The charm of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, extends to its surroundings. Stockholm has within its area an archipelago of over thirty thousand islands with different and distinct peculiarities.
The islands of the Stockholm archipelago have inspired several artists and writers, and the publishing house Iperborea, specialized in Nordic literature with the experts in Swedish hospitality, have drawn up an artistic-literary itinerary.
Runmarö
Fredrik Sjöberg, entomologist and collector of hoverflies, made the island of Runmarö known to readers around the world with his novel The Art of Collecting Flies (published in Italy by Iperborea). It is one of the largest islands in the archipelago that hosts villages and small lakes, and it is famous for its variety of orchids. The numerous trails allow you to walk or bike along the entire coast of the island.
The Nobel Prize in Literature Tomas Tranströmer spent all his summers on the island and often described its atmosphere in his poems; this is how he spoke about it in an interview: «I have this idea that every human being has their center of gravity in a certain place. Like a sphere that rolls and rolls until it finds the lowest point, where it can stop. For me, that place is here. When I stand on the pier and let my gaze wander over the water, I feel this is my starting point.»
Kymmendö
Kymmendö is located in the southern part of the archipelago and its inhabitants inspired August Strindberg to write the famous novel The People of Hemsö (1887). Strindberg knew the islanders well, having spent many summers on the island, where he wrote Master Olof (1872) and found inspiration for Open Sea (1890).
However, the true inhabitants of what he himself had called his “paradise on earth” did not at all appreciate that the writer had taken their lives and their island as a model for the book, and feeling betrayed in their hospitality, they banned him for life from Kymmendö. In the 1940s, the young Stig Dagerman stayed in Kymmendö, writing his novel The Island of the Doomed (1946) there. You can visit the cottage where Strindbergs used to retreat to write and, during summer, you can take part in guided tours.
Sandhamn
The small Sandhamn island, located in the outermost part of the archipelago, is one of the liveliest islands during the summer as it is a famous meeting place for sailors and the starting point of regattas organized by the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. At the end of the 19th century many famous writers and painters visited Sandhamn to find inspiration but also to have fun. The famous paintings by Anders Zorn “At Sandhamn” and “The Swan” were created on the island.
Strindberg, Verner von Heidenstam, Gustaf Fröding, and Bruno Liljefors were other regular visitors. Today the author Viveca Sten sets her best-selling crime novels (Marsilio) here, which have also become a television series, Murders in Sandhamn. In the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson the protagonist Mikael Blomkvist has a small house in Sandhamn where he goes to relax and be alone with himself. Part of the island is covered by pine forests bent by the wind and sandy beaches, the other part is inhabited, and in this idyllic village, ancient wooden houses mix with charming late-century buildings, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and small shops.
Sadelöga, Bodskär, Borgen and Utö
Not even directors are immune to the harsh charm of the Stockholm archipelago. The same Ingmar Bergman chose Sadelöga, Bodskär and Borgen, three islets off the island of Utö in the southern archipelago, to serve as the backdrop for the love escape of the two protagonists in one of his most discussed and scandalous films: Monica and the Desire (1953).
Utö, known for its beaches, is an island very frequented during the summer. On Utö are Sweden’s oldest iron mines with the miners’ old houses preserved as they were then, and a mining museum. Visitors can rent bicycles upon arrival to explore the island. On the island, you can stay overnight and eat at the Utö Wärdshus.
Viggsö
Dancing queen and Fernando are just two of the dozens of hits that were born on the island of Viggsö, in the small wooden cabin used as a creative studio where ABBA took refuge to compose and which today can also be found as a faithful reconstruction in the museum dedicated to them, ABBA the Museum, on the island of Djurgården in central Stockholm. Viggsö is a small island in the inner archipelago not far from the green island of Grinda, where the hotel and restaurant Grinda Wärdshus is open all year round.
Husarö
Die Insel Husarö liegt dort, wo der äußere Schärengarten sich öffnet und wilder und großartiger wird. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Inseln reichen hier die Häuser selten bis an die Strände. Stieg Larsson mietete hier auf Husarö ein Haus, das auch im zweiten Kapitel der Millenium-Trilogie erwähnt wird: Die Königin der Mädchen.
Die Insel ist bekannt für ihre Fülle an Heidelbeeren, was die berühmte Illustratorin und Kinderbuchautorin Elsa Beskow zu ihrem Abenteuer von Putte im Heidelbeerwald (Puttes äventyr i blåbärsskogen, 1901) inspiriert hat, das in Italien noch nicht erschienen, aber bereits in mehr als zwanzig Sprachen übersetzt und veröffentlicht ist.
Furusund
Furusund is located in the northern archipelago and in the mid-1800s it was the preferred destination for noble vacationers, as well as the summer retreat for many famous writers and artists. August Strindberg drew much inspiration for his novels from here, including for The Dream (Ett drömspel).
Astrid Lindgren spent many summers on the island where she could escape the constant pressure she faced in the city: Furusund is connected to the mainland by a bridge, so it is very easy to reach beyond by boat from central Stockholm.
