A week in the Mälaren

The Mälaren is a large lake connected to the Baltic sea through a lock in central Stockholm and a lock in Södertälje, 20 km south west of Stockholm. The Mälaren is most interesting to explore as it had played a central place in the history of Sweden. Until the Middle-Ages, the land was significantly lower, resulting in the Mälaren eing directly connected to the sea and offering good shelter for the vikings. Its harbours in Enköping and Västerås were active hubs for the shipping of iron and copper extracted in the mines to the north. The many castles and decorated churches are well preserved since the area was never affected by war. It makes the Mälaren an absolute must for sailing, associating very nice landscape and fasinating historical sites.

A week is ceratinly short. The itineray below covers ùomst of the highlight of the Mälaren, but requires sailing around 20 miles everyday, therefore leaving litte room for explorations. Each of the stopover would require at least a full day on the spot for visiting the churches, castles and archeological sites. Furthermore, additional natural harbour are indicated on the map (blue anchor icons), which are offering protected shelter in idyllic settings.