Igelbäcken

Igelbäcken stretches from Säbysjön all the way down to Edsviken at Ulriksdal Castle in Solna municipality. Fish species such as perch, roach and pike live in the stream. Further downstream is the rare fish greenling. Norra Igelbäckens nature reserve was established in 2018.

Heavy traffic along the stream

At the end of the Iron Age in the 11th century, the water level was about five meters higher than today. Igelbäcken was then an important waterway for boats and contributed to people settling in the area. Today it is difficult to imagine that large ships have traveled along the stream.

More than just water

Next to Igelbäcken, about a kilometer downstream from the lake, there are still clear stone walls from an old mill and saw. It was Stens mill that existed here from the beginning of the 1600s to the end of the 1800s. Water power was used to grind flour and saw timber. You can see the stone walls in the meadow south of Igelbäcken, not far from the bridge and the three-way junction.

Birds to watch

A good place for birdwatching is the so-called 30-meter screen south of Säbysjön near the parking lot and the road towards Hägerstalund. Here you have a view of the meadows on both sides of Igelbäcken. Birdwatchers usually stand here and look for geese, cranes and skylarks.

Further south, Igelbäcken looks almost like an avenue. There are alders growing along the watercourse. The alder is one of the few trees that can grow in wet environments. It is also the only deciduous tree that grows cones. In late fall and winter, the grayling feasts on the seeds in the alder cones.