A yellow, two-storey house in Nyckelviken tells the story of Nacka’s older cultural landscape: in 1746, wholesaler Herman Petersen bought Stora Nyckelviken and had the building that still stands today constructed. Meadows, ancient oaks and traces of earlier land use also shape the nature reserve. Nacka brings together the big city and the archipelago—in Nyckelviken, you can see particularly clearly how nature and cultural history coexist.
Nyckelviken: Cultural Landscape and Everyday Life
The area includes preserved 18th-century buildings and remnants of older cultural landscapes. A walk offers expansive lake views and scenic hilltops; the cultural history trail passes through cultural landscapes, by historic buildings and archaeological remains, and through woodland. During the day, you can visit and observe cows, horses, chickens, rabbits, sheep and pigs in their enclosures on the farm. The animals you encounter may vary.
The Nacka Local History Museum displays objects belonging to 19th-century farmers and crofters, and presents Nacka’s early history, as well as insights into shoemaking and domestic textile production. When the museum is open, free guided tours of Nyckelviken are available. On Sundays at 1 p.m., Stora Nyckelviken also offers guided tours of the main building, but only when the local history museum is open. Check the latest dates before your visit. When there is enough natural snow, a 2.4-kilometre ski track is also groomed in Nyckelviken.
Trails, Water and Nature
Velamsund combines viewpoints over Baggensfjärden and the islands beyond with a variety of trails. Options include a 2.5-kilometre illuminated route, a 4-kilometre green trail, a 6-kilometre red loop and the approximately 2-kilometre Snigelstigen. At Rudsjön, there is an accessible viewpoint with a birdwatching tower. The area also has a bathing spot, barbecue areas and a playground; the Magasinet building houses a heated rest area with a shower and toilet.
If you want to compare distances, Boo has an approximately 2-kilometre cultural history trail that you can follow independently using marked stops. The approximately 15-kilometre Booleden runs from the Boo local history centre in Orminge to Strömmen farm on the border with Värmdö, passing lakes, viewpoints, ancient remains and places of cultural and historical interest. The walk on Skogsö is about 7 kilometres long and follows forest paths and roads. There, hillforts and several burial grounds from the Late Iron Age recall the Viking Age; there are also rocky bathing spots and a designated barbecue area.
Hellasgården, a leisure centre with changing rooms, a sauna and food services, is located in Nackareservatet. The area includes hiking trails, illuminated exercise trails, an outdoor sports ground and open-air swimming areas at Källtorpssjön and Söderbysjön. Thanks to its varied vegetation, the reserve has the highest biodiversity among Nacka’s nature reserves. A canoe route runs from Dammtorpsjön through Ältasjön and across Drevviken, continuing towards the sea. Erstavik offers a different natural setting: forests, wetlands, hillsides and many small lakes shape the landscape, and trout migrate up Sandabäcken. The municipality maintains some of the long-distance trails there and provides clear entrance signs and trail markers.
Cultural History in Different Formats
Nacka’s history can be explored in various ways beyond Nyckelviken. A cultural history walk along Nacka ström offers insights into witch trials, the former industrial community and the mill operations. The walk in Boo passes through Skogsö Nature Reserve and by the Skogsö Monument, which commemorates the Battle of Stäket in 1719. HAMN’s digital tour provides historical context for the battle and lets you follow its course; the physical museum closed in 2023.
Dieselverkstaden hosts guest performances, exhibitions and events with associations, amateurs and professionals. On the ground floor, Nacka konsthall in Sickla presents around six contemporary art exhibitions a year, all with free admission; the exhibition programme changes. At Duvnäs gård, the house and studios have been a museum and art gallery since 2007, and Olle Nyman’s studio has remained unchanged since his death. Svindersvik offers guided tours during the summer season, organised by the Nordic Museum. Check the relevant dates for seasonal tours and changing programmes.
Getting to Nacka
From Stockholm, Nacka can be reached by boat, car, bus, bicycle or the Saltsjöbanan suburban railway. As a rough guide, the journey normally takes 10 to 20 minutes. You can factor this into your plans and then decide which aspects of nature and culture interest you most.
Discover more destinations: Saltsjöbaden, Älta, Nacka, Södertälje, Upplands-Bro, Nykvarn, Enhörna, Ekerö.
Back to the main travel overview: Stockholm.
