Cykeltur i Gryt med omnejd

18 km in Östergötland

Even though Gryt is most famous for its archipelago, you who cycle this round will be delighted with the charming cultural area. You pass small towns such as Dal, Stora Syltvik and Hosum on the journey. Attractions include ancient oaks, boatman's crofts and Bronze Age cairns. The bike ride is 18 kilometers long.

Hopefully this tour not only provides fresh air and nice, rural bike paths. It is just as much an opportunity to fill the general education with small gold nuggets and the history of the area. The time span is impressive with the Bronze Age at one end and the end of the 19th century at the other.

The text is based on a PDF that Valdemarsvik's municipality has produced and which offers interesting in-depth reading for those who are interested.

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View of Högveds village (no. 5) by Högvedssjön.

1
Farmors ek
Before leaving Gryt, you must stop at the old oak called "grandma's oak". Here, the locals have been meeting for a long time.
2
Eknäs
You get a good feeling for how people lived in old times during this bike ride. Stop at the croft Eknäs which was home to the shoemaker family Edström in the early 1800s. A bit further away along the road comes a croft with the fitting name "Krypin".
3
Valley
If you cycle slowly, you will hear the wings of history. The first time Dal is mentioned in writing is in 1498. The manor house was built in 1896.
4
Stora Syltvik
It is always exciting to learn what old words included in place names mean. We can have jam on the pancakes, but it can also mean a beach, swamp or bog. Hence the name Stora Syltvik. The place name is already written in 1354.
5
Högsveds village
One circumstance that makes Högveds village up by Högvedssjön interesting is that the village was never changed and for that reason it is still close between the houses.
6
Hosum by
In the church records, the name first appears in 1659. In Hosum were five farms: Björngården, Storgården, Skattegården, Lillgården and Oppgården.
7
Ancient remains on the mountain
On the way back east towards the pearl Gryt, you can make a detour almost four thousand years back in time. In Sweden, it is estimated that the Bronze Age lasted between 1800 and 500 BC. At the top of the mountain you can find a number of Bronze Age cairns. When you have satiated your historical hunger, cycle the last bit back to Gryt.