Download 15. Väsby hage

15. Väsby hage
Väsby Hage is located on the northwest shore of Munsö Island in Lake
Mälaren. The nature reserve includes broad stretches of wooded pastureland with majestic oaks that give the area its special character. The land­
scape varies from dense forest to open meadows and grazing land. Väsby
Hage is easily accessible for walkers and well-suited to rambling. At Roparhällsudden there are excellent places for bathing from rock ledges.
Väsby Hage is well-suited to rambling.
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outings guide to 33 protected natural areas in stockholm county
M
aps of Väsby village from the 17th
century indicate that the area was used
at that time for hay meadows. In the 18th
century, grazing took over. The flora is highly
diverse; among the flowers that bloom in midJune are dropwort and fairy flax. Blue moorgrass (Sesleria uliginosa), an inconspicuous
plant that is rather unusual in the Lake Mälaren
valley, imparts a blue-violet colour to patches
of ground when it blooms. Even more unusual
are species such as tufted milkwort, dwarf
milkwort and the tiny adder's-tongue fern.
Much of the ground in Väsby Hage is grazed
by cows and sheep, but there are also small hay
meadows in some parts of the reserve.
Nutcracker and hawfinch
The diverse vegetation of the reserve provides
habitat to a corresponding diversity of insect
and bird species. The nutcracker occasionally
makes itself heard with loud croaking noises as
it searches for hazelnuts. The shy and retiring
hawfinch, which cracks open the pits of cherries and other fruits with its powerful beak, is
another species that one may come across in
Väsby Hage.
Tufted milkwort
BASIC FACTS
Väsby Hage is located on the northwestern shore of Munsö
Island in the Municipality of Ekerö. The nature reserve was
established in 1981 and its land area is 96 hectares. The
bathing area Hässlesandsbadet lies south of the reserve. The
land is privately owned and the nature reserve is managed
by the Stockholm County Administrative Board.
TRAVEL DIRECTIONS
Bus 311 or 312 from Brommaplan in Stockholm to the
Sjöängen stop; from there it is a walk of one kilometre to a
gravel road with signs leading northward to the reserve.
By car: From Brommaplan to Drottningholm, Ekerö and
Munsö islands. Turn right on a small road just before the
ferry landing at Adelsö (follow sign to ”Naturreservat”).
outings guide to 33 protected natural areas in stockholm county
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