Student blogs

Spring is here, finally! The weather is becoming warmer and warmer and the nature around is blossoming again! Especially the last days were so sunny, so I got inspired to write about one-day trips and hikes around the city that I have done so far.

Stockholm’s main advantage is its ideal location. It is so close to nature and someone has access to the countryside literally within a maximum of one hour by public transportation. So let’s see some one-day trips ideas for taking advantage of the sunny days.

1. Vaxholm

The closest to Stockholm, and at the same time cutest, archipelago destination for a one day trip. “The Capital of the Archipelago”, as the locals often call it, is only an hour from the centre of Stockholm. The wooden colorful houses, the pretty flourish jards and the nice beaches add to Vaxholm’s beauty. This is an ideal place to spend a sunny day, stroll around the centre which has plenty of shops, restaurants, and cafés or lay on the Eriksö beach, which you approach through a nice small hike through the wood.

If you visit Vaxholm, don’t miss the chance to try the delicious gelato ice cream of Glass på Hörnet!
Vaxholm is easily accessible both by boat and bus! My suggestion is to take the boat and enjoy the archipelago scenery.

2. Sigtuna

Also one hour away from the city centre by public transport, the lovely Sigtuna arises. The oldest and first Swedish city was founded in the year 970 CE, hence you can see many castle ruins and Vikings runestones around.

A walk through the colourful and touristic Stora Gatan, the oldest pedestrian street in Sweden, with the beautiful houses and cafes, as well as a stroll by the shore of Mälaren Lake, should be on your top do-list when visiting Sigtuna. We also spent some time collecting vitamin D, by laying in the sun on the marina down to the lake. In the meantime, if the walk next to the water makes you crave something sweet, go for the waffles at Våfflan Hamnkrog & Bar.

3. Eskilstuna

You might haven’t heard about this charming city, just one hour away by train from Stockholm. The city is located on the river of the same name “Eskilstuna”, which connects Lake Yelmaren with Lake Mälaren, and it is definitely worth visiting.

If you feel like having a short trip back to the 17th century you should visit Rademachersmedjorna. This is an outdoor museum, where you have the chance to see some really cute and well preserved red houses from the first Swedish forging manufactory, dating back to the 1650s.

While strolling around the city, make sure that you will end up at Köpmangatan, the oldest cobblestone lane of the city, next to the river. There you can admire the Gamla Staden, from the opposite side, with the colourful wooden houses standing on the water.

If you are keener to hikes on sunny days here are also some suggestions:

4. Haga Park

If you are looking for the closest to Stockholm park for a sunny-day hike, then probably Haga Park is the right place for you! Only 2km away from KI, someone can enjoy a beautiful walk into nature next to the lake. The hike we usually do is around the lake, which is approximately 11 km. Through this trail, you can find some hidden gems. Some of these are the Haga Palace, the Chinese Temple, the Turkish Kiosk, the Japanese Garden, the Botanic Garden, the Victoriahuset and Edvard Andersons Greenhouses, the Butterflies’ House, and the Carl’s Eldhs Atelier with the lovely sculptures.

If you get tired in the meantime a cute place to stop and fill your batteries with a coffee, Fika or lunch is the colourful Kafé Sjöstugan. Haga is also ideal for picnics, in the spacious grass fields or at some of the beautiful kiosks around.

5. Nacka Naturreservat

Nacka Nature reserve is a huge green area less than half an hour by bus away from Slussen. There are many trails you can take starting from 4 to 12 km and with many difficulty levels (most of them are quite easy). The hike we did was next to the bigger lake. This trail has some ups, from where the view is amazing. You can see over the lakes the whole park until the Globen on the horizon.

Nacka is also popular for its swimming spots. The last time we were there, the bravest among us grabbed the chance to jump on the lake.

6. Gålö Naturreservat

Would you like to hike next to the Baltic sea but also into the forest, and just to use the Stockholms public transportation? If yes, then you should definitely visit the Gålö Nature reserve! Gålö is located in the southern part of Stockholm’s archipelago, and you can reach there by taking the pendeltåg to Nynäshamn and then just one bus.

The biggest part of the trails is along the long beaches, into the pine tree forest. Consequently, when hiking you can enjoy the view of the sea and the dense flora around. Gålö is also famous, among the locals, as a swimming and fishing destination. The waters are pretty clear and there are many beaches rocky or sandy so to choose from depending on your liking.

Alongside the trails, you will also find some amazing view spots on the rocky hills where you can enjoy the endless sea view.

Also, Gålö has some historical spots, if you are interested in getting some extra knowledge, and the most famous one is the “Seal station”. In this place, throughout World War II, people were training seals to help the Swedish Navy track out foreign submarines.

For more details about getaways, hikes and activities on Swedish Nature when the weather is good, check also the relative Inika’s blog and Francisca’s blog.

Hope you enjoyed the blog as much as I did!