candle Stick Maker (130 N. Main) –This locally owned shop features daily fresh bakery items, deli sandwiches, traditional Swedish soups, hand-poured candles and farm fresh meats.

Courtyard Bakery & Café (125 N. Main) – Courtyard offers a variety of homemade Swedish specialties, including cardamom rolls, kringler, Swedish Limpa and rye bread, skorpor, rusks and mouth-watering tea rings.

Jalisco (107 N. Main) – This is one of Lindsborg’s most pleasant surprises. Jalisco is a Swedish-themed Mexican restaurant. I was a little disappointed Jalisco did not offer a Swedish twist to the Mexican cuisine, but their traditional and Tex-Mex dishes did not disappoint.

Swedish Country Inn (112 W. Lincoln) – This bed and breakfast serves a lavish Swedish breakfast buffet to Inn guests and the public. The menu includes Swedish meatballs, pickled herring, (It’s an acquired taste) knackerbrod, cheeses, and waffles with lingonberries.

Shopping

Hemslojd (201 N Main) – Located at the north end of downtown, Hemslojd is one of the country’s largest Scandinavian gift shop, and it sells everything Swedish. Swede pop CDs, movies, candy, postcards, novels and wooden crafts are the tip of the iceberg of what Hemslojd has to offer. A woodworker or folk painter is usually at work in the store’s arts and craft center. Hemslojd offers free workshop tours and presentations on how to make a Dala horse.

Local Attractions

Coronado Heights – Three miles northwest of Lindsborg, Coronado Heights is a dominant geological feature of the Smokey Valley. It rises 300 feet above the surrounding plains, giving an admirable view of the landscape below. The park was crowned with the “Spanish Castle” built with federal WPA funds in 1936. The park is  a comfortable yet exciting place for a picnic and is accented with miles of tree-graced trails.

Kanopolis Lake (105 Riverside Dr, Marquette, KS) - This 3,000-acre lake 20 miles west of Lindsborg provides anglers a fishing paradise which includes a series of caves, horseback riding and boat rentals. Kanopolis’ most sought-after species include crappie, white bass and channel catfish.

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