I. About the Location
This travel tip invites you to a very tranquil place, the islands west of Stockholm. The islands Ekerön and Munsön are actually one single island (with another smaller, third one between them), if you look at the map. In the past (long ago), there were apparently narrow and low-lying parts between them that could be sailed through! It’s said that rowing was possible here even in the 1920s. And even in ancient times, Viking ships sailed here! See if you can guess where it might have been on the map.
As you can see from the map, the island Ekerön is crisscrossed with a green hiking trail leading close to the coast. There are other excellent marked trails on the smaller island of Adelsö, which you can reach by ferry.
I generally feel that these little islands are a refreshing change in contrast to the Swedish inland. Here, you’ll find fields, pastures, horse stables, and paddocks, scattered settlements, a few small villages.
From the island Adelsö, you can take a boat trip to an even smaller islet Björkö, where there was an important trading center called Birka in Viking times. A museum with replicas of the original buildings has been built here. Personally, I haven’t visited this place (yet), but apparently, it’s worth it too! Consider adding it to your itinerary.
If you just want to stroll, wander, and explore the nooks of the island, you can easily spend 3 days here. I myself have only explored a part of this island, which I will now introduce to you.
II. Tip for the trip
As I mentioned earlier, the islands are quite large, so you can easily spend several days hiking here. I did a two-day trip. There’s one road that runs throughout the entire island, so it’s never far from the trail. If you decide to shorten your route, you can simply hop on a bus.
Day 1.
MAP: https://mapy.cz/s/falotuhuzu
The starting point of the route is at the bus stop Rastavägen. Looking at the map, it’s clear that if you were to start from the town of Ekerö, you’d still have a relatively long way on the green trail to reach this point.
Head into the forest along the trail. It subtly veers off from the main gravel road into the woods and winds around, making following it quite a fun challenge! Soon, you’ll arrive at several standalone villas, boasting along the coast, along which the trail continues. Then it turns back towards the road, which it crosses, leading you past horse paddocks. So, give a nice wave to those horses and enjoy!
Eventually, you’ll arrive at a small reserve called Kärsödraget. A nice place to rest, perhaps to drop off heavy backpacks and take a walk to the local cute promontory – there and back.
From this point on, unfortunately, you’ll have to continue along the road for about 2.5 kilometers. Alternatively – maybe a bus will pass by, and you can hop on for 4 stops!
Fortunately, at point 3, we move away from the main road again. The path continues through fields around houses and between fields. To your right, there will be a tiny reserve called Husby.
Then you’ll pass through a farm. Later, the green trail will try to turn towards the Husbygropen lake. At this point, you may have trouble locating the trail. Don’t be deterred, continue along the path and turn right later, down towards the lake. It was formed here as a remnant of gravel extraction and is a renowned spot for summer bathing. Locals call it the “Blue Lagoon.” Fancy a swim?
After enjoying the blue lagoon, continue along the marked trail. When you reach the Bonavik farm and feel like the road ends, you actually need to turn right and enjoy this tiny reservation (point 5).
The road continues along a fairly large gravel mine, which is an interesting place in itself. Then follow the trail straight ahead, past pastures and groves. Eventually, you’ll pass another mine on your right, showing greater signs of use, and you’ll reach the northern tip of the island in the recreational area by Lake Laxsjön, which presumably also formed through the extraction of some material.
This is a pleasant place to spend the night. There are places with fire pits/grills and also a dry toilet. It’s clear that I recommend taking a swim here!
Day 2.
MAPA: https://mapy.cz/s/gohebugome
The second day, continue along the green trail. I enjoyed this part of the route a lot because it goes through beautiful forests and past houses where people live. Just imagine – how interesting would it be to live here now that you’ve seen what this island looks like?
After a few kilometers, the path crosses the Väsby Häge nature reserve, which is beautiful! Here, you’ll encounter a landscape maintained according to traditional methods. Cattle graze on small pastures that you’ll walk through directly. In the reserve, there are large meadows with beautiful oak trees. If you happen to be passing by car to Birka, be sure to make a stop here for a short walk.
At point 2, board the ferry (it’s free and probably runs at least every hour, maybe even more frequently). Suddenly, you’re on another island – Adelsö!
As evident from the map, there are several circular routes marked by green signs here. If I had three days for this trip, I would take the green trail north and camp somewhere along the way. On the third day, I would complete the circuit and take the bus back.
However, if you only have the rest of Sunday ahead of you, follow in my footsteps. Take the first left turn onto the red trail. It may seem like you’re entering someone’s property, but don’t worry and continue. This red trail is a very nice walk and there are also educational signs here! Along the way, you’ll pass beautiful Swedish red houses, maybe a stable or two, and perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to find a café open – who knows!
After a while, the path will bring you back to the road. Now you can continue along the red trail, or you can cross the road onto a forest path (not yet marked on Mapy.cz) until you reach a shelter. Here, of course, you can also spend the night. However, I didn’t find this shelter on any official maps. Be sure to let me know if you spent the night here!
Continue along the path towards Hovgården. You’ll find yourself on a rock with a view and a wooden statue of King Magnus Ladulås.
Now descend down to the village and go explore the aforementioned archaeological site, which is partially located on this island, partially on the island Björkö. One of the nice options to enhance this trip would be to stay overnight in a shelter and spend the next day on an excursion to Birka.
However, at this point, you can cheerfully catch a bus. Check the departures in advance on Google Maps. I found out that the last one leaves from the ferry stop, so I quickly ran and had to hitch a ride with a kind man who took me to the ferry station, where I caught the bus!
3. Next Time I Come
I definitely want to visit these islands again because I’d like to explore Birka, the rest of Adelsö, and also a part of the green hiking trail near the town of Ekerö that I skipped.
Closing Tip – Rosenhill
Rosenhill is a traditional family farm that uses organic methods to produce vegetables, apples, and apple juice. The relaxed and laid-back atmosphere makes this place a great spot to relax and enjoy the Swedish countryside so close to Stockholm. The café, where you can enjoy good food, sandwiches, soups, ice cream, and cookies, is a popular meeting place for people from all over Stockholm. During the growing season (July to October), you can find a variety of fruits and vegetables and borrow scissors to pick a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Rosenhill hosts a wide range of music performances throughout the summer.
More information about this beautiful place, which would be a shame to miss, here (in Swedish).
You can also rent a beautiful cottage by the lake here!
Safe travels and happy adventures!
