The best hiking routes in Södermanland County

Södermanland County offers a landscape of low, rolling granite ridges, clay-rich agricultural plains, and brackish coastal waters. Walking here does not involve high peaks or deep valleys; instead, you navigate a mosaic of mixed coniferous forests, ancient oak pastures, and muddy shorelines. Underfoot, paths alternate between soft pine needle carpets, exposed bedrock, and occasional wooden boardwalks over wetter marshy sections.

To choose your walk, decide between the Baltic coastal forests and the inland lakeside estates. In Tullgarns naturvårdsområde and the adjacent Tullgarns naturreservat, the paths wind through old-growth spruce forests and coastal meadows shaped by centuries of royal estate management. In contrast, Sundbyholms naturvårdsområde on the shores of Lake Mälaren features one of the northernmost beech forests in the country, where the ground is covered in thick leaf litter rather than coastal pine needles.

Human history is visible along every path, from Bronze Age burial mounds to stone walls built by tenant farmers. In May, the forest floors in these reserves are briefly covered in white anemones before the dense summer canopy closes. While the well-known spots near the palaces and marinas attract more visitors on weekends, the deeper forest loops remain quiet.