Södertörn

Södertörn [sødəˈʈœːɳ] is an island in Sweden, making up the southern part of Stockholm County province, protruding into the Baltic Sea. With many bridges to Stockholm's islands and to Södertälje, Södertörn is usually perceived as part of mainland Sweden. The port of Nynäshamn is on the island.

Northern Södertörn is a part of Stockholm municipality called Söderort. This article covers mainland Södertörn except Stockholm municipality, namely Botkyrka, Haninge, Huddinge, Nynäshamn, Salem and Tyresö. North-eastern Södertörn is part of another municipality called Nacka, which is described in our guide to the Stockholm archipelago. The municipality of Södertälje, to the west of Södertörn, has its own article on Wikivoyage.

Understand

Nynäshamn, a vacation town with the ferry to Gotland.

The landmass of Södertörn is divided from the rest of Sweden by the canals running through Stockholm and Södertälje, so it is actually an island, although few Swedes regard it as such.

The island contains Stockholm’s southern suburbs, which are largely confined to its northern part and along the railways to Södertälje and Nynäshamn, two important industrial ports. Otherwise, the island is rural, with small villages dotting the forested landscape of its central and southern parts.

Municipalities

• 1 Nynäshamn , a port town with the ferry to Gotland, and some international connections
• 2 Botkyrka
• 3 Huddinge with 4 Flemingsberg as the major centre
• 5 Haninge
• 6 Salem
• 7 Tyresö

Get in and around

European route E4 runs together with E20 between Södertälje and Stockholm. Road 73 runs between Stockholm and Nynäshamn.

By public transportation

See also: Public transport in Stockholm County

All built-up areas in Södertörn are served by SL, Stockholm's public transport company. See Stockholm County#Public transit. Bicycles can be taken on the trains free of charge, except during rush-hours (06:00-09:00 and 15:00-18:00), when they are not allowed between Stockholm and Västerhaninge. This is important if you have to catch a ferry in Nynäshamn that leaves in the early evening hours. Choose the first part of the train, because the second often goes only to Västerhaninge.

Some national trains call at 1 Flemingsberg Railway Station, in addition to regional trains and commuter trains.

By ferry

See also: Baltic Sea ferries

• The 2 Port of Nynäshamn has ferries from Ventspils in Latvia and, until 20 October 2023, from Hanko in Finland, by Stena Line. These are quiet ropax ships, mainly for lorries. Lines do not accept pedestrians; an accompanying vehicle is necessary to board these lines.

See

• 1 Litografiska museet. In Huddinge displays litographic printing.  
• 2 Tumba Papermill Museum. The paper mill in Tumba has a 250-year history of making Swedish banknotes. The exhibitions tell the story of the Bank of Sweden, the world's first central bank, and the first one to issue paper money.  
• 3 Tyresö Palace (Tyresö Slott) (bus stop Tyresö kyrka), ☏ +46 8-519 546 00 (Nordiska museet), nordiska@nordiskamuseet.se. A stately home built in the 1630s by Councillor of the Realm Gabriel Oxenstierna. The palace now belongs to Nordiska museet. English park from the 1770s, the first in Sweden. The palace is shown as it looked as the private home of the papal chamberlain Claes and his wife Caroline Lagergren around the turn of century 1900. 140 kr for adults, 120 kr for Seniors or Students, Free for children under 18. (updated Aug 2022)
• 4 Hogslaby. An Iron-Age farm.  

Do

Tyresta National Park

Södertörn contains vast forests and lakes, at close distance to Stockholm, for fishing, hiking and camping, within the right to access.

• Flottsbrobacken in Huddinge, alpine skiing.
• 1 Tyresta National Park. 20 km south-east of central Stockholm. A part of the park was devastated by a wildfire in 1999. The park management lets it recover naturally. Free.  
• 2 Bornsjön. Nature reserve. Free.  

Buy

• 1 Haninge Centrum, Runstensvägen 1, Handen (rake the bus or commuter train to Handen). M-F 10:00–19:00, Sa 10:00–18:00, Su 11:00–17:00. Relatively small shopping mall with around 30 shops and 10 cafés and restaurants (updated Nov 2020)
• 2 Huddinge Centrum (take the commuter train or bus to Huddinge). M-F 10:00–19:00, Sa 10:00–16:00, Su 11:00–16:00. A shopping mall with parts of it outside with around 60 shops and 10 cafés and restaurants (updated Nov 2020)
• Södertälje City (Take the commuter train to Södertälje Station). Varying but for the shops more or less M-F 10:00–18:00, Sa 10:00–16:00, Su 11:00–16:00. For the restaurants also evenings. The center of the city with shopping streets and smaller malls. Around 90 shops and 50 restaurants, bars and cafés (updated Nov 2020)
• Tyresö Centrum, Marknadsgränd 32, Tyresö (Take the buss either from Gullmarsplan or from Handen to Tyresö Centrum). M-F 10:00–19:00, Sa 10:00–17:00, Su 11:00–17:00. A shopping mall with around 60 shops and 10 cafés and restaurants (updated Nov 2020)

Eat

As in the rest of Sweden, most suburban centres contain pizza and kebab restaurants.

• 1 Vegabaren, Nynäsvägen 8, Haninge (take the car along road 73 to exit Trafikplats Vega and follow Nynäsvägen or take the bus to the stop Kvarntorps industriområde), ☏ +46 8-777 20 58, info@vegabaren.se. Su-Th 09:00-03:00, F Sa 09:00-05:00. Vegabaren opened 1964 and is the oldest hamburger restaurant in Sweden. The iconic burger is the home made 'Sambal burger'. ~100 kr. (updated Nov 2020)

Drink

Except Stockholm, nightlife in Södertörn is concentrated to Södertälje, Haninge, and Nynäshamn.

Nightlife in Nynäshamn peaks at summer.

Sleep

• Hotell Winn, Rudsjöterrassen 3, Haninge (close to the commuter train station Handen), ☏ +46 8 745 75 00, q.winn.haninge@choice.se. A nice hotel, newly renovated as of 2020. 1100 kr. (updated Nov 2020)
• 1 Nynäs havsbad. A waterfront hotel in Nynäshamn.  
• 2 Häringe Palace. A 17th-century manor, with traces of history back to the Middle Ages.  

Learn

Södertörn University

• Södertörn University in Flemingsberg. sh.se

Cope

There are two emergency hospitals in the area: Södertälje sjukhus in Södertälje, and Karolinska Institutet Huddinge in Flemingsberg.

Go next

• There are ferries from Nynäshamn to Gotland, a very popular summer destination and Sweden's largest island.
• A more off-the-beaten-track option is to take the ferry to the beautiful and isolated national park island of Gotska Sandön.

Routes through Södertörn

Gothenburg/Helsingborg ← Södertälje ←

SW  NE

→ Söderort → Stockholm