Discover Ekolsund through its castle and garden landscape. Ekolsunds slott forms a unified ensemble with traces of a park, avenues and a game park that extend far beyond the castle grounds themselves. Visitors can explore five different historic gardens in the castle park; the arboretum includes more than 400 tree species. When planning your visit, it is worth treating the castle grounds, garden areas and paths in the surrounding area as distinct points of interest.

Castle Grounds and Building History

Construction of Ekolsunds slott began in the 1630s, after Field Marshal Åke Thott received the estate from Gustav II Adolf. This dates the beginning of construction, not a single year of completion. The layout of the estate is also clearly structured: it consists of two separate main buildings, a northern and a southern one. Between them, two low, semicircular buildings connect the main buildings; these are called exedras. Together with the traces of the park, avenues and game park, the castle grounds are part of a larger cultural landscape, whose features extend beyond the castle grounds themselves.

Historic Gardens and Arboretum

Visitors can explore five different historic gardens in the castle park. The arboretum offers a different focus: its collection includes more than 400 tree species. About 16 hectares of the arboretum consist of relatively dense mixed forest. This area figure refers to the forest section described, not to the total size of the arboretum. The historic gardens and the variety of tree species thus represent different aspects of Ekolsund’s gardens and landscape.

The castle park is open to individual visitors during the day. Many visitors stop at Wärdshuset for lunch, information, to collect a key or to have an initial conversation with the staff before continuing to the castle and park. Wärdshuset can therefore serve as a starting point for several needs related to the visit. The park’s daytime opening also provides a practical guide when planning the timing of your visit.

Hjälstaviken and Nearby Paths

The Hjälstaviken nature reserve lies immediately next to Ekolsunds slott. A hiking trail about 8 km long runs around Hjälstaviken through flowering pastures to the bird tower on the western side of the lake and to Parnassen, with its tall deciduous trees. The route description includes both open pastures and two specific destinations by the lake. Those interested in nature and landscapes can treat this hiking trail as a separate point of interest alongside the castle grounds and park.

Cycling Route and Distances

Cykelleden Uppland is about 80 kilometres long. Near Ekolsunds slott, it follows a gravel road for a section of about 100 m south of road 263. At Ekolsundsviken, the route crosses the water and then follows the old railway embankment. Ekolsundsviken also offers good fishing opportunities.

When comparing the distances, it is important to note what each figure refers to: about 8 km describes the hiking trail around Hjälstaviken, about 80 km is the total length of Cykelleden Uppland, and around 100 m is the local gravel section near Ekolsunds slott. This distinguishes a hiking route, a longer cycling route and a short local section without treating them as equivalent route options.

Discover more destinations: Örsundsbro, Lillkyrka, Edsta, Fjärdhundra, Grillby, Enköping.

Go to the main travel overview: Enköping.