Anyone who, like me, grew up around the 1980s will undoubtedly remember the animated series The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, in which Nils flies all the way from the south of Sweden to Lapland and back with the geese Akka and Maarten (Mårten).
This Japanese-produced animated series is based on the book The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf. In Swedish: Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige.
Sunne and Mårbacka
The cycling route On the Way to St. Olav passes through Sunne, the former home of Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940). She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she received in 1909. Born near Sunne on the Mårbacka estate, they later turned it into a museum dedicated to her life and work. In the other countries, she is best known for her book The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. This book was commissioned by the Swedish National Teachers’ Association and was intended to teach children about Sweden’s geography and history in an engaging way. Ultimately, it was not published as a schoolbook but as an adventure novel, with Swedish culture and landscapes playing a central role. The book became a great success and is now one of the most translated Swedish literary works. Lagerlöf drew inspiration for her stories from Sunne and its surroundings.
To visit Mårbacka, cycle two kilometers past Sunne and turn right at the sign Mårbacka 5. After five kilometers, you will find the house on your right. If you continue a bit further, you will see the charming B&B Selmas Gård on the left, run by Dutch owners. Cyclists following the route On the Way to St. Olav receive a discount there.
Click on the pictures to enlarge. The text continues below the photos.
Sundsvall
The cycling route also passes through the large city of Sundsvall on the east coast, bringing you close to the final destination in Selånger. Sundsvall is an exceptional city in a region dominated by wooden architecture. After a devastating fire in 1888, the city was rebuilt with stone buildings, wide boulevards, and spacious squares. However, the new houses were inhabited only by the wealthy, while ordinary workers were confined to the older, poorer districts.
Nils Holgersson flies over Sundsvall and observes: "The city looked quite amusing from above, for in the centre stood a cluster of tall stone buildings, so stately that even in Stockholm they would have found few equals. Surrounding these stone buildings was an empty space, followed by a ring of wooden houses, nestled cheerfully in their little gardens. They seemed to know they were far inferior to the stone houses and therefore did not dare venture too close.”
(The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf).
And now, after writing this article, I have the opening theme stuck in my head (in Dutch...):
Nils Holgersson
vliegt op een gans naar de zon
Nils Holgersson
komt in 't najaar weerom
