Stjärnholm is an estate a bit north of Oxelösund in the province of Södermanland. The estate includes both an impressive castle-like manor house as well as a stone church. It is today owned by organizations related to the Church of Sweden and is one of 17 estates used for conferences within the Church of Sweden.
A Short History of Stjärnholm
This was originally the location of the farm Nygård, which has existed since as early as the 1380s. Nygård has had several owners over the centuries. It was first in 1638 under the ownership of Jöns Silfverstierna that Nygård’s history took a turn. Silfverstierna came to expand his estate and eventually, he owned around 300 homes around Sweden. Out of these Stjärnholm became the seat of the estate empire.
It was under the ownership of Silfverstierna’s son-in-law that the name of the estate was changed to Stjärnholm. It was also at this time, in 1671, that the chapel was built. The chapel is today Stjärnholm’s Church. A fire destroyed the manor house in 1733 and, as a result, the current building was completed in 1748.
The church had several more owners before the church organization Kyrkans Hem i Strängnäs Stift acquired the estate in 1944.
Things to Do and See
Stjärnholm offers the possibility to just enjoy the area for a few hours with all it has to display. That included the manor house, the church, and the many sculptures. There is also a playground for the kids and plenty of trails for walks in the area.
Stiftsgården Stjärnholm
This is the manor house itself which was completed in 1748. Today, it is used for conferences by organizations connected to the Church of Sweden. However, it is also a venue for other events by organizations and people renting the manor.
Stjärnholm Church
Stjärnholm Church was completed in 1671 and was once the private chapel for the estate. It is a white stone church with an integrated tower. The church was 1920 incorporated into Sankt Nicolai Congregation in Nyköping. However, in 1952 it moved to the newly created Oxelösund Congregation. It is today a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Stjärnholms Skulpturpark
The park surrounding the manor house is also home to several sculptures. The collection spreads out across the park and includes both small and a bit larger sculptures.
How to Get to Stjärnholm
- Flights: The closest airport is Stockholm Skavsta Airport, only 16 kilometers to the north.
- Car: Stjärnholm is on Road 53 between Nyköping and Oxelösund.
- Bus: Bus 715 from Sörmlandstrafiken stops near the castle on its route between Nyköping and Oxelösund.
- Train: There is no train station here. Instead, the closest train station is in nearby Nyköping.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 112 kilometers (1 h 19 min)
- Gothenburg – 376 kilometers (4 h 18 min)
- Malmö – 519 kilometers (5 h 44 min)
- Linköping – 107 kilometers (1 h 12 min)
- Kiruna – 1343 kilometers (15 h 42 min)
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