Tierp between nature, coast and ironworks history

The Hållnäs Peninsula offers trails through beautiful natural landscapes and extensive rocky fields. Between the protected Björn archipelago, wetlands, historic ironworks communities and the old fishing village of Fågelsundet, Tierp offers a wide variety of destinations for days spent outdoors and exploring cultural history.

The places available for direct selection include Söderfors, Karlholmsbruk, Skärplinge, Lövstabruk and Tierp.

Nature

Florarna is Uppland’s largest wetland area. The Florarna Nature Reserve has marked trails and boardwalks; the area is also suitable for winter ski tours. Three stages of the Upplandsleden trail pass through Tierp Municipality, from the Florarna wetlands in the south to the Dalälven in the north. Along the way, the Upplandsleden passes through wetlands, cultural landscapes and forests.

The Björn archipelago is protected as a nature reserve, a Natura 2000 site and a bird sanctuary. The archipelago is home to 3,000 breeding pairs of coastal birds and Sweden’s largest colony of the rare Caspian tern. Björn is most easily reached by boat from Fågelsundet.

Water and coast

The Tierp–Strömsberg section of the Tämnarån canoe trail is 8 kilometres long, calm and free of rapids and shallows. The canoe trail has a launching site and parking spaces at the bridge in Skämsta. At Hjällsjön, there is an accessible fishing jetty and a picnic area.

Fågelsundet is an old fishing village at the northern tip of the Hållnäs Peninsula. It has boat sheds from different periods, cooking houses and drying racks for nets and fishing lines. In Fagerviken, visitors can sample smoked fish.

Culture and history

Several Walloon ironworks communities in Tierp Municipality are open to the public. In Söderfors, the preserved anchor forge is now a museum; it was built in 1786, and anchors were forged there until 1883. Söderfors’s English Park also contains a Greek temple built in 1797.

Lövstabruk was once Sweden’s largest ironworks and was founded by Louis de Geer in the 1620s. In Lövstabruk, visitors can take a guided tour of the manor house. Klaverens Hus displays around 350 pianos there.

At Örbyhus Castle, guided tours of Erik XIV’s prison, the castle park and the carriage museum are offered during almost the entire summer season. Vendel Church is one of the largest and most magnificent medieval churches in Uppland. The boat burials dating from approximately AD 550 to 1050, discovered near Vendel Church in 1881, gave the Vendel Age its name.

Karlholmsbruk was founded by Charles De Geer in 1729 and preserves historic ironworks buildings and water installations. The Lancashire forge is exceptionally well preserved; its original hearths, bellows and drop hammers remain intact. It is used for concerts and exhibitions and is included in guided tours of the ironworks environment. Strömsbergs bruk is one of Sweden’s best-preserved examples of a complete ironworks community.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Knivsta, Östhammar.

Back to the overview of the main destination: Uppsala.