One of my favourite things to do to get closer to nature and explore the area I live is to cycle. I like to wake up early and try to get out on the bike for at least a few hours providing the weather isn’t to wet. A bike is great for finding those places that are just too far to find on foot and not accessible enough to get to by car, I’ve found lots of hidden gems in my area and continue to find more every week.
Most of Sweden is covered by hundreds of miles of pine forest and the area I live in is no exception, there are plenty of woodland trails I like to take with some leading to a large lake with picturesque beaches and elevated viewpoints to ride to. Taking in the scenery and observing the local wildlife after a hard ride is a great feeling, its very grounding to sit in nature and extremely rewarding to get out and exercise.
What I love about this county is the fact you can ride pretty much anywhere on either well-maintained cycle tracks or quiet woodland trails, there’s no real need to cycle on the road so you can relax and enjoy the ride without being cautious about overtaking cars. On my early morning rides, the only things I must look out for in terms of traffic are herds of deer crossing the trails or the odd boar jumping out of the thicket. I’m blessed to live in an area where I can leave my building and within 5 minutes I’m cycling on a trail through a large forest or along a cycle track with fields and woodland either side of me.
One of My Cycles
I have been living in Sweden for three weeks now and since purchasing my bike about 14 days ago I have cycled just over 200km through forest, around lakes, to castles and through old Viking settlements. My favourite ride so far was a morning journey of just under 30km. I started my ride from my home in Märsta (a small town outside Stockholm) and rode for around 10km along a well-maintained cycle track to my neighbouring town of Sigtuna. It took me 30 minutes to get there through some lovely countryside and over a bridge where you can get a great view of the stunning lake that Sigtuna sits beside. When I got into the town, I found that there was a lovely cycle path that runs around the bank of the lake with plenty of benches and seating areas to stop and enjoy the view.
Once I’d taken in the view, I continued my journey up the side streets of Sigtuna to find St Peter’s Church, a 12th century ruin that is maintained in its current state. It was fascinating to walk around and see how the years have taken their toll on the building. After taking a few photos and walking the area I decided to continue the next part of my journey.
From Sigtuna I Cycled for 12km down some peaceful forest trails to find my next location, a viewpoint on the same lake. The location lies within Västerängsudd nature reserve and is easily accessible by bike although once I got into the woodland the viewpoint sits in, I had to get off the bike and push it up some slippery trails to reach the top. I arrived at the top and was stunned by the view, I sat here for quite some time and enjoyed my surrounds before some snow started falling and I decided to make my way home.
The Cycle home was enjoyable, the snowfall only stayed with me for around 15 minutes and wasn’t too noticeable as a lot of my ride was through pine forest. As I was cycling down the trails on the way home I saw a tempting left turn that looked like it went down to the bank, I decided to take it and gamble on whether it would actually reach the lake. A pleasant downhill cruise later, I reached a beach with a stunning view of the lake and some benches with firepits, it was well worth the detour however I wish I brought some food and firelighters to cook up lunch!
After taking in the view and kicking myself for not having the foresight to bring food with me I cycled on back up the hill to continue my journey home.
Off The Trails 