Public art in Strängnäs and Mariefred — from Västerviken to Gripsholm

An art walk in Strängnäs naturally begins down at the Västerviken marina. Right on the quay edge facing Lake Mälaren stands Lena Lervik’s 1995 bronze sculpture Fiskargumman (The Fisherwoman), honouring the fishing families of Lake Mälaren and marking the start of the waterfront promenade toward the Steamer Pier and Visholmen.

Västerviken and the Strängnäs waterfront

Along the harbourfront and lawns around Västerviken, several works reflect the town’s relationship with the water and shipping, including De fyra årstiderna (The Four Seasons), Ett skepp kommer lastat, and Flytande med utsikt overlooking Strängnäs Bay.

Ugglans Park and Ulvhälls Hällar Sculpture Park

From the waterfront the route continues through Ugglans Park and into the town centre. Here works such as Lurblåsaren and Tala och lyssna frame the green spaces between Kulturhuset Multeum, Gyllenhjelmstorget, and the steps leading up to Cathedral Hill.

For monumental contemporary art in a natural setting, the Ulvhälls Hällar Sculpture Park sits on wooded bedrock by Lake Mälaren just south of central Strängnäs. Around Ulvhäll Manor, more than twenty large-scale sculptures by Swedish and international artists are on view outdoors year-round.

Solvändan, Gripsholm Castle and Mariefred galleries

In Mariefred, a lakeside sculpture walk follows the promenade along Gripsholm Bay. At Solvändan stand the sculptures Mor och barn (Mother and Child) and Kärlekspar (Lovers) with uninterrupted views across the water toward the brick towers of Gripsholm Castle.

Mariefred’s art scene also encompasses the Swedish National Portrait Collection inside Gripsholm Castle—holding over 5,000 works from the 16th century to the present—and Pom Gallery in the historic tannery at Långgatan 11, hosting seasonal exhibitions of painting, glass, ceramics, and sculpture.