Ängsö National Park 59°37,1' N - 18°45,8' E

Homestead at Hemudden with visitor's jetty

Ängsö is one of Sweden’s first national parks. As early as 1909, the island received this protection, to preserve a beautiful agricultural landscape that goes back centuries. The landscape of Ängsö was, and is, renowned for its flowering meadows in between the shading foliage of the forest. Even the name of the island is derived from this landscape: Ängsö in Swedish simply means "island of meadows".

Around 350 years ago, the island of Ängsö consisted of two islands. This is clearly depicted on the earliest map of the area, drawn in 1639. By 1725, the first crofter moved out to Ängsö and built a cottage on Hemudden, just about where the present-day dwelling house, Torpet, is situated.

Towards the end of the 19^th century another family lived on the other end of the island, which is known as Svartviken. It was the Livonian by name of Adam Michelsson who cultivated the land and built the houses. Adam’s wife – who shortly remained alone after Adam was killed in an accident – had knowledge of herbs and healing. On the site there are still today two deformed pines, through whose forks she pulled children struck down with disease. When doing this, it was said that the pines would contract people’s disease, whence the deformity.

The first three decades of the national park nearly ended in disaster. The botanists and intellectuals of those days did not realise that the open landscape and wealth of flowers of Ängsö was a by-result of centuries of agricultural toil. Instead it was decreed that the meadows should be left: "…uncut and ungrazed by livestock, so that no harm may come to the delicate parts of flora."

The consequence of this was that the meadows on the island were overgrown by nearly impenetrable thickets of brushwood, and that the groves of broad-leaf tress became the domain of pine and spruce. Nowadays the fields are always mown during midsummer, afterwards cattle is let loose to graze. The trees are cut in the old-fashioned way. On the island there are large areas of pasture manured only by the droppings of the cattle.

The forest of Österskogen, which since the establishment of the national park has been left alone, has been set aside, together with adjoining shoreline and waters, to form a bird sanctuary. It is prohibited to set foot upon this ground between 1 February – 15 August. Also keep in mind that on Ängsö it is prohibited to set foot upon an uncut meadow, to pick flowers and to camp.

Facilities

At Svartviken and Norrviken there are jetties and anchorages and outdoors lavatories. At Hemudden, on the south side of the island, the main jetty for visitors is located. There you can also find a rest house and an outdoors lavatory adapted to suit handicapped people. Paths suitable for disabled persons originate at this location. In the rest house there is a "Nature Room" with exhibitions on the environment and nature of Ängsö. 

The park-keeper will guide groups for a fee. This can be booked by phone in advance. There is no café on Ängsö, but at the farm at Hemudden you can find picnic baskets containing coffee and bread, courtesy of Edith Wernström. These picnic baskets can also be booked in advance.

Transportation

Ängsö National Park can be reached by boat – either your own or by the regular passenger boat. From Stockholm/Österskär you can go with Trälhavets Rederi AB. Also from Stockholm you can go with Ängsholmen Rederi AB and the steamer s/s Blidösund. From Vettershaga bridge transports are available with Löparö Marina AB.