Neil Hopcroft

I’d been meaning to go back to Karlberg Slott, having missed it last time I tried to get there. This time I approached from Västra Skogen. There appeared not to be much there, a large parade ground outside the castle and a map showing the location of a rune stone in the back garden. But I couldn’t find any […]

The blue TBana line splits into the Akalla and Hjulsta branches at Västra Skogen, home of the longest escalator in the Stockholm metro system. Unfortunately theres not much else there, just a bunch of flats, a wasteland of motorway junction and the main post sorting office.

Beyond the Kista Akalla park lies another string of urban expansion from around the same era as Kista, served by Rinkeby and Hjulsta TBana stations.

As well as the runestone by the station there is one in Torekällbergets museum.

At the top of Bjorn Borg Promenade in Södertalje is Torekällbergets museum, a baby Skansen.

In a little park outside Södertalje station is another runestone, this one larger than most of the others I have seen, so I didn’t recognise it at first. “Holmfastr (and) Hróðelfr had the runes carved in memory of … … Ingifastr, their sons. They were in the east(?). And Œpir carved.”

The town of Södertalje lies some 30km to the south of Stockholm. There is a canal passing through the town, joining Lake Mälaren with the Baltic Sea. It is also the home town of Björn Borg. The town itself is a fairly small and unexciting place, though some of the views along the canal give it a […]

Another wander around Kista in the snow – previously.

Trying to find my way out of Arlanda Airport upon return from my travels over the holidays I found theres a rune stone on display in terminal 5 – it was found, if I remember correctly, during the building of the road from Stockholm to the airport and moved to its current place of display. “Gunnarr and Bjôrn and […]

Nearest to Långholmen on the island of Södermalm is an area called Hornstull. This is where Högalids kyrka is. Among other things. The waterfront here looking toward Liljeholmen is beautiful, with The Street market nestled under the road bridge and a pair of railway bridges in the distance.