Sturkö - Blekinge's largest island

Viking runestones and Cold War dramas. Wild coastal heathland and freshly baked bread on a Saturday morning. Sturkö isn't your average Swedish island – it's a place where Baltic history is written into every rock face.

Sturkö kvarn, numera Kvarnmagasinet, i Blekinge — Sturkö Mill, now known as Kvarnmagasinet, in Blekinge.

Sturkö – archipelago island filled with nature, history and coastal experiences

Sturkö sits 15 kilometres south-east of Karlskrona town centre, reached via Sturkövägen – a permanent road bridge running across the islands of Senoren and Skällö. At just over 21 square kilometres it is by far the largest island in Blekinge's archipelago, and it packs in a remarkable range of experiences: Viking-age runestones, a remarkably well-preserved coastal fort, heathland nature reserves, cycling and kayaking routes, a medieval church, a working fishing community – and one of the finest island bakeries in Sweden.

Attractions & activities on Sturkö

Sturkö is the largest island in the Blekinge archipelago, where nature, history and coastal living come together throughout the year. Discover Viking runestones and scenic seaside landscapes, paddle between the islands, cycle along quiet coastal roads or relax at a waterside café. From cultural heritage sites and outdoor adventures to local flavours and family-friendly experiences, Sturkö offers both tranquillity and memorable days by the sea.

If you enjoy golf, don’t miss nearby Trummenäs GK., known for its coastal fairways and beautiful sea views.

Explore our selected attractions, activities and experiences on Sturkö below.Besöksmål & aktiviteter på Sturkö:

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Coastal heath, clifftops and cycling routes

Sturkö offers a more varied natural landscape than its size might suggest. The dramatic southern tip contrasts with sheltered inland valleys, and the whole island is connected by well-marked trails for every pace and mode of travel.

Uttorp Nature Reserve

Sweeping coastal heathland and raw cliff formations at the island's southern tip. On a clear day, the Utklippan islands – Sweden's south-easternmost group – appear on the horizon.

Uttorp Nature Reserve →

ARK56 – cycling routes

Well-marked cycling circuits through the archipelago landscape. Sturkö is a central hub of the ARK56 network. Download the app for interactive trail maps with offline capability.ARK56 – cykelrundor

Kayaking

ARK56 brings together kayaking, hiking and sailing routes across Blekinge Arkipelag. Hire a kayak at Sturkö Camping and paddle the southern coastline at your own pace.Kajakpaddling

Sturkö Campesite →

Fishing & birdwatching

Excellent sea trout and pike fishing along the southern shore. The open coastal heath of the nature reserve also makes for superb birdwatching along the shoreline meadows.

ARK56 – the whole archipelago, one network.

Sturkö is a central point in ARK56, an interconnected network of kayaking, cycling, hiking and sailing routes linking the entire Blekinge Arkipelag. Download the ARK56 app for interactive guides to trails, accommodation, food and highlights along the way.

Ekenabben – a journey through time beneath the surface

The World Heritage Wrecks

Ekenabben is a historic fishing harbour on the western side of Sturkö, just south of the Tjurkö bridge. Today the harbour is home to the open-air exhibition "The World Heritage Wrecks" – an extraordinary gateway to the past. Between the Ekenabben pier and the island of Tjurkö, the remains of six deliberately scuttled ships from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries rest on the bed of Djupasund. The pier-side exhibition tells their stories – and explains why the naval city of Karlskrona earned its place on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Ekenabben also serves as a guest harbour and motorhome stopover for those arriving by sea. It is one of the rare places along this coastline where maritime history, active fishing life and visitor access all meet at the same quayside.

Eating and drinking on Sturkö

Sturkö is well catered for an island of its size. Freshly baked bread, a harbour-side lunch with a view, afternoon cake in a fishing village and pizza in a windmill tower – it's all here.

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Common myths about Sturkö – and the truth

Myth "You need to take a ferry to reach Sturkö."
False. A permanent road bridge via Sturkövägen crosses the islands of Senoren and Skällö. You drive the whole way – no timetables, no queues.

Myth "Sturkö is a UNESCO World Heritage Site."
Partly true. It is the Naval City of Karlskrona that holds World Heritage status. Sturkö falls within the buffer zone, and the wreck exhibition at Ekenabben is a direct expression of that connection.

Myth "Sturkö is named after the storks that once nested there."
Probably not. Although storks did historically nest on the island, the oldest sources point to the Old Norse word stur – meaning "great" – as the origin of the name. A pleasing folk etymology that continues to circulate, including in some official texts.

Myth "The U-137 submarine ran aground at Sturkö."
False. The submarine grounded at Torhamnaskär in Gåsefjärden. Sturkö, however, was immediately adjacent to the exclusion zone and was at the centre of events throughout the ten-day incident.

Myth "You can always see the Utklippan islands from Sturkö." True – with a caveat. On a clear day, from the southern tip of Uttorp Nature Reserve, you can make out Utklippan on the horizon. There is no guarantee, but the view is spectacular regardless.

Getting to and around Sturkö

Come for a day. Stay a little longer than you planned.

Sturkö is difficult to capture in a single image. It is at once a living island community with harbour life and freshly baked bread, a historical monument to Sweden's naval past, a nature area with views out across the open Baltic – and a place where seventeenth-century wrecks lie on the seabed just a few hundred metres from the quayside.

Drive out. Pause at the runestone. Climb to the windmill. Walk out to the cliffs at Uttorp. Have a coffee at Kafé Måsen. Pick up a loaf on Saturday morning at Andrens. And understand why people have lived here for a thousand years.

Sturkö · Karlskrona Archipelago · Blekinge · Sweden