TYRESTA NATIONAL PARK

Description

Essentials about Tyresta National Park in brief

If you want to swap the hustle and bustle of the metropolis of Stockholm for the tranquillity of nature, you don’t have to travel far. Tyresta National Park is located just a few kilometers from the Swedish capital. The beautiful, untouched forest and lake landscape of the park makes the largest primeval forest area in the south of Sweden a wonderful destination for an excursion at any time of year.

The location of Tyresta National Park

Tyresta National Park covers an area of around 20 square kilometers and is located in the neighboring municipalities of Haninge Tyresö. The main entrance to the national park is located in the historic village of Tyresta By, around eight kilometers east of the central town of Handen.

On the west, north and east sides, Tyresta National Park is enclosed like a horseshoe by the Tyresta Nature Reserve. The nature reserve acts as a buffer zone for the more strictly protected area of the national park and covers an area of around 30 square kilometers.

The landscape of Tyresta National Park

The terrain of the national park is hilly and was shaped by huge glaciers during the last ice age. The effect of the ice masses can be seen most clearly in the rounded shapes of the rocks and sometimes also in the deep grinding marks that the glacier has cut into the primary rock. In places where the rocks emerge through the vegetation layer, they are covered with a variety of different lichens and mosses.

The forest in Tyesta National Park is particularly beautiful. It consists of ancient giant conifers. Between the mighty trunks there is sometimes a difficult to penetrate thicket of branches and fallen giant trees.

The rocky uplands are dominated by giant pines, most of which are between 200 and 300 years old. In the somewhat more humid lowlands, it is mainly dense tall spruce trees that grow, the majority of which are somewhat younger than the pines. However, they reach heights of up to 30 meters and their denser branches ensure that it is much darker in the valleys and that the forest there has a completely different atmosphere than on the higher ground.

In the valleys between the hills there are numerous small moors and swamps with very special vegetation. There are also ten lakes of different sizes, whose clear water is ideal for swimming in the summer. At Stensjö, one of the largest lakes in the national park, there is a hill with the remains of a prehistoric refuge castle, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view over the lake and the deep forests.

The wildlife of Tyresta National Park

The fauna within the national park is extremely diverse. Mammals include roe deer, mountain hares, various species of marten, foxes, squirrels and several species of bats. The bird population consists of over 100 different species. These include rare species such as the pygmy owl, the smallest European owl species, and the capercaillie, the largest European chicken bird, which is found exclusively in untouched forests.

A visit to Tyresta National Park

There are 15 marked circular trails through the national park with a total length of 55 kilometers. The trails vary in length and difficulty and lead through different areas within the varied nature of the national park. The easiest to walk is the so-called Barnvagnsslingan, a five-kilometre circular trail through flat terrain that is even suitable for baby carriages and wheelchairs.

The 2.5 kilometer long Urskogsstigen is ideal for a first introduction to the national park. This trail is signposted with information boards that explain the special features of the primeval forest in a child-friendly way. The six-kilometer Fornborgsslingan, on the other hand, is a circular trail for advanced hikers and is considered the most difficult trail in the national park. It leads around Stensjön and over the steep hill near the lake with the remains of a prehistoric refuge.

Tyresta National Park is also suitable for a stay of several days. The park has several designated fireplaces, shelters and campsites, where overnight camping is also permitted.

A good source of information about the national park is a visit to the Naturum at the main entrance in the village of Tyresta By. The floor plan of the building corresponds to the outline of the Swedish map and not only provides detailed information about the special features of Tyresta National Park, but also introduces all the other national parks in Sweden.