Discover Gryt: Archipelago, Paddling Tours and Culture

Gryt combines an impressive archipelago landscape with paddling experiences, historic sites and unusual garden highlights. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment for a varied stay can choose between different focuses here, including nature, water, culture and more tranquil excursions. Particularly characteristic is the Gryt Nature Reserve: it is one of the archipelago gems of the Östergötland archipelago and comprises seven sub-areas. These represent most of the archipelago’s particularly valuable habitats in need of protection.

Experience the archipelago and choose the right travel plans

The islands within the Gryt Nature Reserve can only be reached by private boat. This specific access requirement shapes the planning of a stay: anyone wishing to explore the island world should take their own boating option into account from the outset. On other days, the landscape can also be combined with excursions on land. Depending on your group and interests, you can switch between water-based activities and fixed destinations on the mainland without mixing up the different characteristics of the area.

One particularly immersive way to get to know the Gryt archipelago is the Grytstriangeln. This is a three-day paddling tour through the Gryt archipelago, with overnight stays on Harstena and Häradskär. Depending on the route chosen, the tour covers a total of 40 kilometres of paddling. These details help put the undertaking into perspective: the tour is designed as a multi-day journey on the water and needs to be planned differently from a short excursion. Accommodation in Gryt can serve as a separate part of the trip between such experiences, without implying any particular distance or connection.

Roses, sculptures and historic churches

Gryt also offers distinctive destinations away from the water. Kärlekens Trädgård in Lilla Vik has thousands of roses from more than 450 varieties. The garden also features life-size sculptures by Karola Messner. Kärlekens Trädgård can be reached by car and by boat. Depending on the day’s plans, the visit can therefore be included as a car excursion or as a destination on the water. The large number of roses and the life-size sculptures give the place its own distinctive focus, clearly setting it apart from a purely archipelago trip.

The cultural side of Gryt includes Gryt Church and its special location. The church stands on Kyrkön in Gryt, which was once surrounded by water. Inside, Gryt Church is dominated by a large altarpiece painted by Pehr Hörberg. The sacristy of the former church in Gryt has also been preserved; today it serves as S:t Olofs Chapel. Those interested in church art and local history will find several distinct starting points here for a cultural excursion.

Water, beaches and different daily rhythms

For a stay with a stronger focus on swimming and relaxation, Sandgärdets havsbad offers a sandy beach and a lawn for sunbathing. The bathing area also has a diving tower and jetties separating deeper and shallower water. Sandgärdets havsbad has been adapted for people with disabilities and has a ramp into the water. These specific features make the site another option alongside paddling tours, a garden visit and church art.

When choosing your holiday apartment in Gryt, you can therefore first consider which combination should define your stay: the multi-day Grytstriangeln, the islands accessible only by private boat, a day in the gardens of Lilla Vik, cultural discoveries or time at Sandgärdets havsbad. For additional comparisons within the selection, you can also visit Lövbäcken, Ringarum, Skeppsgården, Östra Ed and Valdemarsvik.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Valdemarsvik.