Bullerö, Swedish Archipelago
The Endeavour left Stockholm’s old city in early morning and threaded her way through a myriad of islands of the Swedish Archipelago. Past isolated isles and scenic skerries, through narrow passes, and past navigational markers, boats, docks and those quintessential little red houses, we made our way to the Outer Archipelago, last bits of land before open Baltic.
With expert navigational precision Captain Säterskog and a local archipelago pilot delicately maneuvered in shallow tight passages with only feet of water under the keel, to anchorage off the lee side of the island of Bullerö. What an achievement, according to our local pilot; the Endeavour is by far the largest vessel to ever cruise these waters!
By short Zodiac ride, we arrived to the small scenic dock at the Bullerö Nature Reserve. Here we were welcomed by the island’s amiable caretaker, Johan, shirtless and in overalls, resident for the past twenty years and most recent representative of Bullerö’s human history. From crofter holding to fish saltery, to seal and bird hunting and livestock rearing, to recreation and now nature preservation, the island has a rich past. It’s most famous resident was Swedish nature painter Bruno Liljefors, who owned the island and studied, painted and hunted its animals for sixteen years.
We visited the hunting lodge that Liljefors had built, now a museum exhibiting the island’s wildlife and ways of life. From here we set out on hikes over glacially smoothed boulders, through maritime birch woods, past pine and ash, through moss, juniper, heather and berry scrub. We were rewarded with views of the rugged isle and the windy sea. Back at the small settlement of a few red houses, we enjoyed Johan’s hospitality with lax macka, a traditional Swedish snack. In the true spirit of an archipelago summer, those guests who wished enjoyed a true Swedish sauna, alternating with cool dips in the Baltic!
And so, with fond memories of Lindblad Expeditions’ ‘Impressions of a Swedish Summer’ voyages on the day vessel, the Swedish Islander, the Endeavour continued a tradition with today’s visit to the charming archipelago outside Stockholm.
The Endeavour left Stockholm’s old city in early morning and threaded her way through a myriad of islands of the Swedish Archipelago. Past isolated isles and scenic skerries, through narrow passes, and past navigational markers, boats, docks and those quintessential little red houses, we made our way to the Outer Archipelago, last bits of land before open Baltic.
With expert navigational precision Captain Säterskog and a local archipelago pilot delicately maneuvered in shallow tight passages with only feet of water under the keel, to anchorage off the lee side of the island of Bullerö. What an achievement, according to our local pilot; the Endeavour is by far the largest vessel to ever cruise these waters!
By short Zodiac ride, we arrived to the small scenic dock at the Bullerö Nature Reserve. Here we were welcomed by the island’s amiable caretaker, Johan, shirtless and in overalls, resident for the past twenty years and most recent representative of Bullerö’s human history. From crofter holding to fish saltery, to seal and bird hunting and livestock rearing, to recreation and now nature preservation, the island has a rich past. It’s most famous resident was Swedish nature painter Bruno Liljefors, who owned the island and studied, painted and hunted its animals for sixteen years.
We visited the hunting lodge that Liljefors had built, now a museum exhibiting the island’s wildlife and ways of life. From here we set out on hikes over glacially smoothed boulders, through maritime birch woods, past pine and ash, through moss, juniper, heather and berry scrub. We were rewarded with views of the rugged isle and the windy sea. Back at the small settlement of a few red houses, we enjoyed Johan’s hospitality with lax macka, a traditional Swedish snack. In the true spirit of an archipelago summer, those guests who wished enjoyed a true Swedish sauna, alternating with cool dips in the Baltic!
And so, with fond memories of Lindblad Expeditions’ ‘Impressions of a Swedish Summer’ voyages on the day vessel, the Swedish Islander, the Endeavour continued a tradition with today’s visit to the charming archipelago outside Stockholm.
