Ekolsund: Castle, Gardens and Nature

Ekolsund is shaped by its castle estate and an extensive cultural landscape: traces of the park, avenues and game park extend far beyond the castle grounds themselves. There are also historic gardens, an arboretum and the nature around Hjälstaviken. If you are weighing up architecture, gardens and outdoor trails, the area offers several distinct highlights. The castle and park define its historic side; the nature reserve beside the castle offers a different connection with nature.

A castle estate with a clear layout

Construction of Ekolsund Castle began in the 1630s, after Field Marshal Åke Thott received the estate from Gustav II Adolf. This provides a specific timeframe for the building’s history. Architecturally, the castle consists of two separate main buildings, a northern one and a southern one. They are connected by two low, semicircular buildings known as exedras. The distinction between the main buildings and the connecting exedras helps you understand the estate as a structured ensemble.

Historic gardens and arboretum

Visitors can explore five different historic gardens in the castle park. The arboretum offers a different perspective on the landscape: it contains more than 400 tree species, and about 16 hectares consist of relatively dense mixed forest. These figures describe different aspects—the number of species indicates the variety of trees, while the area gives the approximate extent of the mixed forest. You can therefore consider the gardens and the arboretum as distinct highlights alongside the castle architecture. The castle park is open to individual visitors during the day.

Nature around Hjälstaviken

Hjälstaviken Nature Reserve lies right beside Ekolsund Castle. An approximately eight-kilometre walking trail circles the lake, passing through flowering pastureland to the birdwatching tower on the western shore and to Parnassen, with its tall deciduous trees. The pastureland, birdwatching tower and deciduous trees provide different points of interest along the route. This makes the trail in the surrounding area distinct from the historic gardens by the castle: here, the lake and nature take centre stage.

Hiking, cycling and fishing

The Cykelleden Uppland is about 80 kilometres long. Near Ekolsund Castle, it follows a roughly 100-metre stretch of gravel path south of Route 263. At Ekolsundsviken, the route crosses the water and then follows the old railway embankment. The distances refer to different scales: approximately eight kilometres describes the walking trail around Hjälstaviken, while about 80 kilometres is the total length of the Cykelleden Uppland. The roughly 100-metre stretch near Ekolsund Castle is a local section of this cycling route. Ekolsundsviken also offers good fishing opportunities.

A convenient stop before visiting the castle

Many visitors stop at Wärdshuset for lunch, information, to collect their keys or to have an initial conversation with the staff before continuing to the castle and park. So, in addition to its architectural history and gardens, Ekolsund also has a convenient place to stop as part of your visit.

Discover more destinations: Grillby, Edsta, Enköping, Fjärdhundra, Örsundsbro, Lillkyrka

Go to the main travel overview: Enköping.