Simpnäs – maritime heritage and paths to the lighthouse

Simpnäs on Björkö combines a harbour atmosphere, maritime history and paths to notable places on the island. If you are interested in shipping, pilotage and historic landscapes, you will find several different points of access here: a collection on sailing ships, traces of the pilot station, a shipowner’s farm, a channel lighthouse and designated hiking trails.

Maritime history in the harbour and on Björkö

The Björkö-Arholma Maritime Museum is located in the harbour of Simpnäs. Its representative collection includes objects and images from the heyday of sailing ships in the 19th century. Guided tours are offered at the museum. This means that the focus is not on just one individual exhibit, but on an entire era conveyed through working objects and visual material.

Pilotage is also part of the history of Simpnäs. The pilot station was closed on 1 January 1996. In connection with the construction of new quays and terminals for traffic to Finland, operations were relocated to Kapellskär. A new pilot station in Simpnäs had already been put into operation in 1915. Another pilot station was built on the rocky ridge between Simpnäs harbour and Näskubbens fyr. This spatial sequence makes the area between the harbour and the lighthouse a particularly vivid part of the local history.

The shipowner’s farm and lighthouse as separate destinations

Simpnäs redargård is one of six well-preserved shipowner’s farms on Björkö. The main building was constructed in the 1830s. The farm therefore represents a different period of the island’s history from the Maritime Museum: while the museum brings the heyday of sailing ships to life through a collection, the shipowner’s farm points to the architectural and economic character of Björkö.

North of the harbour, Näskubbens fyr stands on a cliff. The lighthouse is a channel lighthouse on Björkö and can be visited. A narrow footbridge leads out to Näskubbens fyr. This gives your choice of location a clear destination that differs from the historic buildings in the harbour area and draws attention to the island’s maritime orientation.

Hiking between Simpnäs and Östersjö

The “Fyrstigen Simpnäs–Östersjö” hiking stage is one of the designated hiking trails on Björkö. Those who do not want to view the lighthouse and its surroundings merely as individual stops can thus place the area within the context of a longer route. The Björkö-Arholma local heritage association has also organised cultural walks led by people familiar with the area and taking visitors past historic sites. This form of exploration connects the landscape with local history without limiting the visit to a museum or a single building.

Boats to Arholma and landscapes in southern Björkö

Boats run from Simpnäs to Arholma year-round. This is a distinct aspect of the area and complements the land-based orientation provided by the harbour, lighthouse and hiking trails. Nearby, Skeppsmyra in the south of Björkö lies in a quiet archipelago landscape with forests, fields, sea and beaches. Around Simpnäs, maritime history, island paths and varied landscapes therefore exist side by side – from the harbour and pilotage tradition to the open surroundings of Skeppsmyra.

For the broader travel overview: Björkö.