Nynäs is a castlelike manor in Nyköping Municipality. These coastal lands in the former Bälinge Parish are a part of Södermanland County and the Baltic Sea is not far away. The closest body of water is, however, Lake Rundbosjön. Nynäs Castle watches out over the lake and its surrounding landscape with the castle parks, historical buildings, and a nature reserve.
A Short History of Nynäs
The name Nynäs is known in written sources as early as 1328. The manor became a part of the much larger estate of Sundboholm in 1384. Sundbyholm was a larger estate with a lot of land in the parishes of Bälinge and Tystberga under the ownership of the Grip Family. Nynäs became an estate of its own in 1522 when Sundbyholm was split between members of the Grip family. The owner of the estate became Maria Nilsdotter who later married into the Gyllenstierna Family. It was during the Gyllenstierna era that the construction of the current manor building began in the 1650s.
Nynäs would enter into the ownership of the Hildebrand Family in 1769. Under the Hildenbrad era, the landscape of the estate changed significantly with the establishment of a park landscape. Hildebrand was replaced by Gripenstedt in 1856. It was under the ownership of the Gripenstedt Family that the manor received its current appearance.
The surrounding land was eventually acquired by Södermanland County in 1967 and the manor followed in 1984.
Things to Do and See
Walking around the castle ground do not only include the castle and its park. This is a historical landscape with the many service buildings that a manor like this once required. There is today both a restaurant and a small gift shop to be found here and there are plenty of paths to explore. In addition, this is one of the gateways to the large Nynäs Nature Reserve with many more sights and a lot of nature to enjoy.
Nynäs Slott
Nynäs Slott, or “the castle”, is the main sight here and one of the best-preserved castles (or manors) in this part of Sweden. No one has lived here since the 1980s and it is only accessible with guided tours. The tours do offer a historical touch with the many art pieces, some dating back as far as the 16th century.
Slottsparken
The park of the manor has its origins in the 17th century. It is today a green garden that supplies the restaurant with many of its vegetables, fruits, and seasonings. For visitors, it is possible to walk along the small paths and enjoy the scenery.
Bränneriet
Bränneriet is the old distillery that is located on the shores of Lake Rundbosjön. The distillery is today a hostel but is still a part of the scenery for visitors walking from the castle towards the lake. The building dates back to 1801 and was used to produce local vodka up until the mid-19th century.
Barnen på Nynäs
Barnen på Nynäs is an exhibition for visiting kids. It offers the kids the possibility through play and games to learn more about life here a century ago.
Nynäs Naturreservat
Nynäs Nature Reserve covers a big part of the surrounding area. It was established in 1971 and covers an area of more than 3,800 hectares. This makes it one of the largest nature reserves in Södermanland. The reserve covers both the coastal area, but also inland with lakes such as Gisesjön. There are also historical sights such as the sawmill Bråfalls Såg. There are several hiking paths through the reserve with some of the main sights covered by the trail Sörmlandsleden which has several stages here.
How to Get to Nynäs
- Flights: The nearest airport is Stockholm Skavsta Airport (NYO) 36 kilometers to the west. Sweden’s largest airport, Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), is 122 kilometers to the north.
- Car: Nynäs lies along Road 219 east of Nyköping.
- Bus: Buses from Sörmlandstrafiken connect Nynäs with the surrounding area.
- Train: There is a train station in nearby Nyköping.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 85 kilometers (1 h 5 min)
- Gothenburg – 399 kilometers (4 h)
- Malmö – 543 kilometers (5 h 30 min)
- Linköping – 130 kilometers (1 h 30 min)
- Kiruna – 1315 kilometers (14 h)
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