Most cities are typically seen as environments that lack a connection to nature, but Stockholm stands out as a remarkable exception. It boasts abundant parks, captivating gardens, and expansive natural areas that encompass 40% of its land area. Within numerous parks in the Swedish capital, residents nurture their own pockets of joy, thanks to the presence of garden allotments with a history dating back to the previous century. Allotment gardens on the banks of Karlbergs Canal - the so-called Karlbergs-Bro Koloniförening - are a brilliant example of this tradition still being preserved.
In the 1920s, there were five allotment associations on Kungsholmen, but today, Karlbergs-Bro is the only one remaining in the neighborhood. Founded in 1909, it is also one of the oldest in Stockholm.
The location is fantastic - next to Karlbergs Canal (Karlbergskanalen), which connects Karlbergssjön and Ulvsundasjön and is also part of the waterway between Saltsjön and Mälaren. The allotments are situated very close to the bridge that leads from Kungsholmen to Karlbergs Strand and Solna. This location has naturally had significance in many ways and has given a distinct character to the allotment area. It has also given the association its name.
The traffic on Karlbergs Canal has always been quite lively. For many years, regular passenger boat traffic operated between Gamla Stan and Sundbyberg. One of the stops was at Karlbergs Castle (https://reveal.world/story/the-military-school-and-the-home-of-the-kings), and another was a pier just beyond what is now the Länkarnas house. But the canal was used for more than just transporting people. For instance, barges carrying sand from the Mälaröarna islands to the city used this waterway.
Karlbergs Canal around 1900
Old-time allotment gardeners used to move out here in the month of May and then lived here throughout the summer and well into the autumn. They spent a lot of time socializing with each other and also assisted one another with various chores.
Allotment gardeners,1911
Of course, this was not only about pleasure, flowers and views. Fruit and vegetables were grown in the gardens, and they still are: cauliflower, corn, raspberries, potatoes, grapes, fennel, and apples. And not only that! During the First World War, there was a significant shortage of food, especially meat. It was necessary to make the most of the available opportunities. Frans Oskar Rydeberg, who lived at plot 2 in Karlbergs-Bro allotment association, acquired rabbits. He built a house for the rabbits that still stands today. His son, Harry, later erected a large birdcage where he kept various types of birds, including guinea fowl and different cage birds. There still are surprisingly many rabbits in the area, running freely in the wild. Who knows, maybe they are the grand-grand-grand children of Frans Oskar’s rabbits?
This truly is an amazing not-at-all-city-like place in the middle of Stockholm. Take a stroll through the gardens on a sunny day, and you won’t regret it!
