Färnebofjärden National Park () is ärnebofjäa Swedish national park traversed by the river Dalälven, about north of Stockholm. It covers , of which aquatic, on the frontier between the counties of Dalarna and Gävleborg.
After the retreat of the ice sheet that covered the region after the last ice age, the river found itself rerouted by an esker onto a plain uniquely ribbed by the ridges of other eskers, where it formed a succession of rapids and wide bays (called fjärdar), which the river inundates during the spring floods. This particular hydrography, along with the park's proximity to the ecological frontier between the north and the south, has favored the development of a fauna and flora of great biodiversity. The park possesses coniferous, mixed, and broadleaf forests, some of which quite ancient, spared by the logging industry because of their inaccessibility. These forests constitute the ideal environment for numerous species, in particular birds, with critical densities of woodpeckers and owls.
If the presence of humans was relatively discreet since the Stone Age, concentrated principally atop the eskers, the development of mining activity (in particular of iron) has profoundly affected the region. The forests were exploited to feed the water-powered forges which grew up along the river. One of the most important was that of Gysinge, founded in 1668 and situated right next to the park. In 1975, in reaction to the threat of the clearing of a vast forest, the movement for the creation of a national park began, culminating in the park's opening in 1998. The park was added to the Natura 2000 Network and included in the Ramsar Convention's list of wetlands.
The park and its environs are important tourist destinations. The river is its favored mode of discovery, but some hiking trails permit other explorations. The park is equally appreciated by fishing enthusiasts.
Toponymy
The park takes its name from Färnebofjärden, which designates the entire section of the river between Tyttbo and Gysinge. The name means "fjärd of Färnebo". The Swedish word fjärd has the same etymology as the Norwegian word fjord, both of which Scandinavian words mean "an expanse of water in a channel". Most of the bodies of water called fjords in Norwegian were steep glacial valleys into which the sea had penetrated, which was the more restrictive definition which passed into French and English. The name Fjärnebo is the ancient name of the village of Österfärnebo ("East Färnebo"), situated near the park; its name changed in the 17th century to distinguish it from a Färnebo in Västmanland, which was itself rebaptized Västerfärnebo ("West Färnebo"). The name of the village means "habitation (bo) next to the fjärd of horsetails (fräken, which became Färne)".
Geography
Location and environs
The park straddles the municipalities of Sala in Västmanland County, Heby in Uppsala County, Avesta in Dalarna County, and Sandviken in Gävleborg County. It contains a section of the Lower Dalälven, which since the Middle Ages has marked the frontier between Svealand and Norrland. The park's main entrance, at Gysinge, is about from the city of Uppsala and so about from Stockholm.
The park proper includes most of the fjärd of Färnebofjärden and the river's floodplain, as well as parts of the surrounding lowlands, for a total area of more than , of which are water. The only parts of the fjärd not included in the park are the peninsulas of Östa and Ista, since they are inhabited, but these are protected by nature reserves of and , respectively. In addition, the park is bordered by several additional preserves: at Hedesundafjärden, at Jordbärsmuren-Ålbo, and at Gysinge, for a combined area, with the park and peninsula reserves, of more than .
Terrain
The terrain of the park is overall flat, with an altitude ranging from to below sea level. Certain parts are nevertheless quite hilly, such as Torrösundet, Långvindsjön and the valleys of the Tiån and the Storån. In addition, the ridge Enköpingsåsen cuts across the park, with a maximum height of , crisscrossing the region over between Trosa to the south and Bollnäs to the north. This ridge spans the river and creates, among other land features, the isle of Sandön and the peninsula of Ista. The river has largely flooded this flat and irregular zone, creating a mosaic of water, dry earth, and wetlands. The park also includes several bays (Östaviken, Andersboviken, Edsviken, etc.) as well as 200 islands and skerries, the largest islands being Mattön, Torrön, Ängsön, Vedön, Rosön and Västerön.