Once known as Gäddviken due to its plentiful pike, Svindersviken now whispers tales of merchants and nature. Today we stand at Svindersviken a place where history and modern life meet.
Svindersviken is a bay of Saltsjön. It sits in Nacka Municipality. This bay stretches from Kvarnholmen. It passes Hästholmssundet. It goes past the Opera’s and Dramaten’s studios in Gäddviken. It includes Svindersviks boat club and other landmarks.
Do you see how Svindersviken winds through the landscape? It is a narrow fault valley. In its outer parts the water is over 30 meters deep.
Let’s talk about the name Svindersviken. It comes from Johan van Swindern. He was a Dutch merchant. Johan came to Sweden in 1629. He got royal permission to produce tar and pitch. In 1647, Danvikens Hospital gave him land. Other names for Svindersviken included Finnsviken, Ryssviken, and Troldalsviken.
Notice Kvarnholmen on Svindersviken’s north side. Olof Thunström built homes here in 1928. There are 30 row houses. There is also a three-story building.
Consider the docks along Kvarnholmen. OK Petroleum and Preem used them. They unloaded petroleum products here. Before that, the area handled food for KF. That is why the oldest dock is called Sillkajen.
Across from Svindersvik farm in Gäddviken, the Opera and Dramaten have their studios. They have workshops and costume storage. The Swedish Theatre Museum is here. KF used to have a coffee roastery here until the 1990s. You can still see KF’s logo faintly on the building. Oscar Carlsson’s superfosfat factory once stood near this spot.
Look towards the area between Ryssbergen and Nacka boat club. It has been redeveloped. Since 1999, the Marinstaden district has been built here. It offers different types of housing near the water.
Since April 2013, tugboats have been stationed in Svindersviken. You will see them below Gäddviken. Marin & Haverikonsult owns and operates them.
Take a moment to imagine Svindersviken long ago. Johan van Swindern likely oversaw his tar production. Klas Grill visited his summer house. Maybe future generations will enjoy this area as a nature reserve.
In the 1700s Klas Grill built Svindersvik. Carl Hårleman was the architect. In Gäddviken, you can spot the Opera’s and Dramaten’s studios. They stand where a coffee roastery once was. Kvarnholmen displays Olof Thunström’s houses from 1928. Marinstaden has been developed since 1999. Tugboats have been stationed here since 2013.
Nacka’s municipal council considered making Svindersviken a nature reserve. This would have included Trolldalen, Ryssbergen, and Svindersberg. However, the proposal was voted down in spring 2023.
As we conclude our visit to Svindersviken, remember its layers of history. From its industrial past to its potential future as a nature preserve Svindersviken remains a vital part of Stockholm’s story.