"Horses, stones and buns" Flyinge by Sjalen

Say Flyinge to any Swedish horse person and they go all starry eyed, for this is where you find the National Stud of Sweden where some really famous Swedish Warmblood come from which we have seen in many a breeder's calendar since our childhood or perhaps on TV whilst showing off for Sweden in the Olympics. For me, it was magic to come here on a normal quiet working day, when the yard was full of the many boys and girls with "Equine Studies" on the back of their blue jackets, leading muscular horses to this or that paddock as an everyday part of their college or university degree. It was equally magic to walk along boxes full of famous stallions and in the Warren Hastings Park with its graves. I had a fantastic day here at Flyinge Kungsgård, i.e. "King's Manor", so called since it supported the king with agricultural yields. The horse breeding was founded long before then, in the 12th century, by Danish bishops (remember that Scania used to be Danish).

But Flyinge is also a village. In fact two, as there is little Flyingeby to the south of the stud, then Flyinge Kungsgård with the horses, and finally Flyinge itself, the modern hub, if that is how you can describe what is just a small village with a corner shop, a couple of bakeries and a garden centre. To add to the confusion, Flyingeby and Kungsgård are both south of the River Kävlinge and therefore belong to Lund's City Council whilst once you've crossed the river to Flyinge itself, you're in Eslöv Town Council.

The villages might be small but this is ancient land and there are a couple of Viking remains to be seen in Flyinge itself if you're not into horses at all. Around 1000 people live in the village, but the countryside is littered with converted farms full of horses as this is such a centre for it that riders from all over the country want to live in the neighbourhood and be close to the training facilities or just get the name association. Just move a few villages away and country cottages have a different price tag altogether again. Besides, it is easy to commute to Lund from here as long as you have a car. If you're wondering about Flyinge's peculiar name, it is thought to be an ancient word for the shapes of the little lakes around the River Kävlinge.

• Pros:beauuuutiful horses, tranquil
• Cons:not many services, impossible to reach by bus at weekends
• In a nutshell:Mecca for the horse lover