Handen offers a variety of experiences for a stay: Rudan, with its swimming area and signposted historical information, as well as art in the urban landscape and a local history museum. The range extends from a beach with jetties to a light installation in a park landscape.

Rudan: Outdoor swimming, cultural trail and getting there

Rudan’s outdoor swimming area is located by Övre Rudansjön in Handen. It is a large swimming area with a sandy beach and jetties. The Harspåret cultural trail passes several historically interesting places in Rudan, with signposted information along the way. The Sörmlandsleden trail also runs through Rudan. Harspåret is the route with the historical stops and information described here.

To reach the outdoor area, take the commuter train to Handen station. From there, Rudan is directly accessible via the southern exit. You can combine this connection with the area’s different attractions: the swimming area features a sandy beach and jetties, while the cultural trail focuses on historical places and information about them. The Sörmlandsleden is another route through Rudan.

Public art

At Stora Arkens torg in Handen, the artistic design Museum för offentliga ting transforms the square into a museum of public things. Benches, trees and a wastebasket from different parts of the world become elements of the work. It puts objects from public spaces in the spotlight and makes the square itself the subject.

The light installation Återsken by Anna Lidberg was installed in 2021. In Kulturhusparken, behind the cultural centre in Handen, it stretches across tall pines, rock crevices, hidden corners in the rock and large stones. A soundtrack was composed specifically for the work. Lidberg collaborated with musician Jon Ekström (Dödsvarg), whose newly written music accompanies the installation and guides visitors between its different parts in the park.

The two works make different statements: Museum för offentliga ting turns the square into a museum of public things, while Återsken stretches across the park landscape and connects its different parts through music.

Handen Museum and the history of the area

Handen Museum is dedicated to local history and is housed in a torp—a traditional Swedish croft—that was relocated and rebuilt near the centre of Haninge. The museum includes a forge and also offers craft courses. Local history and crafts are therefore both central to the museum.

A railway station also provided the impetus for Handen’s development: Österhaninge railway station was established near a crossroads in 1901 and renamed Handen station in 1913. The sequence of the two names provides a specific historical reference point for the area’s development.

When looking for a hotel in Handen, you can first consider which focus best suits your stay: Rudan, with its swimming area and trails, or art and local history.

Discover more destinations: Dalarö, Muskö, Haninge, Vendelsö, Österhaninge, Västerhaninge, Tungelsta, Utö

Go to the main travel overview: Haninge.