Gardening history is a distinctive way to get to know Tungelsta: the locality is a garden town with small-scale development, older greenhouses and a garden park that tells the story of its past. For travellers who also consider a destination’s character when choosing somewhere to stay, Tungelsta brings together local development, architecture and landscape with a tangible park. You can get to know the place by exploring several questions: How did gardening shape Tungelsta, how does the park reflect this history, and what characterises the valley landscape?

Gardening and change in Tungelsta

Commercial horticulture has shaped Tungelsta since 1908. It was at its most prominent between 1940 and 1960, when Tungelsta had 94 greenhouse businesses and 16 open-field crops. These figures provide a clear timeline for this development and show the breadth of the commercial sector at the time. Older greenhouses remain part of the local streetscape. In Tungelsta, the history of commercial horticulture and visible features of a garden town thus come together.

The locality’s history also extends beyond horticulture. Tungelsta has long been shaped by agriculture; its character changed during industrialisation. The history of horticulture therefore sits alongside an older agricultural heritage and the changes brought about by industrialisation. If you are interested in how smaller places have developed, this sequence offers insight into different periods in Tungelsta’s history without reducing it to a single era.

Garden park, playground and Rocklösaån

Tungelsta trädgårdspark features a reconstructed greenhouse and a gardening museum with a function room. The themed playground also draws on the locality’s history: its design is inspired by commercial gardens, laundries and drying sheds. Children can play in Cykel-Pelles verkstad, where there is a car from the 1930s.

The destination playground is near Tungelsta commuter rail station. Rocklösaån winds through the park. The stream was restored to provide trout with suitable conditions for living and spawning. The park’s features have different points of focus: the playground refers to local history, while the stream restoration has a direct connection to the conditions trout need to live and spawn. Those interested in gardening history can explore it through the greenhouse and gardening museum, a different experience from the playground or the stream.

Railway history and architecture

The Nynäsbanan railway between Stockholm and Nynäshamn was inaugurated in 1901, with a station in Tungelsta. Tungelsta station house, like all the station houses along the Nynäsbanan, was designed by Ferdinand Boberg. This connects the architecture of the station house with the railway’s route and a design tradition that extends beyond Tungelsta.

Another architectural landmark is Tungelsta kyrka. It was built in 1973 to plans by architect Rolf Bergh. Its floor plan is square, with bevelled corners to the south and north. The details given provide different points of reference for understanding the buildings: the station house is notable for its design attribution, while the church’s year of construction, architect and basic form are specified. Together, they offer a concrete introduction to Tungelsta’s architectural history.

Valley form and use of the landscape

Tungelstabygden lies in a broad, gently rolling valley that runs from southwest to northeast. Glacial and post-glacial sediments form the underlying soil in the lower-lying areas, where farmland and pastureland now predominate. The description thus distinguishes the valley’s shape and direction from the use of its lower-lying areas. This landscape perspective complements the history of horticulture and construction when considering the character of the locality: it describes the valley landscape and the predominant use of its lower-lying land today.

Local orientation

Tungelsta Ridklubb is a riding school in central Tungelsta; buses and commuter trains are within walking distance. This is a practical point of reference when planning a trip to the area. If travelling by public transport, check connections for your travel date. The 1901 inauguration of the Nynäsbanan and the current information about access to buses and commuter trains describe different aspects: railway history on the one hand, and local orientation on the other.

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