Stockholm is a city not only on the sea, but also in the middle of nature. Natural areas are easily accessible to Stockholmers, and many orienteering activities happen in the forests around Stockholm. Here are three of the forests that are excellent not just for a day trip, but also for a jog:
1. Drottningholm
Drottningholm Palace is a Baroque palace near Stockholm, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Drottningholm itself means Queen’s Island—a fitting name for a grand palace. But the beautifully decorated buildings are not the only highlight on the island—the forest area is even larger and includes the adjacent village, Kanton (named after the city now called Guangzhou in China).
Take the metro green line to Brommaplan, then change to bus 176/177 towards Stenhamra/Skärvik.
2. Lidingö
Lidingö is an island just across Stockholm, divided from the city by a water channel called Lilla Värtan. Historically dominated by farms, it’s now officially a city of its own with over 40 000 residents. Lidingö is, however, most famous for its annual 30km running race, Lidingöloppet, with over 10 000 runners winding through forests every September. But even if it isn’t September, Lidingö still makes a pleasurable day trip from Stockholm.
Take the metro red line to Ropsten, then change to any 2xx-series bus or the Lidingöbanan light rail. Once on Lidingö, you won’t be far from any forest; especially recommended are Kottlasjön (Lidingöbanan to Kottla station or bus 201), Bosön (bus 211) and Sticklinge (bus 204). Of note, Bosön is the training and development centre of Riksidrottsförbundet (the Swedish Sports Confederation).
3. Norra Djurgården
Djurgården is the royal gaming grounds and thus keeps a lot of wild animals such as deer. (They don’t hunt them anymore, though.) But aside from the more famous island which hosts sights such as Skansen and ABBA Museum, there’s also another part of this large royal park—divided from the island by the super-large lawn Gärdet and the medium-density neighbourhood around it. Norra Djurgården is this northern part and hosts even more animals—including a lot of royal sheep (kungens får) and cattle.
Take the metro red line to Universitetet (Stockholm University, on the metro branch towards Mörby centrum) and walk from here.
Alternatively, start exploring from the new neighbourhood of Norra Djurgårdsstaden near Ropsten, reachable by bus 6 from Odenplan or bus 75 from Cityterminalen (bus terminus adjacent to Centralstationen).
Join Norrsken OK
Norrsken OK is the new orienteering club in Stockholm, with new activities coming up in Autumn 2020.
We use English as the main language—perfect for you if you’re an expatriate worker or an international student. But of course we welcome everyone to our club!
Stay tuned—connect with us and subscribe so you’ll get news when we start membership subscription!
