Lake Mälaren, also called Lake Mälar, is a large lake in southeastern Sweden. It lies just west of Stockholm, Sweden’s capital. Lake Mälaren covers some 440 square miles (1,140 square kilometers). Canals allow boats to travel between the lake and the Baltic Sea or nearby Lake Hjälmaren. Lake Mälaren is an important source of fresh water. It is also a popular holiday spot for boating, fishing, and swimming. Ducks, geese, gulls, ospreys, and other birds inhabit Mälaren’s wetlands.
A number of inlets, bays, and islands crowd Lake Mälaren. Björkö and Adelsö islands contain the well-preserved Viking settlements of Birka and Hovgården. Dating from the A.D. 700’s, the settlements are a combined UNESCO World Heritage Site. Such sites are places of unique cultural or natural importance, as designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Drottningholm Palace, on the island of Lovön (sometimes called Queen’s Island), is also a World Heritage Site. Construction on the sprawling palace lasted from the 1600’s to the 1900’s. The palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family.
See also Stockholm .
