Gällnö
Latitud: N 59º 23' 43.99"
Longitud: E 18º 39' 37.53"
North of Värmdö in the eastern part of Grindafjärden is Gällnö. It is a fertile and beautiful middle archipelago island with around 30 permanent residents. The built up area is concentrated around Gällnö By (village) on the western side of the island. There you can find a post office, a shop and a hostel. The island's authentic archipelago environment is well preserved and grazing cattle keep the fields clear.
There is a lovely hostel in Gällnö's old school which is a good starting point for walking around the island, if, for example, you are island hopping (båtluffar) to the north side where you can borrow a rowing boat and row to Karklö. Another lovely walk takes you through varying nature about 4 km to Gällnönäs on the eastern point where there is a ferry pier.
There is a campsite at Tornsviken where there is also a giant's kettle made by the glacial ice sheet, 10,000 years ago. Other historic remains include a well-preserved Russian oven used by Russian soldiers to bake bread during the invasion
How to get there
Waxholmsbolaget have a scheduled service to Söderby and Gällnönäs piers on Gällnö all year round. During the summer Cinderella ferries put to here also.
Food
There aren't any restaurants on the island. There is self-catering available in the hostel.
Accommodation
STF (Swedish Tourist Association) hostel with 34 beds, tel 08-571 661 17
Natural Harbours
There is a well-sheltered area to anchor inside Skagsudden on the northeastern side of Gällnö.
Bathing
There are many lovely areas off smooth rocks all round the island
Services & Information
Shop in Gällnöby, tel 08-571 663 10. There is a guest jetty here for customers and a small lodge with a small exhibition about Gällnö's cultural history.
Island hopping. There are two rowing boats between Brännholmen and Karklö as a service to "island hoppers". Don't forget that one boat must always be left on each side.
Sauna
Available in the hostel
Nature
Gällnö is a typical middle Archipelago island with green pastures and meadows. The coastline has both sharp and smooth rocky formations which were polished by the glacial ice sheet.
Traditional agriculture is pursued here with grazing livestock on land leased from Skärgårdsstiftelsen's farm, Gustavsberg. There is also forestry in the island's coniferous woodland.
History
The island has probably been inhabited since the Middle Ages. The population lived on the Stockholm Archipelago's traditional activities of agriculture, hunting and fishing. In 1719 the Russians landed on the island during their ravaging but only burnt one of the farms on the island. A Russian oven can be found on the island from that time. As with other islands, summer residents began arriving around the start of the 20th century but there are relatively few holiday homes and the agricultural landscape of farmhouses and farm buildings is unusually well preserved.
Visit Skärgården
e-mail: info@visitskargarden.se
Telephone: 08-100 222
