Lidingö history tour
Lidingö is a suburban island east of Stockholm with 50,000 inhabitants and a long coastline. Most of the island's historical sites from the Viking Age to the 20th century can easily be visited on foot or by bike.
| Walking tours in Stockholm |
Understand
editUp to 1900, Lidingö was mainly a farmland, in particular for dairy to supply Stockholm. The island became a suburb for the well-to-do in the 1910s, with detached houses along the Lidingöbanan railway, and the AGA industries. Lidingö got city privileges, and the municipality still styles itself as Lidingö stad. Lidingö contains high-rise buildings as well as single-family houses, several diplomatic missions, conference hotels, a few farms, and a nature reserve.
Get in
editLidingö is connected to Stockholm by a cluster of parallel bridges at Ropsten, the end station of the Stockholm Metro in the Östermalm district. Bus lines 204, 211 and 212 run parallel to the tour.
Lidingö is well within reach for bicycles from central Stockholm.
Get around
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This itinerary can be done on foot or by bicycle.
Visit the City Hall, Stockholmsvägen 50, for brochures and maps.
See
editLidingö has a lot of nature reserves and beautiful scenery, with most of the waterfront open to the public. Lidingö has been the home of many international celebrities, such as sculptor Carl Milles, humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg, engineer Gustaf Dalén, and German playwright Bertolt Brecht.
- 1 Millesgården, Herserudsvägen 32 (T Ropsten, and then buses to Torsvik, and a 300 metre walk). The former residence and studio of world-renowned sculptor Carl Milles (1875-1955). His own work is showcased in an outdoor park with an astounding view of Stockholm Harbour. The indoor section displays Milles' collection of ancient Roman sculptures, along contemporary Swedish and international works.
- 2 Angel with Flute (Flöjtspelande ängel). One of Milles's most famous statues is a welcoming landmark to Lidingö. From the hill, the bridges to Lidingö can be seen. Lidingö was connected to the mainland by a fleeting bridge built in 1803 in a location further south, and a second one built in 1884. The old bridge was finished in 1925, and was dismantled in the 2020s, as it has been replaced by the "little Lidingö bridge" for trams and pedestrians. The gazebo from the old bridge has been relocated to the new bridge. The road bridge, finished in 1971, is oversized, as it was designed as a highway connecting central Stockholm to a planned suburb on the Bogesund peninsula on the way to Vaxholm. Bogesund is today a nature reserve which can be reached by SL Line 80.
- 1 Lidingö Centrum. Basic shopping opportunities, including Systembolaget, an Akademibokhandeln bookstore, a Stjärnurmakarna watch store, a jeweller, and several restaurants.
- 3 Raoul Wallenberg Monument. A monument honouring Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved 10.000 Jews in Budapest from the Holocaust. The statue might be considered more tasteful than the more abstract monument in Stockholm.
- 1 Konditori Princess, Stockholmsvägen 53. A Swedish-style café and bakery.
- 2 Betsy Sandberg, Odenvägen 5. A luxury chocolatier.
- 4 Lidingö Museum, Stockholmsvägen 50.
- 5 Björn's runestone. A free-standing runestone, of which the upper half is lost.
- 6 Ariston Hotel, Stockholmsvägen 70. Until 1971 a tram depot for the northern branch of Lidingöbanan. Today a hotel.
- 7 Lidingö Church (Lidingö kyrka). A 16th-century town church on a hill at the Kyrkviken bay of the Baltic Sea. The cemetery contains graves of prominent Swedes, such as Nobel laureates Gustaf Dalén and Pär Lagerkvist. One of Sweden's most popular wedding churches.
- 8 Canada houses. As these 26 row houses were built in 1907-1908, they were among Sweden's first suburban homes. Row houses did not become widespread in Sweden until the 1950s.
- 9 Sten's runestone. Runic inscription Fv1986;84. Discovered in 1984.
- 10 Bygge och Bo. A 1925 exhibition of suburban housing.
- 11 Grönsta gärde (Lidingöloppet). A cross-country running race, which claims to be the largest of its kind. Held annually in September, with approximately 45,000 participants, effectively doubling the island's population during the racing weekend. One of four legs of the Swedish Classic Circuit.
- 12 Täcka udden. A property once owned by aviation pioneer Carl Richard Nyberg. Famous for its seaplane hangar.
Appendix: Diplomat tour
editLidingö is the site of several diplomatic missions and other sites important to international politics. Access to these sites is restricted.
- 13 Embassy of Eritrea, Stjärnvägen 2B. Target for protests against the Eritrean government, and their detention of Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak. A proposal to Lidingö Municipality to rename the square to honour Mr. Isaak has been rejected.
- 14 Embassy of Iran, Elfviksvägen 76. Target of frequent protests against the Iranian government, involved in legal battles against the municipality. Sweden is the protecting power for the United Kingdom in Iran.
- 15 North Korean embassy, Norra Kungsvägen. One of North Korea's few embassies in the western world. Sweden is the protecting power for several western countries in North Korea, including the United States.
- 16 The Russian House, Kostervägen 5. An apartment building formerly owned by the Soviet Union and transferred to the Russian Federation. In 2003, Swedish authorities repossessed the building to collect the Russian government's debt to a German businessman. Since then, the Russian embassy has neither left the building or paid rent to the new owner.
Stay safe
editThe embassies mentioned have a complicated security situation. Police patrols, protests and in some case riots can make it difficult to be around them at times.