Lilla Garn Nature Park

A new meeting place for nature, culture and local community

A new nature and culture project is now being planned on Toftesta islet in Brottby: Lilla Garn Nature Park. The aim is to restore an overgrown natural area with high natural values and rich history, and make it accessible to the public. By improving biodiversity, caring for the landscape and building walking trails, rest areas and bivouacs, a place for recreation, learning and community is created – in the middle of a historic cultural area.

The area around Lilla Garn and Toftesta holme dates back to the Viking Age, when the nearby Långhundraleden was an important waterway between Uppsala and the Baltic Sea. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the area was a lively hub with a port, trading post, school and church. Today, the area is a popular destination for recreation, but the natural area itself on Toftesta holme is heavily overgrown with dense sly and grey alder. The project will recreate natural values, open up paths and highlight the history of the area with information signs and digital guidance.

The project, which is run by the committed landowners in collaboration with the municipality, was prioritized by the Upplandsbygd board at the board meeting on April 23. The vision is that the nature park will become an excursion destination for Karbyskolan and a meeting place for local associations and businesses – to create a sustainable area where nature, culture and people can meet.