Anyone who wants to visit Strängnäs by bicycle has much to look forward to. Here you will find wood oven bakeries, baroque castles, city walks for the historically interested and Scandinavia's largest defense vehicle museum. Of course, there is also Gripsholm Castle, the idyllic Mariefred and boat trips on Lake Mälaren. Anette Lilja, who is the tourism manager in the municipality, also tips on bike trips to Stallarholmen and Selaön.
Swedish tourism is developing positively in general and it seems that this also applies to bicycle tourism in Strängnäs.
- We are seeing an increasing trend with visitors wanting a cycling holiday in the municipality. For example, we see a demand for tourist information adapted for cycling holidays. You want tips on where to bike, some maybe just a day trip, while others want to cycle around Lake Mälaren or in Sörmland, or both and, during a multi-day trip, says Anette Lilja.
Award-winning wood-fired bakery with café
When it comes to nice excursion destinations that are good for the cyclist, there are several different variants according to Anette Lilja.
- From Strängnäs city center, I would recommend the Armed Forces and Fogdön Defense Vehicle Museum. Here you get the combination of visiting one of our biggest sights, the Arsenal, and the tranquility of the rural environment out on Fogdön, where the Näckros Trail passes. Another decent day trip is to cycle to Stallarholmen. There you can visit Gula Industrihuset and see how you can creatively use a former factory. There is also Printz Bakery, an award-winning wood-fired bakery with café, shops, auction houses and crafts in a wonderful environment. You will also find Gripens Värdshus and some nice cafes to breathe out for a good lunch or coffee.
Germans visit Tucholsky's grave
Strängnäs also attracts many foreign tourists. According to Anette Lilja, they primarily come to experience culture, history and outdoor life.
- You visit Gripsholm Castle, our city centers and take a boat trip out to the World Heritage Birka. Those interested in outdoor life canoe in the Marviks and perhaps hike along the Sörmland Trail. We also have some foreign bicycle tourists. In Mariefred we have a lot of German visitors who, besides Gripsholm's castle, also come to visit the grave of German author Kurt Tucholsky.
Nice bike trails on Sela Island
Back to biking. One destination that Anette Lilja warmly recommends is the bike trails on Sela Island which she sees as just day trips for anyone who does not want to cycle very long.
- We usually recommend both Ytterselöleden and Överselöleden. Then there is a part of the Näckros Trail that goes through Åker's rock, and it will be redrawn so that between Laxne and Mariefred it will pass Skottvång's mine and Åker's piece mill. It is a beautiful stretch where there is also much of the history of the iron that was broken in the mining area of the area. A detour from that trail down to the Krampan Nature Reserve to see the Marviks is also recommended.
Expert tips on visitor destinations in Strängnäs Municipality
The arsenal. Just outside Strängnäs is the Arsenalen, which is Scandinavia's largest defense vehicle museum and shows the military vehicle development from the beginning of the 20th century until today. You will be offered a breathtaking historical journey through these decades.
Pilgrim Trail. On the peninsula Fogdön stretches the Pilgrim Trail, which is a hiking trail in three stages and a total of eight kilometers long. Most of the Pilgrim trail is also good for cycling. The trail meanders on smaller gravel roads, over open fields and through forests.
Central Strängnäs. Here you will find a well-preserved older settlement, among other things around Väderkvarnen and the Cathedral. The windmill was built in 1855 and is of Dutch model, in summer it is open to visitors, just below the mill is Grassagården, which is one of Sweden's few preserved courtyards that remains in its original location. The oldest parts of the farm date from the early 17th century and there is a small museum section which is open during the summer and a charming café. If you are in Strängnäs on a Thursday during the summer, take the opportunity to join one of the popular Dramatised city walks where you will find out more about the city's history, including how the election of Gustav Vasa to the King of Sweden went!
boat trips. In the summer, Strängnäs has a boat connection to several locations around Lake Mälaren, through Rederi Mälarstaden's boats that operate from Västerås, Sundbyholm and to Mariefred, Taxinge and Birka.
S / S Mariefred is a living part of our cultural heritage and has been serving Stockholm - Mariefred stretch since 1903. Many cyclists start or end their cycle trip by taking the boat to or from Mariefred when it is good to bring a bike on board.
S / S Mariefred in combination with the Museijärnvägen also makes the so-called "Castle & Steam Tour" on certain days in summer. Here you can travel by boat and train in round trip between Gripsholm Castle / Mariefred and Taxinge Näsby Castle, also known as the "Kakslottet". Here, too, you can combine any of the modes of travel with a bike ride one way if you wish.
Mälsåker castle. On Sela Island is one of Sweden's most stately baroque castles Mälsåker's castle. In the summertime, the castle lives on with exhibitions, exhibitions and music concerts. The bicycle trail "Yttterselöleden" passes just past the castle.
Mariefred. In addition to the obvious visitor destination Gripsholm Castle, Mariefred offers a city center with much of the old wooden building preserved. Here is also the Callanderska farm which is an old color yard with a beautiful garden. Callanderska shows what a bourgeois house in Mariefred looked like at the turn of the last century and on some days during the summer, the hometown association has a café here in the garden.
Åker rock. The nature area of Åker's mountain range extends through Strängnäs and Gnesta municipality. Here the Sörmlandic cycle path "Näckrosleden" passes as well as the "Sörmland Trail" and "Canoe Trail". Why not combine the bike ride with hiking one of the running trails on the Sörmland trail or canoeing on the Marviks. In the middle of the area is Skottvång's mine, which is a well-preserved mining environment. There is a museum and restaurant / café and a music scene with concerts all year round. In the Åker mill, you can visit the Åkers mill museum which tells about the history of the mill and the iron in the area.
Photo: Ulf Huett (left in picture Anette Lilja and right Lina Wibeck)