Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
put Sandhamn on the map, and still entertains the upper crust today with a
hotel, several restaurants, spa, mini-golf course, outdoor pool, and more (see
sällskapet—Swedish Sailing Society) all over town. In the 1970s, the build-
ing was owned by a notorious mobster who made meth in the basement, then
smuggled it out beneath the dock to sailboats moored in the harbor.
Spinning a bit farther to the left, back to where you started, survey the
island across the strait (Lökholmen). Just above the trees, notice the copper
dome of an observatory that was built by this island's eccentric German oil-
magnate owner in the early 20th century. He also built a small castle (not quite
visible from here) for his kids to play in.
For a narrated stroll to another fine viewpoint, walk into town and turn
left along the water. After about 50 yards, a sign on the right points up a nar-
row lane to
Post
. This unassuming gravel path is actually one of Sandhamn's
most important streets, with the post office, police department (which handles
only paperwork—real crimes are deferred to the Stockholm PD), and doctor
(who visits town every second Wednesday). While Sandhamn feels remote,
it's served—like other archipelago communities—by a crack emergency-re-
sponse network that can dispatch a medical boat, or in extreme cases, a heli-
copter. With top-notch hospitals in Stockholm just a 10-minute chopper ride
away, locals figure that if you have an emergency here, you might just make
