In Sweden, the exact number of skerries is a matter of belief, but the truth is probably between 24,000 and 32,000; new skerries emerge from the water, old ones break apart. Mostly they are left in their natural state and are visited at most once by a kayaker or a seal. About 150 archipelagos are permanently inhabited. Among them, the Fjäderholmarna archipelago is one of the most visited archipelagos near Stockholm. It is the closest to Stockholm and has many attractive recreational activities.
Only a 20-minute boat ride from the center of Stockholm, the archipelago consists of Stora Fjäderholmen, the robber island Rövarns holme, and the islands Libertas and Ängstholmen. The name Fjäderholmarna means something like "islands in the fjord"; they were once the scene of a "fuel war" because they were popular ports of call for Stockholmers in search of cheap brandy.
Today, Fjäderholmarna is also popular as an excursion destination because of its good transport links. On the main island, Stora Fjäderholmen, there are many stores, art boutiques, restaurants, as well as a theater and a museum. An open-air stage hosts popular open-air events such as concerts and theater performances.
The cliffs to the southwest are a good place to jump into the water or take a dip in the sun. In addition, there are nice picnic areas everywhere.
"Libertas fyr" is the name of the lighthouse on the northwestern tip of Libertas Island. North of the lighthouse run the Baltic Sea ship routes to the nearby Stockholm harbor.
Since the mid-1990s, the Fjäderholmarna archipelago has been an eastern outpost of the world's first national city park, "Ekoparken". The "Kungliga nationalstadsparken" was created as a national park in the immediate vicinity of a large city and presents a large inventory of unique natural and cultural values such as oak forests and lakes as well as historic fishermen's huts and stately buildings.
