Student blogs

As we are welcoming spring, it is time to explore nature in Stockholm! The days are becoming longer and warmer which makes me want to go out and explore the city even more. Even though all seasons are amazing in Stockholm where you can experience activities for each season, spring and summer are my favourites. That is why today, I will share my favourite hiking spots in the city where you can enjoy the sun, nature and much more.

Let’s start with a spot which is very reachable from the city centre, Hagaparken!

Hagaparken

Hagaparken is very close to Karolinska Institutet and also Stockholm University, you can reach the park by walking around 10-15 minutes from each university. The park surrounds a big lake called Brunnsviken, and there are hiking trails around the lake as well. I think this park is amazing if you want to take a break from studies or work and don’t have time to travel more than an hour to reach nature. It is both beautiful in winter and summer, even though in winter it is a bit tricky to hike 🙂 However, the lake gets frozen most of the winter months, so you can also walk or even ice skate on the trails on the lake. Inside the park, there are lots of places where you can get coffee or food, so if you want to do a spontaneous hike and a picnic, you can always find something in the park. Since it is very close to the city, multiple bus lines have a stop around the park so you don’t have to worry about transportation in any time of the day.

The next stop is Nackareservatet!

Nackareservatet

Nackareservatet is a bit more outside of the city compared to Hagaparken, but it is still very easy to reach there by taking a bus from Slussen, which takes around 20 min. The Nacka forest, again surrounds a beautiful lake, since it is a bigger forest, there are multiple hiking routes where you can choose to go around the lake or a bit further. I love to go here when I need to escape the city, as you don’t see very much urban life around and just surrounded by nature. I only hiked here during spring, but in winter the lake gets frozen as well, and you can ice skate on the lake. In addition, there is a sauna next to the lake, so you can swim in the icy water and just go to a hot sauna afterwards.

The transportation can be a little bit tricky compared to Hagaparken, so make sure to check the bus hours to get there.

Tyresta Natural Park

So now we reached to the last and the furthest hiking spot from the city. This park is huge compared to the other two, and there are so many hiking spots inside the park. You can choose from hiking trails where some take a day or half a day to finish. Around spring and summer, you can go there for mushroom and berry picking as well. In the forest, you can also hike in the oldest forest in Stockholm, where some of the trails just take you there. I was amazed when I hiked in this park, it was truly magical and special to visit this place. However, transportation to this park is definitely tricky, as you have to change from pendaltag to bus, and the busses are very limited so make sure not to miss otherwise you might have to wait a bit for the next one. In addition, don’t forget to pack some food with you as the last time I went there I didn’t see any coffee or food places around the entrance of the forest.

Let me know in the comments where your favourite hiking spots are in the city, and as usual, if you have any questions you can send me an e-mail or comment below!

See you in the next blog!