Enjoy the real Sweden outside the city!

Duration

5 Hours

About

Have a relaxing day away from the city and enjoy the Swedish traditional countryside. Take a guided 5h tour to a recent UNESCO World Heritage Candidate Area of Markim-Orkesta, just north of Stockholm. See the beautiful countryside, viking rune stones and immerse yourself in Swedish history from the Bronze age until today.

Itinerary

Welcome to the countryside.... Markim-Orkesta are two church parishes filled with history from all eras of Sweden's past!

This time travelling experience includes the Bronze age, Viking age and other eras in Swedish history. We will also visit a local farm and an Icelandic horse farm. We will travel by vehicle (car, minivan or bus depending on group size) with a knowledgeable local guide to this UNESCO World Heritage Candidate site. Come and learn about Viking culture, visit a mediveal church, explore runestones, gravefields and a 15th C ruin. This tour will make you understand how Sweden has developed throughout history and how its past has helped shape this modern nation.

After meeting up in central Stockholm, the tour will travel by vehicle toward the countryside of Markim-Orkesta. This tour includes several different sights from Swedish history.

We will stop in Vallentunas' mediveal church dating back to 12th C. Here we have medieval stone master signatures, Viking runestones and burial shields in wood dating from the 17th C.

After that we take a visit to Ormstaskolans graveyard where we see Viking age graves as well as bronze age "cup and ring marks" cut into the bedrock, once maybe used for sacrifical purposes.

See the ruins of the very likely birthplace of King Vasa, the man who reformed the Swedish state and church from Catholicism to Lutheran Protestantism. Hear about his life and controversial rule. After hearing the intriguing history of King Vasa, journey on to a Viking graveyard.

Hear about the mighty burial rituals of the Vikings and how they vanished after Sweden was Christianized. You'll also visit a local church which holds 4 rune stones on its land and hear the tale about the mighty and rich Viking Ulv who plundered England three times.

This tour also takes you to several runestones, hear about the mighty viking women Inga in Snåttsta who become the sole owner of her farm.

We also visit a Icelandic horse farm.

This and a lot more is promised on this day tour from Stockholm.

• Welcome to the countryside and the real Sweden!

Pick Up & Drop Off Information

• Pick Up: We will pick you up at your central Stockholm hotel/accommodation (if within 5km of Stockholm).
• We also do port pick up if you are arriving by cruise on the day of your tour.
• Drop off: We will drop you off at your central Stockholm hotel/accommodation (if within 5km of Stockholm).
• We also do port drop off if you are leaving by cruise on the day of your tour.

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Pick-up point: Your accommodation or cruise port, no further than 5km from Stockholm Central Station

Places we visit: Markim and Orkesta in Vallentuna