The city of Norrköping was lovely to look at. We are not the city runners, but rather nature. But we both liked the city. Perhaps the weather also played a major role, because we “thirst” for the sun. And that day it was warm and the sun was there. In 3 ½ weeks in Sweden we felt 2 of them only rain and cold. So summer can come slowly, also for the mood….
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Tullgarn Castle - located directly on the sea
After we got in Stendörren nature reserve we were looking for a place to stay Tullgarn Castle discovered. Everything is still closed - the main building of Schloss Tullgarn, the cafe and the restaurant - but you can walk across the grounds here and see everything.
We started walking straight away and were amazed at how many locals go for a walk here. The area is really big. It has an orangery, a pier, restaurants and various gardens. Constructed like a “U”, the two side buildings face the sea, creating an inner courtyard with a sea view. There are 2 tree-lined avenues and a large meadow towards Tullgarn Castle. A tree was felled in the meadow, the roots of which indicate a large tree.
The original Tullgarn Castle was completed at the end of the 16th century and is now a royal castle that has been opened to the public. There are many apple trees in the meadow behind the parking lot. There were once 120 pieces with about 26 different types. Even a large riding stable, which is still in operation today, is part of the site. The next day there was heavy downpour and continuous rain, so we decided to stay on site. Despite the rain, the residents came for a walk with and without a dog, which we couldn't understand. The parking lot below our location was already flooded.
At first we wanted to work, but the weather invited us to linger. So everyone did their own thing, gambled, knitted, slept, read. 10 minutes of walks with Finja had to be. But even she was happy with a day of sleep.
More tips about Tullgarn Castle can be found here: https://www.schwedentipps.se/soermland/schloss-tullgarn/
Mörkö island - nice for hikers
The next day it still rained, but it wasn't that bad anymore. The next target was that Mörkö island. We immediately looked for a place to stay because we wanted to do a little more work. We spurned the 2 from Park4Night because they were right next to residential buildings. So we used Google Maps to find something ourselves and found what we were looking for in a nature reserve in the south of the island. We went for a run with Finja and had to find out that it was raining a lot. The fields were under water so that the seagulls could swim on them.
It would have been a kind of circular route that would have walked across meadows and through woods at a farm. But since we saw the mud, we went back to the bus and still worked. After a very quiet night, we wanted to move on. Not far away would have been a lookout point. Once again we couldn't go to it, as the branching off road would only have been for residents and official traffic. It happens to us more often here that the streets are not allowed to be driven on. So on to the harbor, where we wanted to take the ferry as pedestrians to the very small island of Oaxen.
Once at the ferry port, Basti first looked to see when the ferry was coming and what we had to pay. Again, a disappointment. You could have paid with an app, but this requires a Swedish account and a Swedish identity. We have noticed several times that you have to pay for parking with an app. But so far this has not requested a Swedish account. Ok, that's the way it is. First we ate something and then we took a few photos of the island and the archipelago. The weather got better and better, the cloud cover is less and the sun comes out. Just a nice view of the Baltic Sea.
We still had one Nature reserve, Kalkbergets, on the list of where we went next. When we arrived, an older local stopped with his grandson and spoke to us directly. He pointed out to us where the path is and how it goes. After we talked to him a bit, we followed the advice.
The path first went up the Kalkberg, with the help of a rope as a handrail. After the rain of the last few days, they needed it too. At the top you walk along the mountain to the top. The path was rough as usual, but it was a wonderful hike.
The view is just amazing. And it was high too, so that one could see far. The sun had also prevailed properly and since there was no wind, it was really warm, we even sweated. At the top there was also a rest area and Basti took a few photos with the drone.
The local stopped every now and then with his grandson and waved to us. Just a nice person.
Here in Sweden we get spoken to by locals more often than last year on the entire trip. And everyone speaks English! At the end it was down a flight of stairs and another slide with a rope handrail. It was super nice and after the 2 disappointments it really worked out. If we had met the local at the beginning when we came to the island, we would certainly have got some tips about hiking.
We need drinking water and since there is only one campsite on Mörkö, we made our way there. This is right next to the ferry over to the mainland. And we also had to go shopping, so over there. We got the water for free, which is not a matter of course. Very nice people. The ferry only takes 5 minutes to go over. Since I drove all day today, I went on the ferry myself for the first time. Holla, a little palpitation, but actually not a problem.
Vardberget - sleeping place in the middle of the forest
After shopping we are at Vardberget hazards. I was still at the wheel and when the navigation system wanted to lead us into the forest next to a house, on a gravel road with potholes, I turned around for the first time. But the next road into the forest also looked like this and then I probably had to go through there. When I got to the parking lot I was a bit sweaty, the route was really exhausting to drive. But it was in the middle of the forest, except for birds and bees there was nothing to be heard and we stood there alone.
At around 9 p.m. we made our way through the forest up a small mountain to see the sunset. We had previously seen on the app page that there was a great vantage point. You only walk 10 minutes to be up there. When we arrived there, we saw a log structure on the raised top, which looked very much like a shelter.
There was also a bench with a table and a fireplace. A little further on, we were there and were mute. The view from up here was breathtaking! You could see the island of Mörkö with its ferry and many small islands that were still in the Baltic Sea. We were able to take nice photos of the area and the sunset.
There were also locals up there and Basti spoke to you directly about the wooden structure. It is a beacon that was built on a burial mound about 700 years ago to warn the area of invading Russians. There are probably several of them in the area across the water. We talked to him a little longer and he asked if we would climb because there was a climbing wall below the standing position.
For the Swedes the rain of the last few days didn't seem to be normal either, as he asked us directly whether we had noticed the "monsoon-like" rain. The overnight place must have been set by an insider, because we saw no indication of any attractions. In any case, it was worth the effort for this view and when it started to get cold we went back to the bus.
The next day we stayed on site and were surprised how many people came here to climb. The parking lot was full of cars all day. Some also came just to have a picnic upstairs. During the day we worked a lot, washed our hair and thought about where to go next. Since I got some problems with my right ear, we decided to go to Stockholm and see an ENT doctor. The second night was also very quiet again, but the next morning there was a lot going on with climbers. Around noon we made our way to Stockholm.
You can find more pictures in the Sweden photo gallery.
