Stockholm University BIG courses
Since 1994, most of the field courses in biology at Stockholm University spend around 5-10 days at Tovetorp every year. In our Course Building we can house around 40 students and teachers. The nature around Tovetorp provides great opportunities for students to research different habitats and, in addition, the course lab provides facilities for experiments.
Every year we are visited by hundreds of undergraduate students from the Department of Biology education (BIG), and the number of student-days is around 2000 per year. Students visiting Tovetorp with a course arranged at BIG pay a reduced fee for food; which should be paid in advance to the BIG administration (see information for BIG-courses).
The Course Building
In the Course Building you find the following facilities:
- 12 rooms each with three beds and common showers and bathrooms in the corridor
- Two single, ”teacher’s” rooms with in-room shower and bathroom (one adapted for wheelchair access)
- Two cabins with two bedrooms each with three beds
- Lounge with TV and beautiful views
- Lecture room for up to 30 people with ceiling projector
- Four group rooms with space for up to 10 people
- Equipped chemistry lab for 12 people with fume hood, microscopes, etc.
- Sauna with space for up to 12 people
- Training room with ping-pong table
Food during BIG-courses
Our skilled restaurant staff in the Course Building serve the students during their stay. Breakfast buffet, lunch, afternoon coffe/tea and dinner are based on local ingredients and products as far as possible. A week before the arrival of the course, the course leader should report eventual allergies and vegan/vegetarian orders to the chef.
What to bring when on a BIG course at Tovetorp
Always check with your course leader what to bring; but here are some general suggestions:
- Bedding, towel and toiletries
- Clothes for field work (depending on weather and temperature)
- Water bottle and sun protection if it is warm and sunny; warm winter clothes if it is cold
- Indoor shoes (no outdoor shoes in the building)
- Notebook and pen
- Small backpack to bring personal stuff into the field
- Swimwear (the lake Likstammen is a nice clear-water lake)
BIG-bikes
Students normally move around in the vicinity with bikes. We have around 30 bikes with 7 gears and good tires for biking on the gravel roads around the station. You can also find helmets and a yellow safety wests in the Course Building.
Last updated: 2026-02-10
Source: Department of Zoology