Singö is one of the northernmost islands within the Stockholm Archipelago. It lies in the historical province of Uppland, in the coastal area known as Roslagen. The island is today a part of Norrtälje Municipality within Stockholm County. Around 300 people live permanently in the few settlements that are spread out over the island. There are, however, an estimated 3000-4000 vacation homes here increasing the population significantly during the summer months.
A bit of curiosa for the suecophiles, Singö is the 36th largest island in Sweden.
A Short History of Singö
The six settlements of Backby, Boda, Ellan, Norrvreta, Söderby, and Tranvik are known to have existed already during the Middle Ages. Singö Parish was established during the 16th century when the area was split from Häverö Parish. The Parish was in operation until the Swedish municipal reform of 1862 when its operations were split between the local government of Singö Municipality and the church congregation. The municipality was in 1962 incorporated into Häverö Municipality, which in turn became a part of Norrtälje Municipality in 1971. The church congregation is since 2018 a part of the Väddö Congregation.
The island was connected with the mainland in 1955 when the bridge across via Fogdö was inaugurated. The island had prior to that had regular ferries connecting it with the mainland. Until 1951, these ferries went all the way between Stockholm and Singö.
Things to Do and See
Surrounded by the Baltic Sea and with the coast never far away. Singö has many of the benefits of an island, but still, the size offers a larger variety of nature to explore. The small local center is in Söderby, where you will find a smaller grocery store and other local services.
Singö Church
The parish Church is a red wooden church that dates back to 1753. It is located in Söderby and has had its current appearance since 1965 when it was restored to its 19th-century appearance. The church is today a part of Väddö Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Singö-Söderby Nature Reserve
Singö-Söderby Nature Reserve was established in 2016 and covers an area of almost 40 hectares. This forested area includes trees such as aspen meadows with mushrooms and orchids.
Norrängsskogen Nature Reserve
Norrängsskogen Nature Reserve is located close to Ellan and was established in 2014. It covers an area of 57 hectares of which 46 hectares are land mostly covered by forest.
Backbyn Beach
Backbyn Beach, or Backbyns Badplats in Swedish, is a small beach in a bay that offers protection from the wider Baltic Sea. This sand beach is around 20 meters long and includes some basic amenities.
How to Get to Singö
- Flights: Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) is 97 kilometers to the southwest.
- Car: Singö is along countryside roads north of Grisslehamn.
- Bus: Buses from SL connect Singö with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 124 kilometers (1 h 45 min)
- Gothenburg – 543 kilometers (6 h 44 min)
- Malmö – 732 kilometers (8 h 24 min)
- Linköping – 319 kilometers (3 h 53 min)
- Kiruna – 1222 kilometers (14 h 42 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
