Skärsätra, Lidingö — Area Guide & Where to Stay

What are the main landmarks in Skärsätra?

Villa Ekbacken, built in 1912 and 1913 for the inventor Gustaf Dalén to designs by Erik Hahr, is the most monumental villa in the district. Above Skärsätra Torg, four cubic point blocks by the Italian-born architect Astorre Sennis break from the towers around them. The old water tower now holds flats.

In Kottla stands the Apelsinvillan of 1890, a protected listed building since 1982.

What is the history of Skärsätra?

The name comes from Skärsätra farm, recorded in 1366 as Skärfwesätra and then owned by Bo Johnsson Grip, who acquired most of the island in the late 14th century. In 1907 a consortium bought the 300-tunnland estate to build Skärsätra Villastad, planned for villas and industry alike. By 1910 about 300 plots had sold.

Most went to craftsmen who built their own small timber houses, and villas came to dominate. HSB raised the central blocks between 1962 and 1966 on a wooded hill whose only building was the water tower of 1912.

Where is Skärsätra?

Skärsätra lies on southern Lidingö and takes in Kottla. Older villa streets, begun in 1909, run east and west of the Pyrola blocks. The lake Kottlasjön and the Stockby-Långängen outdoor area lie close by, part of the Långängen-Elfvik nature reserve, the largest protected green space on the island.