Arholma

Mentioned already in King Valdemar's sea chart

Arholma appears as Arnholm in King Valdemar's sea chart from the 13th century. The island was inhabited, at least periodically, during the Middle Ages and offered opportunities for fishing and hunting seals and seabirds. By the mid-16th century there were three farms here; a hundred years later, seven landed homesteads.

The name carries the prefix arn, an older form of örn (eagle). It remains apt: on and around the island there are good chances of seeing white-tailed eagles.

Pilots, shipowners and summer guests

The islanders were mainly fishermen, with farming on the side. When the pilot station was established in 1724, six of the farmers also became pilots. Towards the end of the 18th century, peasant sailing began, and several of the farmers became well-to-do shipowners — the vessels were often built in Österhamn or on the neighbouring island of Björkö.

When the farmers could no longer compete as ship captains at the end of the 19th century, the island experienced a new boom, this time as a summer paradise for wealthy Stockholmers. The first and most famous guest house was founded by pilot Mattias Ahlman in 1905 and operated until 1969. Later, the summer guests bought the houses instead.

Buildings

All older buildings were burned by the Russians in 1719. What stands today is therefore mainly from the 19th century — but all the more genuine: Västbergs, Södergård, Bull-Augusts gård and Simesgården. The old timber boathouses in Österhamn have few equivalents in Stockholm's archipelago.

The Beacon was erected in 1768 and replaced an older beacon hut that is clearly marked on a map from 1697. Today it houses art exhibitions and displays.

Arholma Church stands high on Kvarnberget and was initially called Mikaelskyrkan. The building has a history: it was a mission chapel at Kronobergsparken on Kungsholmen before being moved here in the 1920s. The interior paintings were created by Harald Lindberg.

Battery Arholma

The northern part of the island was the site of a secret coastal defence installation during the Cold War, built into the rock. Battery Arholma was one of three batteries with 10.5 cm turret-mounted automatic guns in Stockholm's archipelago and was completed in 1968. The installation extended over several islands. The island was part of a military protection area that was off-limits to foreigners.

The battery was decommissioned in the early 2000s but has been preserved together with one of the guns, and is today an experience museum.

Nature

Most of the island is the Arholma-Idö nature reserve — a true archipelago landscape with fields, coastal meadows, pastures and deciduous trees, characterized by small-scale farming with grazing animals. On northern Arholma there is well-preserved old spruce forest.

The Archipelago Foundation began purchasing land on the island in 1963 to conduct traditional forestry and farming, and converted Bull-Augusts gård into a youth hostel in 1984.

How to get here

Passenger boat from Simpnäs on Björkö, with several daily departures year-round. In summer, Waxholms boats also run from Stockholm and Norrtälje.