Lidö

On the way towards the ice cream kiosk at the guest harbour and onwards towards Österhamn, you walk beneath gnarled deciduous trees and hundred-year-old pines, pass waist-high harebells and shore meadows, and meet sun-warmed sailors and paddlers. Here is the special vegetation type of rocky-ground spruce forest, but also natural forest with deciduous trees, species-rich groves and delicate meadows. Bird life is rich in spring and autumn – then sea eagles are seen daily. There is also an archipelago farm here with a score of cattle, a few horses and a strong focus on nature conservation. Lidö is owned by the Archipelago Foundation. Large parts of the island are undeveloped, with beautiful walking paths and untouched nature. Norrsundet has a fine sea-shore meadow with species-rich flora such as harebell, cow-wheat and perhaps an orchid. There is also plenty of raspberries and blueberries. At Båthusviken's guest harbour there is a small child-friendly bathing beach. There is also a beach by the steamboat jetty. On the island's eastern side, rock bathing awaits, and furthest north by the cannon there are larger rocks to jump from. The top of Kanonberget has a wonderful view towards Havssvalget and the open sea. Lidö Inn in the manor house has an award-winning restaurant, accommodation, party and conference facilities. On Lidö there are also canoes and small boats to hire, a sauna and shower, a mini-grocery and a guest harbour with 55 berths, the Österhamn natural harbour, an STF Hostel, cottages, a designated campsite and a helicopter landing pad. Together with the company Neste, Lidö Inn launched the Zero Island initiative with the goal of making Lidö fossil-free. Thanks to a range of ambitious measures, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 78 percent during 2019. Nolla Cabin is part of the project - unique self-sufficient cabins with a sea view and room for two people. The cabins run on solar cells and have minimal impact on nature. Around the year 1630 Lidö was owned by Bengt Oxenstierna, who had a stately Baroque castle built on the island. But Lidö was ravaged by the Russians in 1719 and the castle was destroyed to the ground. In 1769 Lidö was bought by the Arholma son Matts Person-Holmers, a captain in the East India Company. He had the present manor house built on the ruins of the old castle. Today the exotic wallpapers of the China Room, among other things, bear witness to his adventures. From the 1920s Sweden's largest mink farm was on Lidö. It closed in 1945 when the City of Stockholm bought Lidö and made the island a summer home for worn-out housewives. The mill down by the steamboat jetty probably dates from the start of the last century. Transport: Bus From Stockholm to Norrtälje and onwards to Räfsnäs. Passenger boat from Räfsnäs to Lidö. Travel time Stockholm-Räfsnäs: 1 hr 50 min. Travel time from Norrtälje to Räfsnäs: 35 min. Own car E18 towards Kapellskär. Turn left towards Gräddö/Refsnäs. After 2 km - right towards Räfsnäs jetty, park immediately to the right in the visitor car park. Walk to the jetty for the passenger boat trip to Lidö. Travel time from Stockholm about 1 hour. Own boat: N59°46,407 E19°4,526, Regular boat traffic Passenger boat from Räfsnäs jetty to Lidö: 8 min. Regular service with Waxholmsbolaget from Stockholm, in summer: 4 hrs. There is boat traffic with Waxholmsbolaget to and from Lidö all year round, but the boats do not run as often year-round. Raise the semaphore on the jetty if you want to come aboard! The jetty is not accessibility-adapted, but there is a bench to sit on. There is a kiosk next to the jetty, but the opening hours may be limited. Jetty position: Latitude: 59,62716 Longitude: 19,01174 Timetables and more information – Waxholmsbolaget Boat taxi: Refsnäs Sjötransport, Fejans sjötransport.