Shaped by millennia of glacier movements, the Stockholm Archipelago–with more than 30,000 islands–stretches into the Baltic Sea about 50 miles east of the Swedish capital. The new Stockholm Archipelago Trail, which opened in November, snakes through some of the more remote corners of the 650-sq.-mile coastal area where birch and juniper forests give way to granite cliffs, massive boulders, and rocky islets called skerries. The 168-mile foot path connects 20 islands, including Finnhamn, a nature reserve, to the north and, in the south, Utö, one of the few with year-round residents, first settled in the 6th century. The hiking legs range from mile-long strolls to 15-mile treks and are based on existing footpaths–some made by Vikings, others by sheep and goats. Travelers can reach all 20 sections via a public ferry system that operates with seasonal variability or via private boat taxis. For multi-day excursions, hikers can stay at a variety of spots along the trail, ranging from wild camping sites to spa hotels and B&Bs, wooden cabins, and unique lodgings like an old pilot lookout tower on the southernmost section of Landsort. Some are available year-round, while others operate during summer only. The trail website provides downloadable maps for each island, along with information on the trail's accessible sections for people with reduced mobility.
The trail’s ambitions are many: to help redistribute foot traffic, especially in the crowded summer months; to encourage visitors to venture deeper into the islands; and to support year-round operations for local businesses. Nature conservation is yet another objective. Parts of the track cut through wetlands, critical ecosystems that are under pressure across the Baltics from over-fertilization and other challenges. “The trail is an opportunity to learn about our nature, island way of life, and history,” said Marie Östblom from Stockholm Business Region, the municipality that worked on the trail project. “But it is also about climate change and the Baltic Sea,” she added. “People have used these paths for hundreds of years. We are taking them to the future.”