Sandvik

Sandvik's farm was probably built in 1775, but in 1866 it was converted into a lavish summer residence. In the 1880s, Sweden's first prime minister, Louis de Geer, had the farm as his summer home.

During the rebuilding, the house was given a tower that was richly adorned with carved decorations, so-called carpenter's delight. The tower was demolished in the 1950s after the foundations became unstable, as several generations of badgers had settled under the house. The farm also had its own pier where the steamboat from central Stockholm made a stop. The jetty is still there today. Here you can sit down and enjoy the view of Lake Mälaren.

Snap when buds burst

In front of the house, there are remains of a pond where fish were once grown for the household. Behind the house is a grove of beech trees, a rather unusual tree in the Stockholm area. Its smooth bark makes it easy to recognize. It is said that in the spring you can hear a cracking sound when the beech buds burst.

Järfälla's giant

Järfälla's largest oak grows at Sandvik. It stands down by the beach in front of the pier and has a respectable age of at least 600 years. Try how many people you need to be to reach around the oak. The tree is a full 658 centimeters in circumference!

In Viking times, the oak was a sacred tree, and oaks struck by lightning in particular were associated with the god of thunder, Thor. But the Vikings also saw other values in oaks, as no other tree was so good for building boats. Early on, the state forbade ordinary people to cut down oaks as they might be needed for warships. It was not until 1875 that it became permissible to fell oak trees.

Fancy going for a run?

In the forest between Sandvik, Hummelmoravägen and Vattenverksvägen there is a lighted trail that is 2.9 kilometers long. You can reach it from Sandvikskolan or the parking lot at Vattenverksvägen. There is also an outdoor gym near the school and the trail.