Djurgården

On the north-eastern shore of Långsjön is an area of hills and deciduous forest where cows and horses graze. Animals have grazed here for hundreds of years, probably the land has never been plowed.

The hills are covered with large lime trees, oaks and birches. Large hazel bushes spread out between the old trees. In places there are sunny and dry glades where plants such as briar, sundew and caraway thrive. Wood pigeons, grasshopper warblers and rosefinches nest among the trees and shrubs. Black-edged sharp stones are reminiscent of the Second World War when some of the hills were used as defense barriers.

Lake Långsjön is a sunken lake, and an old shoreline is still visible a little above the current water's edge. The shores are wet in places and the reeds grow in a wide belt. In the spring and fall, various waders such as greenlegs, snipe and dunlin rest on the meadows.

The open pasture is covered with scrub of alder and large stands of nettle. The animals are very important in containing this and keeping the landscape free of trees.

You enter the pastures via a stile. It is not difficult to get around the area but there are no marked paths. However, you can follow several clear cow paths that lead you through the hazel forest and down to the water. Remember not to disturb the grazing animals.

Services: Parking

Manager: County Administrative Board of Uppsala County