Öja
Norrhamn outer guest harbour, Öja, July 2010.
The island of Öja marks the entrance in the Stockholm archipelago when sailing from the south. It is a fantastic stop over worth spending a full day (or two) to explore the rich cultural and historical heritage. The island is 5 km long and 500 metres wide.
The Guestharbour is in Norrhamn, at the north west lof the island, close to the fairway. Mooring is done bow to the pier with a stern line to a buoy in the outer harbour. In the inner harbour, moore bow to tnhe piet with a stern anchor. The inner harbour is not well protected fromthe swell in case of westerly winds and from the waves from the freighter ships and pilot boats entering the Himmerfjärden on their way to Södertälje. Make sure your stern mooring line is very tight in order to avoid hitting the pier with the bow. The inner harbour is protected from the swell. Full service available, with a small shop with a bit of food, the Landsort bier (a must) and the possibility of renting bikes of kayaks.
Norrhamn inner guest harbour, Öja, July 2012
The gravel road from Norrhamn to Landsort is a very nice 3 km walk. Around 100 metre from the harbour, on the left s the path leading to the Landsort Battery (see below).
Half way to Landosrt, on the left is the plague cemetery where the victims of the plague epidemic that raged through the Baltic in 1710-1712, during the great norther war. Victims of the plague on the island were not allowed to be brought out of the island and therefore are buried on this spot. Just next to the cemetery is the labyrinth. The age of the labyrinth is not known. Such labyrinths were used were used to cast good luck at sea for the fishermen spending the fishing season on the island.
Just before entering Landsort, you can take a small path to the right and walk for a few minutes through the rocks until you reach the rock overlooking Landsort (see location on google maps). Beware of the adders basking under the sun on the rocks (see page on snakes here).
At the entrance of Landsort is the small church on the left with two interesting votive ships.
The pilot station in Landsort is one of the oldest along the coast of Sweden. It was established in 1535. It was both a service and an obligation for ships wishing to trade in the dangerous waters of Stockholm at the time of the Hansa league. In 1831, there were 29 pilots assigned to Landsort. Today, the pilot station is manned by 10 boatmen, three of which being on duty round the clock.
The pilots are getting onboard ships heading to Stavsnäs, Nynäshamn, Stora Vika, Södertälje, Stockholm and all ports of lake Mälaren. The journey for the pilot between Landsort and Enköping takes up to 12 hours and pilots get replaced along the way.
On average, there are 4000 pilot assignments per year. The pilot station is part of the search and rescue (SAR) system.
The first lighthouse was established in Landsort in 1651 using a tallow candle but stopped after a year by lack of funds. It was reestablished in 1671 and equipped with mirros made of steel but burned down in 1686. In 1687, the first stone tower was erected. In 1840, it was equipped with three parabolic mirrors each having an oil lantern. In 1870, the conic steel top was erected and a Fresnel lens was fitted. The beacon was electrified in 1938 and automated in 1963.
The lighthouse can be visited during the lighthouse day in August (3 & 4 August in 2019) or by contacting the Nynäshamn tourist information.
The Battery Landosrt headquarter is hidden in the rock on the northern part of the island, a few hundred metres from Norrhamnen. The battery was design to resist to nuclear of chemical bombs. It can accomodate a crew of 25 for extended periods. The battery was built in the 1970s' as one of the 18 planned to be built to protect Sweden from invasion. Only six were built because of their cost. The battery can be visited through guided tours at 11:30 and 13:30 with pre-booking at sjoblomkriisa@gmail.com or calling +46-709562561.
It was equipped with a set of 120 mm guns able to fire shells in a range of 25 km. Several additional batteries are spread over Öja. They date from the 1930s' and were in alert during the second world war. On the southern tip, there was a network of tunnels connecting the batteries. In total, during the cold war, there were 38 such guns in operation on the island. The island was closed to public until the late 1990s'.
Landsort artillery station, March 2011
Getting there
By public transport
Öja is only accesible by public transport from Stockholm, through Nynäshamn in 2h20.
By boat
Coming from the Stockholm archipelago (North), take the narrow fairway between Ankarudden and Öja to reach Norrhamnen. The small harbour on the south east of the island can accomodate a two small boats along the pier.
Öja
- Coordinates: 58.768779, 17.85862
- Plague cemetery and the labyrinth
- Lighthouse and pilot station
- Church
- Bird station
Useful links
- Landsort on Wikipedia (English)
- Landsort on Fyr wiki (Swedish)
- Landsort website (English)