12 MAY 2026
Runriket — Viking Age cultural heritage around Lake Vallentuna
Along the shores of Lake Vallentuna rests one of the Nordic region's densest concentrations of Viking Age rune stones, assembly sites and medieval churches — linked together in a network of walking and cycling routes called Runriket.
What is Runriket?
Runriket is a cultural heritage collaboration between Vallentuna and Täby municipalities that connects nine historical sites around Lake Vallentuna. The sites span from Viking Age assembly sites and runestones to medieval stone churches. Along well-marked hiking trails and cycle paths, visitors can move freely between the sites with the help of information signs, maps and audio guides.
Arkil's Assembly Site at Bällsta
One of Runriket's most dramatic sites is Arkil's assembly site at Bällsta, on the eastern shore of Lake Vallentuna. Here stand two runestones (U 225 and U 226) at a square stone setting with ten-metre sides — an assembly site from the 1010s. The inscriptions on the stones are largely written in fornyrðislag, the metre form recognised from Old Icelandic literature, and tell of Ulv of the Skålhamra clan and his memory. The carver signs with the name Gunnar.
Jarlabanke's Bridge and the Nine Sites
Runriket's nine sites include, among others, Jarlabanke's bridge (where the landowner Jarlabanke had a road embankment built around 1050), Broby bridge with six runestones, Fällbro with three rock-carved inscriptions and Gällsta with four generations of family history carved in stone. The connection to the medieval churches Täby Church and Vallentuna Church shows how the Viking Age elite merged with the Christian church organisation.
How to Get Here
Runriket is most easily reached by Roslagsbanan to Vallentuna station or Täby Church. Choose to walk or cycle; maps and information are available on Vallentuna municipality's website and on information signs along the route.