Ängsö National Park
Ängsö Island is an unusual national park, preserving as it does a genuine 19th-century agricultural landscape. Apart from its significance as a cultural and historical monument to a bygone farming era, the park offers a very pleasing island landscape, with all the floral splendour for which the archipelago north of Stockholm is renowned.
Sights: traditional cultivated archipelago landscape. The flora, particularly in spring. Abundant bird life.
Area: 168 hectares, of which 93 hectares are water.
Established: 1909, extended 1988.
Location: approximately 8 kilometres east of Bergshamra in the inner Roslagen archipelago in Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County.
Visiting Ängsö: There are fine natural harbours at Svartviken and Norrviken on the northern shore; boats may also dock at a wharf on Hemudden, the southern tip of the island. Near the wharf is a nature centre with information displays. The island´s paths are easy to walk, and guided tours can be arranged through the park supervisor. For the protection of birds during the sensitive nesting season, Hemviken and part of the east woods are off-limits from February 1 - August 15 every year.
Photo: Klas Rune/N
Ängsö is a very inviting and idyllic national park. A piece of old Sweden is preserved on the island, with pastures and summer meadows - countryside which developed over several centuries of human work.
In the 17th century, Ängsö consited of two islands with a narrow sound between them. The two islands joined when the land rose from the sea, the sound became a reed belt and the reeds were used to feed the animals.
Today, the old sound is green meadows. In the spring, the flowers are impressive, with carpets of cowslip, wood anemones and other more or less rare species. The decidious trees which dominate are oak, ash, maple and birch.
The coniferous forest covers a third of the area of the park. It used to be managed, but is now allowed to develop freely. The Ängsö forest is now one of the best preserved virgin forests in the archipelago. Ospreys and sea eagles are sometimes seen on the island and the bird life of the forest groves is rich.
The foremost sights of Ängsö are the ancient farm landscape in the archipelago environment, the spring flowers and the varied bird life.
For further information:
Illustration: Liberkartor, Stockholm
Photo: Claes Grundsten/Bildhuset