Holiday apartment in Håbo – Nature, Culture and Hiking Trails

Håbo combines quiet forest paths, open cultural landscapes and Lake Mälaren with cultural and historical destinations around Skokloster. Between nature reserves, museums and historic buildings, there are both short walking paths and longer cycling and hiking routes. In Bålsta, the 2.8-kilometre Blå stigen Bålstaåsen circular trail starts directly at the railway station. It leads through hilly woodland that is well suited to walking.

Trails and activities

Two cycling tours of different lengths are available on the Skohalvön peninsula: Cykla på Skohalvön is 15 kilometres long as a short cycling tour and runs along gravel roads through woodland and agricultural land. The longer Cykla på Skohalvön cycling tour is just under 24 kilometres long and follows an old country road through the cultural landscape. Another regional cycling route extends for 80 kilometres and runs through the municipalities of Enköping and Håbo.

Biskops-Arnö can also be explored on marked trails. There are four walking loops there, ranging from 2 to 5 kilometres in length. The trails lead through woodland and parkland, across meadows and past fields. The Håbo section of the Upplandsleden is approximately 20 kilometres long and marked in orange; an approximately 5-kilometre section runs from Bålsta to the Ekilla nature reserve. For the return journey, UL buses 803, 895 or 311 are available from Yttergrans kyrka to Bålsta.

On Lake Mälaren, you can go canoeing or kayaking in Håbo. Recommended launch points include Biskops-Arnö, Kalmarsand in Bålsta, Ekillabadet north of Bålsta and Skokloster Castle.

Nature

The Sandhagen nature reserve preserves an old forest close to the coast. Most of the trees are approximately 100 to 150 years old, while some were already standing there at the beginning of the 18th century. There are no constructed footpaths in the reserve; visitors may roam freely through the forest and should disturb plants and animals as little as possible.

Hjälstaviken is a destination for seasonal birdwatching. Thousands of migratory birds stop there in spring and autumn, while eagles, among others, can be observed in winter. From the car park in Hårby, a paved path approximately one kilometre long leads to the birdwatching tower. This path is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.

Culture and history

Several cultural and historical sites are located in Skokloster and on Biskops-Arnö. Skokloster Castle is a museum with preserved interiors and collections of weapons, tools, books, furniture, textiles, art and handicrafts from the period 1550 to 1850. The castle is open seasonally; guided tours for groups can be booked in advance throughout the year. The park contains avenues of lime trees, some of which are as old as the castle. The park also includes a historic apple orchard with its own apple varieties.

The medieval church is also part of Skokloster's history. It was built in the 13th century and belonged to a Cistercian nunnery until the 16th century. On Biskops-Arnö, a Gothic hall survives from the period when a bishop's castle was built there in the 14th century. Varpsundsstenen commemorates men who died during Ingvar the Far-Travelled's Viking expedition. The Iron Age burial ground Skörby gravfält contains approximately 50 archaeological features, including five burial mounds as well as more than 40 circular and rectangular stone settings.

Sånka soldattorp is a museum in one of Skokloster's oldest cottages. The building was constructed sometime in the second half of the 18th century.

In Bålsta, the Åbergs Museum displays comic-inspired art and original comic drawings. The museum includes the three-storey Trazankoja with a slide, suspension bridge and Hemliga Arnes laboratory. Props, photographs and costumes from the films about Stig-Helmer are also on display there. From Stockholm Central Station, the museum can be reached by commuter train to Bålsta in approximately 40 minutes; from there, it is 1.5 kilometres on foot.

Park and local dining

On the southern side of Skokloster Castle lies the historic Parkleken Paradiset, which is accessible year-round. Its history-themed play features include a pavilion, a horse-drawn tram, a balance course with tool motifs and planting boxes.

Near Skokloster Castle, Skokloster Kafferosteri & Café serves coffee from its own roastery, cakes, smørrebrød and simple lunch dishes.

Other destinations: Tierp, Heby, Östhammar, Enköping, Knivsta, Älvkarleby.

To the overarching travel overview: Uppsala.