Djuro National Park

Djuro is a group of about thirty islands in the middle of Vanern, made a national park in 1991, and the defining fact is the isolation: they sit in open water far from any shore, there is no ferry, and the only way there is your own boat or a chartered one. Nobody has lived on them since the 1920s. The islands are low, wooded with pine and birch, with rock shores, small sheltered harbours and old crofting traces overgrown. Osprey and cormorant nest. Vanern is large enough to build a serious sea, and crossings need settled weather and proper navigation - this is not a casual day out.

Background

The park takes in the whole archipelago around the island of Djurö, 24 km2 in all, in Vänern, the biggest lake in Sweden. People lived on the islands sparsely from the 1500s, and at the population peak there were three families. Nobody lives here today, though the islands keep a hunting lodge and a lighthouse that runs unmanned. Fallow deer roam the islands, and the bird list includes oystercatchers, ospreys, great black-backed gulls and hobby. From Djurö the horizon is open water all round, except to the south, where Kinnekulle can be seen.

Source: Wikipedia, "Djurö National Park"

The landscape

• About thirty uninhabited islands - abandoned since the 1920s.
• Pine and birch on low rock - with small natural harbours.
• Osprey and cormorant - nesting on the group.
• No facilities of any kind - no ferry, no services.

When to go

June to August, in settled weather. A full day or overnight.

What to expect

There is no scheduled transport - you need a boat and the skill to use it. Vanern gets rough fast and the crossing is exposed. There are no facilities, water or shelter. Landing is restricted in the breeding season.

Nearby

Mariestad is south-east; Lidkoping is south.

Key facts