This route consists of hilly and varied forest terrain but also on smaller mountain stretches. The route is of medium difficulty and goes through an area rich in old mine shafts.

The name “Järna” strongly hints towards the Swedish word for iron, and with good right as this used to be on of most important iron mining areas in central Sweden explored from the mid 16th century to the late 18th century.

This was a pre-industrial time, which meant that all mining activities were manual, using picks, showels, mallets and sledges. Working in the mines was a harsh and dangerous job, and casualties were common. Many didn’t make it past their 40 year birthday.

The main mining areas of this region is south of Stockholm in between Järna and Gnesta, spanning around 5 square km.

The easiest way to get there is to follow 9 km long section 11 of “Sörmlandsleden” which takes you through a varied terrain with forests and hills.

Around 5 km into the route, you will come across one of the key mines in this historic area called “Tunnelgruvan”. The name is spot on, it is basically a tunnel that has been dug out in between the massive mountainous hills surrounding it. Can you imagine digging through this mountain using nothing but manual labour and simple tools?

You will find many mine shafts where ore was mined from the 17th century to the end of the 19th century. There are information boards at some of the shafts, telling about their history. You can also see a large boulder with a cave that can provide shelter in an emergency.

There is a possibility of extending the route around the mine area where many smaller unfenced mine pits can be found

Walking along this part of Sörmlandsleden is not exactly a meditative route – but it is a good route to practice your presence and avoid falling in to a mine pit 🙂 This also means that the only safe way of walking the route is in broad daylight.

There are several camp sites along the route, but without access to water. Hikers should be advised not to use the water found along the route – not even if its is boiled. Old mine pits leak dangerous heavy metals and other poisonous substances, so bring your drinking water.