Östra Ed – Coastal Landscape and History

Östra Ed combines a culturally rich historical landscape with the highly indented coastal world of Åsvikelandet Nature Reserve. Those wishing to combine nature experiences and maritime history on their trip will find a wide range of options here: hiking trails through an archipelago landscape, farmland and areas rich in birdlife sit alongside a distinctive church and historical traces of former trading and seafaring sites.

Ã…svikelandet: Hiking Trails between Forest and Open Sea

Åsvikelandet Nature Reserve lies east of the church in Östra Ed. It forms a hilly peninsula covered with coniferous forest and featuring a long, highly indented shoreline. It also borders the two other nature reserves, Kvädöfjärden and Torrö. This means that the natural area can be understood not only through individual viewpoints, but also through its place within a larger sequence of protected landscapes.

The nature reserve offers around 20 kilometres of hiking trails, shelters, barbecue areas and an overnight cabin for visitors. The southern hiking loop is approximately eight kilometres long and passes a rest area overlooking Västra Stäket Bay. The trail system forms part of Östgötaleden and is marked in orange. Another notable point is reached by the Åsviksslingan trail at Markens udde, where the view opens out onto the open sea.

On the Åsvik–Åsvikelandet section, around half the route runs along gravel roads and the remainder along a hiking trail; the terrain is flat to moderately hilly. The route passes through a very sparsely populated archipelago landscape, an agricultural landscape and areas rich in birdlife. There is a car park and information at the Åsvik trailhead.

Church, Local Heritage Museum and Maritime Past

A prominent landmark in the area is Östra Ed Church, whose spire is topped by a gilded pilot cutter. Its present form is also linked to a clearly dated turning point: after the fire on 3 May 1958, the church was rebuilt on the old walls and shortened at the eastern end. The Östra Ed local heritage museum is housed in the old church stable, built around 1880, and adds another historic building to the church site.

Further traces lead into the landscape around Åsvik. Åsvik Manor is surrounded by a park and well-kept pastures with unusually large oak trees. The hillfort at Breviken was probably a watch fort associated with the organisation of the war fleet from the Iron Age through the Middle Ages. From the mid-16th century, Skeppsgården was a major freight and trading site. According to tradition, from the 13th century onwards Munkhamn was an anchorage where cogs travelling between Denmark and Estonia spent the night.

Kråkviks stuga is also among the documented historic sites: the building was formerly a pigsty and was converted into a rest hut with a sleeping loft. Depending on your interests, you can therefore combine a hike through the nature reserve landscape in Östra Ed with the history of churches, manor estates and seafaring, without presenting these themes as one unified historical setting.

More Destinations in the Wider Travel Area

For further orientation, you can also consider Skeppsgården, Gryt, Ringarum and Valdemarsvik.

Return to the wider travel overview: Valdemarsvik.