Ängsö Things to Do

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Swedens National Parks (clickable links):
■ Abisko
□ Björnlandet
□ Blå Jungfrun
□ Dalby Söderskog
□ Djurö
■ Fulufjället
■ Färnebofjärden
□ Garphyttan
■ Gotska Sandön
□ Hamra
□ Haparanda Skärgård
□ Muddus
□ Norra Kvill
■ Padjelanta
□ Pieljekaise
■ Sarek
□ Skuleskogen
□ Stenshuvud
■ Stora Sjöfallet
□ Store Mosse
□ Sånfjället
□ Söderåsen
■ Tiveden
□ Tresticklan
■ Tyresta
□ Töfsingdalen
□ Vadvetjåkka
■ Ängsö

The day has come to an end and it is time to make our way back towards the ferry. Everyone on the island, from young to old, seemed to have had a wonderful day. Laughter and smiles and a general feeling of joy are hanging in the air; there are no sad faces in sight. Ahead of us is another wonderful boat trip on the ferry, 1 1/2 hours of sunshine and views over the archipelago that are to die for. The island is a perfect day out for everyone that loves to be in nature. As the trails on the island are so very well kept, wide and easy to go on; the larger trails are even accessible to wheelchairs and baby carriages during the summer when the ground is hard.

When you get back to the ferry a bit too early, you might enjoy dropping by at the small visitors’ centre which has an exhibition on the islands natural and human history. The visitors centre is located very close to the ferry dock.

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The North Eastern part of the island is totally different in character then the rest, but wonderful in its own way. We are now entering into the forest of Ängsö. This part of the island was left to develop naturally since the national park was created in 1906 and now has the character of a virgin forest. The shade of the trees, the aroma of the forest and forest flowers and of course the singing of the many birds that love this part of the island, make it a delight to walk around here. The only clear downside is that the mosquitoes seem to love this part of the island as well. So please don't forget to bring your insect repellent, or otherwise you will regret it!

Only a small part of the forest is open to the public. A major section of the eastern side of the island (including coastline) is a bird sanctuary and forbidden to enter from the 1st of February to the 15th of August.

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At the edge of the meadow, stepping into the forest, the plant life suddenly changes. The air gets a bit more damp and the shade is dominating, which seem perfect conditions for a totally different type of flower. Here is where you can see the "Ramslök" or with its scientific name "Allium ursinum L." or in English "Ramsons". Although native to parts of Sweden, I had never seen this pretty white flower before. Needless to say that I fell in love with it right away; the flower looks so delicate and yet so strong. The plants decorated much of the hiking trail in thick bushes on either side cheering up the whole area. A week after my visit to Ängsö I discovered that you can buy this flower as a seed and cultivate it yourself. And well, needless to say that I did exactly that! I hope this might be a nice addition to the wildflower area in my garden next year :-)

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Another flower that seems to thrive in the more moist conditions of the "Stormaren" Meadow is the Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó / Ängsnycklar or Early Marsh-orchid in English. I didn't see only one or two of these lovely orchids, but dozens and dozens of them, spread out over the whole meadow. It isn't every day you see orchids in the wild, so I found this rather special.

But this isn't the only orchid variety that thrives on Ängsö. A bit earlier in the season you can see the Dactylorhiza latifolia also called the Adam and Eve orchid. The fun thing about this orchid is that they come mixed in red and a white flower variety. So you can see both colours mixed in one field, equally devided over the two. This orchid grows a bit more to the north of the island at at Norrudden. Other orchids that grow on Ängsö are the frog orchid, the greater and lesser butterfly orchids, common twayblade and bird’s nest orchid.

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Of course Ängsö is known for its spring flowers, which mainly grow in the meadows in the centre of the islands. But it is not only there that you can see the flowers. There are so many different species in so many shapes, colour and sizes spread out over the entire island. In the first photo for example you can see a member of the Geranium family, probably in this case a Ängsnäva / Meadow Crane's-bill, which proudly showed off its bright colours close to our picnic spot. In the next photo you can see a Rhinanthus Serotinus or the Greater Yellow-rattle, which dominated the waterside, waving happily from side to side in the slight sea breeze.

The third photo is a flower that is famous on this island: the Cowslip or Gullviva in Swedish. There weren't that many Cowslips flowering in the middle of June, as they were at the end of their flowering season. But in the beginning of June they fill the meadows with their bright yellow colour and cheerful looking flower. The plant that was blooming a lot in the meadows mid June was a slightly different type of plant. It is a member of the Cottongrass family (last photo). This grassy plant, which looks so cute because of it little fluffy wool-like top, enjoyed the more moist conditions of the "Stormaren" meadow.

The best way to enjoy this little idyllic place is to bring a picnic basket filled with some delicious food and a nice bottle of wine. There are no restaurants here, so it is best to arrive well prepared with a basket full of delicious items. My basket was filled with some wine, french bread, delicious ham, gravlax (thin sliced salmon) and several other snack foods.

Follow the hiking trail, which will lead you through the meadows, and somewhere along the trail take a left turn, which will bring you to the shoreline. Sit down on the rocky shores overlooking the Stockholm archipelago, with its blue water and scattered around islands, and simply enjoy the food, the view, the sun and the flowers! If you are courageous you can even take a dip in the (probably cold) but crystal clear water of the Archipelago. You won't be the only one, as lots of guests of the island enjoy a dip in the water on a warm summer day. After your lazy lunch I would suggest to continue the tour around the island. As the island isn't so big, it makes for a lovely relaxing walk. Keep in mind to be back on time to catch the ferry back home!

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And then there are of course the meadows; which probably will be the highlight of your visit to Ängsö. They look amazing on a sunny spring day! I visited in mid June, which is almost too late in the season to enjoy the meadow in their full glory. Visiting a week or two earlier probably would have been better. But they still looked amazing!

Only one-sixth of Ängsö is meadow. The largest one is Stormaren in the middle of the island. This is a damp meadow that used to be a channel of water between two smaller islands. The islands have now grown together, creating this damp meadow in the middle. The flowers that thrive on this meadow Stormaren are the bird’s-eye primrose and the dwarf milkwort.

Around the damp meadow of Stormaren are several drier meadows. Here you can feast your eyes over carpets of cowslips and wood anemones. Although the flowers are wonderful and it is tempting, please don't enter the fragile meadows, as this will slowly destroy them.