Håbo: Castle History, Nature and Trails
Accommodation in Håbo
Explore Håbo on short circular trails, longer tours and at places steeped in history. The options vary by theme, length and type of route: forest, gravel paths, an old country road and paddling on Lake Mälaren offer different ways to spend your stay. You can tailor your time to hiking, cycling, nature watching or culture.
Hiking and cycling
At Bålsta station, Blå stigen Bålstaåsen is a 2.8-kilometre circular trail through hilly woodland, well suited to a walk. On Biskops-Arnö, there are four marked hiking loops between two and five kilometres long. They pass through woodland and parkland, across meadows and past fields. On the island, outdoor activity goes hand in hand with a glimpse of history: a Gothic hall remains from the time when a bishop’s castle was built there in the 14th century.
For longer hikes, the Håbo section of the Upplandsleden is about 20 kilometres long and marked in orange. A shorter option is the approximately five-kilometre section from Bålsta to Ekilla Nature Reserve. For the return journey to Bålsta, UL buses 803, 895 or 311 from Yttergrans kyrka are an option; plan your trip around the timetable.
The cycling routes also vary considerably in length and surface. The shorter Cykla på Skohalvön route covers 15 kilometres on gravel paths through woodland and farmland. The longer route is just under 24 kilometres and follows an old country road through a cultivated landscape. A regional cycling route stretches for 80 kilometres and passes through the municipalities of Enköping and Håbo. The options range from a shorter loop to a longer ride through several municipalities.
Nature and birdwatching
Sandhagen is an old coastal forest. Most of its trees are about 100 to 150 years old, while some were already standing at the beginning of the 18th century. There are no constructed footpaths in the nature reserve: visitors are free to wander through the forest and should disturb plants and animals as little as possible. This is a different way to experience nature than following a marked circular trail, and should be taken into account when planning your visit.
At Hjälstaviken, the birdwatching varies with the seasons. Thousands of migratory birds stop there in spring and autumn; in winter, you can spot eagles, among other birds. From the car park in Hårby, a paved path about one kilometre long leads to the birdwatching tower. This path is suitable for prams and wheelchairs. Seasonal birdwatching and the paved access offer different considerations when choosing a day to visit and planning your route.
If you want to paddle on Lake Mälaren, you can take a canoe or kayak out on the water in Håbo. Recommended launch points include Biskops-Arnö, Kalmarsand in Bålsta, Ekillabadet north of Bålsta and Skokloster Castle. These locations give you several options for including paddling in your travel plans.
Castles, museums and historic sites
Skokloster Castle is a museum with preserved interiors and collections dating from 1550 to 1850. These include weapons, tools, books, furniture, textiles, art and crafts. The castle museum is open seasonally; group tours can be booked in advance throughout the year. If you plan to take a tour, book ahead and take the seasonal opening hours into account.
The park at Skokloster Castle is also part of the visitor experience: it is lined with lime-tree avenues, and some trees are almost as old as the castle. There is also a historic apple orchard with its own apple varieties. On the south side is the historic Parkleken Paradiset, which is open all year round. Its history-themed play features include a pavilion, a horse-drawn tram, a balance course with tool motifs and planting boxes.
There are other traces of history worth seeing in Skokloster, too. The medieval church was built in the 13th century and belonged to a Cistercian nunnery until the 16th century. About 1.5 kilometres northwest of the present-day church is a church ruin dating from the 12th century; it is about a 15-minute walk from Skokloster Castle. Skörby gravfält is an Iron Age burial ground with about 50 archaeological features, including five mounds and more than 40 circular and rectangular stone settings. Varpsundsstenen commemorates the men who died during Ingvar’s far-ranging Viking expedition.
Sånka soldattorp is a museum in one of Skokloster’s oldest cottages. The building was constructed at some point in the second half of the 18th century. Near Skokloster Castle, Skokloster Kafferosteri & Café serves coffee roasted on site, cakes, smørrebrød and simple lunch dishes.
Culture in Bålsta
The Åbergs Museum in Bålsta displays comic-inspired art and original comic drawings. It also features props, photographs and costumes from the films about Stig-Helmer. The museum also has the three-storey Trazankoja, with a slide, a suspension bridge and Hemliga Arnes laboratory. You can reach Bålsta from Stockholm Central Station by commuter train in about 40 minutes; from there, it is 1.5 kilometres on foot to the museum. You can plan a day trip around both the exhibitions and the journey there.
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