Last week I had the pleasure of picnicking with my wife in one of the outdoor barbecue areas in Stendörren Nature Reserve.

The Stendörren Nature Reserve is found close to Sweden’s Capital City, Stockholm, located between the cities of Trosa and Nyköping. The public reserve is known for its magnificent nature experience, where you can hike all the way out to the edge of the archipelago, enjoying the sights and beauty of the archipelago without the need to get into a boat.

Outdoor Barbecue Areas in Stendörren Nature Reserve can be reached by walking suspension bridges.

Stendörren Nature Reserve is accessible all year round, and your experience includes walking across suspension bridges to the islands and grilling in the prepared outdoor barbecue areas.

Sunbath, Swim, and BBQ- Seaviews and Sunny Rocks

Stendörren is known for its sunny rocks and magnificent sea views. After a refreshing swim, having enjoyed the walk across the suspension bridges that join the islands of Äspskär and Stora Krokholmen, you can take advantage of the well-maintained picnic areas, where outdoor BBQ Grills are set up with supplies of wood to fuel the cook-up. Barbecue enthusiasts should keep the fragile nature of our environment at the top of their minds; you need to monitor fire risk assessments and notifications closely and be prepared to take any unused material or food back with you on your return hike. Whilst enjoying your picnic BBQ, sunbathe on the rocks and enjoy the almost unobstructed sights and views of the Baltic Sea.

What Do You Need for an Outdoor BBQ Picnic?- Preparation is everything!

  An outdoor picnic usually needs to be prepared and packed carefully for transportation to your desired picnic area: perhaps a public park, a country field, a day out on a boat, or in our case, the nature reserve of Stendörren. You can’t always expect your chosen picnic area to have grilling or cooking facilities available. It’s becoming the norm today for people to have a portable BBQ grill amongst their household BBQ equipment and a Picnic Set (many of which are designed as backpacks). The Picnic sets typically contain your picnic blanket, food, BBQ accessories, tongs, knives, forks, plates, napkins, trash bags, and drinking utensils, amongst other items.

Outdoor Barbecue Areas Key Accessories

In summary, refer to the below list, and you won’t go too far wrong.

  1. You will also need a picnic basket or a picnic set in a backpack-type bag which you will carry all your things within.
  2. You should also bring a tube or bottle of sunscreen. Protection against the sun needs to be considered as you will be spending a lot of time under the sun, and this exposure needs to be mitigated against sunburn.
  3. No picnic can be enjoyed if you don’t have somewhere to lay your food or lie down upon; therefore, while it may seem obvious, I can assure you if you print out and follow the below list, you won’t go too far wrong. It’s not always so. Therefore, ensure a blanket is included among the first items you plan to carry for your picnic.BBQ Picnic sites often have benches/tables and chairs, but as in our case, we love sitting on the rocks at Stendörren, then the use of a blanket to sit upon is appreciated.
  4. Bring a flask for your tea, coffee, or soft drinks. Alternatively, ensure you have a bottle opener if you need to open any beverage brought from a store. Don’t forget to retrieve and bring home any used bottles or cans.
  5. It’s helpful if you also remember to carry kitchenware utensils like cups, plates, spoons, and knives that you will use to have your meals.
  6. Bring along a rubbish bag where you will put all your trash to avoid littering within the nature reserve or picnic spot.
  7. Your food- prepared salads and protein to cook on the BBQ. Different picnic backpacks are designed to enable food to be carried with ice packs ensuring they remain cool until use.

Outdoor Barbecue Areas, Picnics and Portable BBQs!

There are many choices of Portable BBQ Grill types today, from the not-so-expensive throw-away when-used models to the better-designed, built-for-frequent use, and built-to-last types.

Picnics are usually experienced during the summer months as the summertime weather and sunshine lend to better conditions and temperatures for outdoor activities.

Portable BBQs, however, don’t have any performance restrictions, so if you are into outdoor winter excursions and experiences, these types can become valuable trekking or hiking extras when listing your essential equipment needs.

Other Nature Reserves Close To Stockholm

Below, please find a list of additional Nature Reserves, Public Parks with great walks, swimming zones, and BBQ Picnic Areas.

Tyresta National Park

Flatens Naturreservat 

Nackareservatet & Hellasgåden

Paradiset Hanveden

Järvafältets Naturreservat

Kungliga Nationalstadsparken

Sörmlandsleden

Roslagsleden

Stockholm Archipelago

The marvellous experience of visiting a Nature reserve doesn’t necessarily mean you need a lot of money, as access to these areas is free; but what you need to be is organized and free to enjoy the time and experience of the moment. Sweden has numerous incredible Nature reserves and caters well to picnic excursions. Having readily-to-hand, well-designed, and functional equipment such as a Portable Picnic set and Portable BBQ Grill with BBQ accessories, like a knife, thongs, and spatula, ensures that you are ready at short notice to enjoy these types of healthy outdoor activities.

There is nothing better than a visit to mother nature and spending time with family and friends, enjoying each other’s company, and participating in an outdoor event like a BBQ or Picnic.

Conclusion

The marvellous experience of visiting a Nature reserve doesn’t necessarily mean you need a lot of money, as access to these areas is free; but what you need to be is organized and free to enjoy the time and experience of the moment. Sweden has numerous incredible Nature reserves and caters well to picnic excursions. Having readily-to-hand, well-designed, and functional equipment such as a Portable Picnic set and Portable BBQ Grill with BBQ accessories, like a knife, thongs, and spatula. This ensures that you are ready at short notice to enjoy these types of healthy outdoor activities.

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6 Comments

  1. Wow, thank you very much for this valuable and detailed post about BBQ areas. Something I like very much is to put outdoor bbq. But I haven’t found many places like that. I was also looking for a few places. Thank you very much for your recommendation. I will definitely go to one of them. Keep posting like this. I will definitely share this.

    1. Thank you for your comments, and do go to one of these public parks or nature reserves. You will not regret the experience.

  2. Wow, I know that an event like this with beautiful scenery can create lasting memories. There is nothing like connecting with nature outdoor, especially with your wife and enjoying an activity like a barbecue. These are beautiful photos and I think you for sharing your story with us. I believe that others who view your article will learn a lot and will enjoy it also.

    1. Author

      Thanks, Norman, yes it’s the simple things in life that make for good experiences.

  3. I am kind of jealous for not living in Sweden and missing out on all of that beautiful nature, not even far from the main city Stockholm. Having a picnic there beside the lakes is even more fantastic, I think I’m going to travel there soon haha! In Belgium there are also no barbecue areas possible, while I love to do that in the countryside, right beside nature! Thank you for talking about this barbeque area and I will go there once I get the opportunity!

    1. Hey Lizzy, thanks for your comments, yes Sweden truly has some wonderful nature reserves and you would definitely enjoy a visit to this country.

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