The Shoemaker in Sutarestugan - legendary site

This is a legendary site on Hunnsberget in Ljungby, Småland. The site lies within a nature reserve and is the highest point in the municipality, offering wide views across forests and wetlands. The path to the top is steep and has no railings near the summit.

On the steepest side of the hill there is an unreachable small cave known as Sutarestugan. According to the legend, a shoemaker, known as Sutaren, hid here while fleeing from Danish soldiers who were passing through the area. To escape them, he climbed up the hill and took shelter in the cave.

The soldiers eventually discovered where he was hiding and started climbing after him. But every time one of them managed to get close to the cave, he pushed them back down again. In this way, he managed to keep them away and survive.

The connection between the place and the story is clear. The steep terrain makes the legend physically understandable when moving through the landscape.

The site is part of the Land of Legends in Småland (Ljungby, Alvesta and Älmhult) – a connected storytelling landscape where legends are tied to real places in nature. The work with Sagobygden is internationally recognized, and Land of Legends Sweden is included in UNESCO’s register of good practices for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

The Museum of Legends in Ljungby gathers stories from across the area and presents them through exhibitions and storytelling. There, visitors can experience legends like this one and gain a clearer understanding of how they relate to places in the landscape.

The legendary site is reached via a hiking path and is suitable for those who want to combine a nature experience with storytelling.