The apple tree hall

Other things to see | Hiking, Cycling and exercise

Part of Sollerön's cultural heritage

Sollerö fruit growers' association works to preserve the 3 km long apple tree avenue
which consists of more than 230 trees and about 40 different varieties.

In the 1910s, Sollerö Planteringssällskap was formed by zealots such as Bälter Anders and Håll Nils Mattson and others. Under their enthusiastic leadership, nurseries were started, people ordered and planted
quantities of fruit trees, attended grafting courses and learned to prune trees. The extent of the business can be understood when you read in Håll Nil's diary that in the spring he prunes over 400 trees in Gruddbo alone. Other members of the association prune similar amounts of trees in the other villages. Sollerön was like a blooming sea in the spring and people made pilgrimages here.

For a while, each confirmand received their own apple tree and in 1923-24 the long apple tree hall was planted that stretches across the entire island of Soller. The years passed, the zealots grew old and
activities slowed down within the association. The fruit growers on the island themselves had to take over responsibility for their fruit trees. The trees in the avenue also slowly grew older, many withered and were removed, and by the end of the 20th century only sparse rows of trees remained of the former avenue.

In 1995, the Sollerö parish association, with Axel Bohm as supervisor, decided to replant the old apple tree hall. A large fundraising effort began where people had to pay a certain amount for each tree. It was surprisingly quick to get money for the 230 trees needed for the stretch from Bengtsarvet in the north to Gruddbo in the south.

At least 230 trees and over forty varieties! Summer, autumn and winter apples! Astrakan, Melba, Oranie, Åkerö, Raike, Transparente Blanche, Antonovka and many, many more. At each tree, a sign was put up with the name of the person who donated money to that particular tree and the name of the variety. Unfortunately, the signs were not made of a sufficiently durable material, so the weather has meant that most of them are gone. Since 2017, the Swedish Transport Administration has taken over responsibility for the maintenance of just over 1 km of the avenue. That part is after state road body. The Swedish Transport Administration received SEK 4-5 million to Dalarna, for the restoration of all kinds of alleys. The goal was that "alleys should not become fewer". In 2019, a care description was drawn up for the apple alley, which is followed by the contractor who is tasked with caring for the apple trees. The remaining stretch in Bengtsarvet is managed by the Sollerö Fruit Growers' Association. It is an adventure to plant an avenue of apple trees. Large numbers of vole attacks have killed many fine trees. Some trees grow well and others will not at all. Soil conditions vary greatly along the length of the avenue, and many trees also suffer from competition from other vegetation. If you walk along the avenue, you can see how different trees grow. Each tree needs its own special care and supervision in order for it to become part of an evenly growing avenue.

Welcome to walk in Sweden's northernmost and longest apple tree alley!

  • In the spring you can enjoy the flowering.
  • During the summer, you can see the different apple varieties slowly ripening.
  • In autumn, you can carefully and moderately take an apple and taste a particular variety that you are curious about.

Picking the fruit

It is permitted to taste samples from all the trees, but not to harvest (take large quantities of) apples from the trees on someone else's land without the landowner's permission.

Those who donated apple trees during the restoration of the avenue in 1995 do not own the trees. They were a pure donation and are subject to the same rules as other trees.

Read more about Sollerö fruit growers association
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