Ekerö between history, nature and water
Accommodation in Ekerö Municipality
Ekerö Church is one of the historic sites in Ekerö. It was built in the late 12th century as the manor church of Askanäs. It is located on the northern shore of Ekeröfjärden, near a steep shoreline embankment. Between approximately 750 and 980 AD, Birka was one of the most important trading towns in Northern Europe. Birkas activities were organised and managed from the royal estate of Hovgården.
File:Ekerö kyrka, exteriör, Ekerö kommun, 2023a.jpg
Photo: Bysmon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
History
Visible remains in Birka include a hillfort, the town fortifications, burial mounds and the Viking Age settlement site. Hovgården preserves monumental mounds, a cemetery, a harbour, a rune stone and the foundations of Alsnö hus. The Drottningholm World Heritage Site preserves the palace, the palace theatre, the Chinese Pavilion and the gardens.
The Kulturhuset in the centre of Ekerö includes a library, a cinema, a theatre auditorium and a gallery. Erskinesalen in the centre of Ekerö is an assembly and theatre hall with 218 seats; theatre performances, concerts, lectures and film screenings take place there. The Utkiken Gallery in Kulturhuset displays contemporary art and themed exhibitions, around four per year. Occasionally, it offers public tours with the exhibiting artist and workshops related to the exhibitions. The Ekerö library in the centre of Ekerö also has a genealogical research room with a computer for family history research. Several rune stones were created in the municipality of Ekerö around the year 1000.
Nature
The park at Ekebyhov Palace is home to Sweden's northernmost naturally regenerating beech forest. Ekebyhov's apple gene bank comprises around 50 apple varieties associated with Uppland and central Sweden. Ekerö is particularly known for its apple orchards; around Ekerö, there are several opportunities for picking fruit and vegetables yourself.
The Lovö Nature Reserve also includes Kärsön. There are several paths there that are accessible, for example, by wheelchair and with a pushchair. Ekerö also has kilometres of hiking trails through wooded surroundings and historic landscapes. Swimming spots in Ekerö include jetties, beaches, places for forest bathing and individual rocks.
Water and activities
In Ekerö, visitors can rent kayaks and canoes at several locations. Friluftsfrämjandet offers guided kayak and canoe tours in Ekerö with varying levels of difficulty. SUP boards can also be rented for paddling on Lake Mälaren. For mountain bikes, Ekerö has downhill and cross-country trails.
Ekerö Badhus has a modern 25-metre pool for swimming, playing, exercise and training. It also has a pool with an adjustable-height floor, a teaching pool, a relaxation pool, a children's pool, a sauna and a café.
Getting there
Ekerö can be reached by bus, car, boat, ferry and bicycle. SL commuter boat route 89 operates between the centre of Ekerö and Klara Mälarstrand.
To the higher-level travel overview: Stockholm Region.
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