Did you know that the Sörmland archipelago is more than 10,000 years old, has a six-mile long coastline and consists of the municipalities of Trosa, Nyköping and Oxelösund. There are approximately 2,800 islands, plus a large number of islands and islets. The Sörmland archipelago is not as exploited as in many other places along the Swedish coast and large areas are nature reserves.
Kråmö
At a comfortable boat distance from Trosa is the archipelago idyll of Kråmö. The island’s buildings are still dominated by small boathouses, which contributes to a genuine feeling of an archipelago environment.
At the small harbor there is the possibility of swimming. The island, with the old archipelago home that has roots in the 17th century, was formerly part of the Tureholm estate. In the 1940s, Kråmö was bought by a dairy owner who built the cottages for his employees.
There are countless stories about the legendary “Tärken”, who lived on Kråmö for 52 years. Einar Tärk and his wife Hilja were the last residents on the island, but in 2003 they moved into Trosa. Several generations of children in Trosa remember Hilja working in the school cafeteria. Einar, who escaped from Estonia in a rowing boat in the 1940s, built solid fishing boats in his small shipyard on Kråmö.
Tärk has also been given a name to the treacherous rock collection north of Kråmö between Brännskär and Högholmen, which for a long time was not marked on the chart. It is said that Tärken stood on his mountain and scouted for boats that ran aground there. When someone got stuck, he went out with the fishing boat and pulled the boat free—for a fair fee. Not until he himself got stuck there and a neighbor had to come and pull him free, for a fee of course, did “Tärk’s grund” appear on the chart.
Sävö
Sävö is close to the mainland, only 300 meters from Källvik’s pier. The island is strongly culturally influenced and marked by agriculture and grazing. Here you can find both the Sörmlandsleden, café, hostel and cabins for rent.
Askö
Askö has relatively few natural harbours, but Storsand and Lillsand are popular sandy beaches that you can reach by boat. On sunny summer days, there is often a race between the boats out here to get the best seats! If you don’t have your own boat, it’s fine to go with the archipelago tour boat to Askö.
In northern Askö, since 1961, the Askö laboratory has been located, which coordinates Swedish marine research and environmental monitoring. The laboratory belongs to Stockholm University’s marine research center and is located in one of the least affected coastal areas along the entire east coast, which is also one of the most well-researched sea areas in the world. Here, research and education are conducted all year round in the marine area.
The Askö area has served since the 1970s as a reference area for environmental monitoring and is of great international importance.
Stay in the archipelago
Transport
With Trosa’s archipelago tour boat, you can get to the islands of Kråmö and Askö during the summer.
Read more via the link below.
Another way to get out into the archipelago is, of course, by kayak or canoe.
Visit the archipelago without a boat
The right of public access (Allemansrätten)
Thanks to the right of public access, we can move freely in nature. Always remember the motto “do not disturb, do not destroy” when in nature.
Never lit a fire directly on rock slabs. They crack and it leaves ugly wounds in nature that cannot be repaired. In the event of a drought, a general fire ban may apply. For updates on the fire situation, read the respective municipality’s website or msb.se
Leave no trace! All rubbish you have taken out to sea, you must bring ashore. Littering is prohibited.
Please read more about the right of public access at Naturvårdsverket.
