Skeppsgården: Hiking and Maritime History on Edsviken

Skeppsgården combines a historic shipping site on Edsviken with marked hiking trails and an unusually rich maritime history. This gives you two particularly tangible experiences when choosing your destination: you can explore the landscape on foot while also understanding the significance Skeppsgården once had as a loading, trading and export port.

Hiking in Ã…svikelandet

A section of the Östgötaleden approximately 36 kilometres long begins in Skeppsgården. The starting point is therefore connected not only to a single circular trail, but also to a longer section of Sweden’s hiking trail system. In Åsvikelandet, the trail system forms part of the Östgötaleden and is marked in orange. This marking provides clear guidance when you are choosing hiking trails locally.

For a significantly shorter hike, the southern loop in Åsvikelandet is available. It is approximately eight kilometres long. The longer section of the Östgötaleden beginning in Skeppsgården and the southern loop in Åsvikelandet therefore offer two different-length hiking options. The Åsvikelandet nature reserve is 2 kilometres from Skeppsgården B&B and complements the hiking trails with a natural area.

A Shipping Site with a Long History

From the mid-16th century onwards, Skeppsgården was a major loading and trading site. The site served as an export port for firewood, pulpwood and timber; the loading port reached its heyday in the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, approximately ten ships were home-ported in Skeppsgården. A steamboat landing remained in operation until the 1950s. The loading port and landing therefore shaped different periods in the history of shipping. These chronological milestones show the site’s development without equating its former function with a present-day operation.

Villa, Fisherman’s Cottage and Östra Eds kyrka

Fiskartorpet, Skeppsgården’s historic fisherman’s cottage, is part of the site’s historic character. Villa Skeppsgården is also connected with the site’s history: K. A. Wallenberg had it built in 1908 and gave it to Helge Lybeck and his wife Nanny Wallenberg as a wedding gift. Today, Villa Skeppsgården is a course centre that has offered knowledge and expertise in the field of Levande Föda since the 1980s. Fiskartorpet and Villa Skeppsgården are therefore among the site’s historic buildings.

Another notable destination is the nearby Östra Eds kyrka, with a gilded pilot cutter as its rooftop finial. The present church was rebuilt on the same site after a fire in 1958 and inaugurated in 1960. The old walls could be used in the process. This sequence is crucial to understanding its history: the present church was built after the fire, but retains a connection to its predecessor through its location and the reused walls.

More Places to Consider

The Edsmarken event was also held in Skeppsgården at the end of September. Since this was a past event, no current date can be inferred from it. For further destination comparisons, you can also compare Valdemarsvik (Valdemarsvik), Ringarum (Ringarum), Gryt (Gryt) and Östra Ed (Östra Ed).

For the higher-level travel overview: Valdemarsvik.