A little to the east of Mjältön lies the archipelago of Norra Ulvön and Södra Ulvön, separated by the narrow Ulvösund strait. It has always been an ideal location, offering shelter from storms and rough seas away from the coast. This is where the settlement of Ulvöhamn has developed; for centuries, fishermen from Gävle have come here during the summer months to fish for herring closer to the open sea.
They lived in simple huts and returned to the mainland in the autumn. Reminders of this era can still be seen today in the red-painted houses standing close to the water’s edge, the old boathouses and the wooden chapel Ulvö Gamla Kapell, built in 1622, whose interior walls are adorned with unusual religious and folk paintings.
Ulvöhamn, a hotspot on the Höga Kusten
Ulvöhamn has become a hotspot on the Höga Kusten. In summer, ferries and excursion boats bring hundreds of visitors to the island every day from Docksta and other ports along the coast. Consequently, there are plenty of restaurants, cafés, small shops and even a bike hire service. The municipal guest harbour (ulvohandels2@gmail.com) is situated right next to the historic fishing village on Norra Ulvön and is rustic and simply furnished.
There are around 40 berths here for sailing and motor boats, mainly at jetties with stern buoys or alongside. Diesel can also be bunkered. A little further east, the Hotellbryggan jetty at the Ulvö Hotell juts out into the sound; it is a small, modern marina with 70 berths (ulvohotell.se).
Docksta: heading towards Skuleberget
I leave the hustle and bustle of the summer holidaymakers behind me. The unmissable landmark of Skuleberget has piqued my interest – 295 metres high and featuring a sheer cliff face that I intend to scale via the climbing route. The best starting point for trips up the mountain and into the nearby Skuleskogen National Park is the Docksta Havet Base Camp (dockstahavet.se) in Dockstafjärden, which can be reached via Ullångersfjärden.
On the floating jetty of the small, well-maintained marina, a man is already standing by to take my lines: “Buongiorno – welcome to Docksta Havet,” says Tommaso De Rosa, greeting me and inviting me for an espresso. The Italian-born owner runs the harbour and has lovingly restored old boathouses into charming holiday accommodation.
High up in the National Park
The only downside is that European Route 4, which runs from Helsingborg in the south to the northern end of the Baltic Sea, passes right by the fjord and creates a faint, constant hum in the harbour.
Tommaso, an endurance athlete and outdoor expert, organises hikes, trail runs and excursions in the region. He gives me some tips for a tour, so I pack my sleeping bag and provisions into my rucksack and go hiking for a few days in Skuleskogen National Park. Instead of navigation marks, trail markers now show me the way; my cabin is the open huts with a stove and firewood, and the mountain lakes are my bath. What a memorable experience to explore this coastline both on the water and in my walking boots!
Back on board, I’m getting ready for the long legs of the journey heading south. “Those who have a distant goal must not linger in small steps,” whispers Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to me as we cast off. All right then – but I’ll be making one or two stops along the way.
Part 1 of the feature can be found here
Part 2 of the feature You can find it here
Nico Krauss
Freier Fotograf
