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The Stockholm archipelago, Stockholms skärgård or skärgården, is a group of thousands of islands in the Stockholm County, extending west of Stockholm on the Baltic Sea coast. While many of the islands are relatively small, two large ones, Värmdö and Vaxholm, stand out as major destinations due to their unique characteristic. This guide also includes Saltsjöbaden, an early bourgeois holiday resort and suburb, built up around 1900 with its own rail line, Saltsjöbanan.

Svenska högarna, a group of islands in the outer archipelago.

Understand

From the Middle Ages until the end of the Cold War, the Swedish military has had troops, ships and fortifications in the archipelago, to defend Stockholm. The only major enemy attack on Stockholm was committed by Russia, in 1719 to 1721. Today, most facilities are closed down. The local population relied on subsistence fishing and farming, isolated from Stockholm's tremendous progress in the 19th century, as tourists started to colonize the area. During the 20th century, many islands were de-populated, and transformed to summer resorts, with very small population during winter. Today, most island-dwellers commute to Stockholm for work, and enjoy maritime life as a hobby.

Islands

Värmdö (archaic spelling Wermdö) is the largest island in the archipelago, accessible by road. It contains suburban neighbourhoods as well as deep forests, lakes and beaches, similar to the Swedish mainland. Gustavsberg is the main town. Stavsnäs is the main ferry terminal for the southern archipelago. Värmdö is described in depth in the Nacka and Värmdö article.

Vaxholm (archaic spelling Waxholm) is a quaint, road-accessible island-town, with some shopping, and a major boat terminal.

Sandhamn is a resort island in the outer archipelago.

Grinda.

Grinda is a small rural island, near Stockholm and Vaxholm.

Utö is an outer-archipelago idyllic island with a closed-down silver mine, and remnants from the mining industry.

Öja is an elongated island, at the southern edge of the archipelago, off Nynäshamn.

Get in

Buses to the northern archipelago depart from Tekniska Högskolan (Östermalm). Buses to Värmdö depart from Slussen (Södermalm). Buses for the southern archipelago depart from Gullmarsplan. See Stockholm#Public transport and the official public transport website:

Most of the large islands can be reached on road, at some locations through free-ride car ferries.

However, for a good view, take a boat from central Stockholm, see below.

The Baltic Sea ferries offer an elevated, comfortable view of the archipelago, though without the opportunity to set foot on any of them.

From April through September, numerous services operate directly from the city centre to various destinations, with Waxholmsbolaget departing from Strömkajen right downhill T Kungsträdgården, and Cinderellabåtarna departing from Nybrokajen, 400 m from T Östermalmstorg or T Kungsträdgården. Other (and basically the only ones during winter) routes operate from suburban mainland jetties connected to the city centre by suburban rail and bus. Vaxholm, reached by bus 670 from T Tekniska högskolan, and Stavsnäs, reached by bus 433 or 434 from T Slussen are examples of this. Also note that even during the summer, when countless services operate from the city centre it is still, generally, a lot faster to travel via a suburban jetty, not to mention a lot cheaper. This is because even though the archipelago is within the metropolitan area, local transport tickets are not valid and tickets are paid on a distance basis. However, if you're doing multiple trips, it is also possible to buy a 5 or 30 day card (420 SEK and 750 SEK respectively), which belong to Waxholmsbolaget but are also valid on Cinderellabåtarna.

Destinations in the archipelago include (but are far from limited to) Grinda, Svartsö, Finnhamn, Möja, Sandhamn, Ingmarsö, Runmarö, Nämdö and Utö. From April through september most of these can be reached either from the city centre or via suburban jetties. The islands offer a wide variety of nature, from the lush green of the inner archipelago to the bare cliffs of the more distant outposts. Some islands have restaurants, youth hostels and country stores, while others are entirely deserted islands.

A good destination for a day trip is Sandhamn, which is reached either by taking a direct ferry from the city centre (this takes 5 h) or by taking the 433 or 434 bus from the centrally located T Slussen to Stavsnäs and from there a connecting ferry bound for Sandhamn or Hagede (from T Slussen this takes 90-95 min during summer and 110-115 min during winter). Both Waxholmsbolaget and Cinderellabåtarna serve both routes, but again, Cinderellabåtarna service is shut down during winter.

Utö makes another good trip and is accessible from the city centre (takes 3.5 h) or by taking suburban train from Stockholm central station to Västerhaninge, then bus 846 to Årsta brygga and then a connecting ferry (from Stockholm C this takes 90 min during summer and 1 h 45 min during winter). Both routes are served solely by Waxholmsbolaget.

Get around

The major shipping companies are the public-transport Waxholmsbolaget, and the private-owned Strömma.

Waxholmsbolaget's regular boats depart from Strömkajen at the Grand Hotel. They stop at most docks, and tickets are comparably cheap.

Waxholmsbolaget also has two old-fashioned steamboats, mainly for slow dining cruises in the inner archipelago, or day-trips to Sandhamn.

Strömma is aimed at major tourist destinations, faster but costlier, often with a guide. Most of their boats depart from Nybrokajen at Nybroplan.

See

Vaxholm fortress.

In general, the further out to the ocean, the more spectacular the view. During summer, sailing boats add to the scenery.

• 1 Gustavsberg Porcelain Museum. Reminds of the closed-down Gustavsberg porcelain factory. 

• 2 Artipelag. An art gallery in Värmdö. 

• 3 Archipelago museum. In Stavsnäs, Värmdö. 

• 4 Värmdö Church. A 14th century church. 

• Vaxholm fortress (Vaxholm)

• 5 Bogesund Palace (Bogesunds slott).
  A palace. 

• 6 Vaxholm Castle (Vaxholms kastell). 

• 7 Ytterby.
  is a mine on Resarö, with one unusual distinction: nine chemical elements of the periodic table were discovered here, four of them named by the settlement: yttrium, ytterbium, terbium and erbium. 

Do

Outdoor bathing and hiking. Rod fishing is allowed without a license in the sea, but not in freshwater lakes.

• 1 Saltsjöbaden observatory. Impressive from outside, though not usually open to the public. 

• 2 Siggesta Gård. Is a farming estate with several activities. 

Drink

Most boats in regular traffic have a simple bar, offering regular beer and wine.

Sleep

• Grinda Wärdshus. 
• Waxholms Hotell. 
• 1 Grand Hotel Saltsjöbaden. A Grand Old Hotel. 
• 2 Wermdö Golf & Country Club. 

Stay safe

Ticks, fästingar, are common in grassy areas of the archipelago.