Åkers Styckebruk: Industrial Heritage and Nature Trails
Accommodation in Åkers Styckebruk
Åkers Styckebruk lies on Lake Visnaren, on the edge of Åkers Bergslag. Here, a long history of ironworking meets a variety of trails and a canoe route. When planning a stay, you can focus on a longer hiking stage, shorter routes, paddling or industrial heritage. The route lengths and historic industrial site offer concrete ways to plan your days in Åkers Styckebruk.
A hiking stage through moorland and historic industrial landscapes
Stage 16:1 of the Sörmlandsleden is 11 kilometres long and lies in Åkers Styckebruk. It first passes through a historic ironworking landscape and then through undeveloped areas of Åkers Bergslag. Along the way, it runs through the Lenellstorpet Nature Reserve and across a nutrient-rich fen with rare orchids. The stage thus combines views of the area’s industrial past with a distinctive moorland landscape.
The trailhead can be reached by bus 301 from Strängnäs or bus 306 from Läggesta. Check the timetable for your travel day. There is a car park behind Folkets hus, about 200 metres from the trailhead. Gallsjömossen Nature Reserve is also nearby, and the stage leads there. The reserve also has a four-kilometre circular trail.
Choose routes by length and starting point
For shorter runs, Åkersspåret near Bruksvallen has two illuminated circular trails, 0.9 and 2.4 kilometres long. The Ulva recreation area has three running routes of 3, 5 and 10 kilometres. The different lengths make it easy to choose a suitable run without treating the routes as interchangeable.
Two hiking trails can also be distinguished by their length and starting points: Stånggångsleden is five kilometres long and starts and ends at Göksjön, near the former Hjulhuset. The six-kilometre Marviksleden starts and ends at Malsjön. At nearby Kalkbro, the paved path from the car park to the limestone quarry is suitable for visitors using a rollator or travelling with a pushchair. This suitability applies to the path to the quarry.
On the water from Visnaren
The Åkers Styckebruk–Marvikarna–Gnesta canoe trail starts on Lake Visnaren in Åkers Styckebruk, passes through the three long, narrow Marviken lakes and is 40 kilometres long in total. Kanotkungen rents out canoes, Canadian canoes and kayaks from Åkers Styckebruk. Paddling trips in Marvikarna are offered for durations of one to four days; for day trips, the start and finish are at Kanotkungen in Åkers Styckebruk.
Industrial history and parkland
Åkers bruksmuseum is next to Engelska parken and is open in summer. It presents the history of Åkers Jern Bruk, founded in 1580. The present-day blast furnaces at Åkers Styckebruk date from 1795. The Motstugan building has also been preserved on the industrial site; it was once used to make casting moulds. Together, these places offer insights into different aspects of ironworking history, from the historic works to a building with a specialised function.
Engelska parken was laid out from the 1780s onwards. The manor house is private. Check current conditions before your visit, and check the museum’s summer opening dates. The Bruksarkiv preserves the old ironworks archive, with documents dating from the early 17th century, as well as the Wahrendorff archive of the Stockholm trading house “Wahrendorff et Co”. There is also a historic mine in the surrounding area, with a mining museum that opens seasonally and a restaurant.
Discover more destinations: Mariefred, Stallarholmen, Strängnäs.
Return to the main travel overview: Strängnäs.
