A Fairytale Island Estate on Lake Mälaren Where History Lives On for $1,23 Million

Some properties are remarkable for their architecture; others for their setting. This property is exceptional for both. Occupying one of the most picturesque private locations on Lake Mälaren, this historic island estate feels like a place lifted from the pages of a storybook.

Hidden among towering trees in a gently sloping, park-like landscape, the property combines grand 19th-century architecture, fascinating Swedish history, and an extraordinary natural setting just a short journey from Stockholm.

Björnholmen lies in the middle of the shipping route into the Swedish capital, between Mälarhöjden, Bredäng and Ålsten. According to local legend, the island takes its name from a royal bear hunt, while it was also home to one of Sweden’s earliest tennis courts.

The story of Björnholmen is equally compelling. The White Villa was commissioned around 1859 by Franz Sjöberg, owner of one of Sweden’s earliest labor newspapers, who reportedly envisioned the residence as a representative house for state visits and even imagined himself becoming Sweden’s first president.

Although financial difficulties soon forced him to sell the estate, later owners included prominent figures such as Justice Minister Axel Gustaf Adlercreutz. The island also became closely associated with celebrated Swedish author and illustrator Gunnar Brusewitz, who spent many summers here.

Today, the island remains one of Mälaren’s hidden treasures, where mature gardens, historic buildings and sweeping lake views create an atmosphere that has changed little over the past century.

The property comprises a leasehold of approximately 12,000 square meters owned by the Royal Household Office at Drottningholm. Scattered across the grounds are two historic residences, private piers, including an original steamboat pier, a boathouse, orangery, woodshed and several additional outbuildings.

Together they form an estate of remarkable character that offers an increasingly rare opportunity to restore and preserve an important piece of Swedish cultural history.

At the heart of the estate stands the White Villa, an elegant Italian-inspired residence dating from 1859. Measuring approximately 350 to 400 square meters across two floors and a basement, the villa was designed with symmetry, generous entertaining spaces, and views that stretch across Lake Mälaren toward Drottningholm.

Guests enter through a spacious entrance hall before stepping into the home’s magnificent central salon, where a French fireplace serves as a natural focal point. From here, elegant double doors lead to a series of beautifully proportioned reception rooms.

The formal dining room occupies the center of the plan, while surrounding rooms can serve as libraries, sitting rooms or bedrooms. Throughout the villa, original French wallpapers from the 1880s, decorative plasterwork, tiled stoves, wood-burning fireplaces and wide timber floors preserve the refined atmosphere of the late nineteenth century.

A balcony overlooking the lake completes the main floor, framing uninterrupted views across the water.

The basement reveals another chapter of the home’s history. Once the servants’ domain, it still contains the original kitchen, a maid’s room, a food lift and a simple enclosed veranda. Much of the space remains remarkably untouched, providing a rare glimpse into the everyday workings of a grand household more than a century ago.

Upstairs, the villa offers four additional rooms, a kitchen and spectacular views across Lake Mälaren. This level has long functioned as an independent apartment, complete with its own fireplaces and tiled stoves. A generous balcony, watched over by the classical sculpture of Flora, provides yet another place to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Just a short walk away stands the charming Yellow Pavilion. Originally dating from 1909 and believed to have evolved from an earlier barn, the smaller villa offers a more intimate interpretation of island life.

Spread across two floors, it contains six rooms and two kitchens, with original wallpapers, timber floors and cheerful interiors that evoke the atmosphere of a traditional Swedish summer house. A veranda overlooks the gardens, while the upper-floor bedrooms open onto a balcony with views across the water.

Tiled stoves, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves continue the property’s long tradition of simple, seasonal living.

The surrounding landscape is every bit as captivating as the architecture. The southwest-facing grounds unfold like a miniature private park, where mature trees provide shade and complete privacy.

Two magnificent beech trees planted in 1897 stand alongside walnut, mulberry, apple and pear trees, while a productive herb garden, flower beds and beehives reflect the estate’s long-standing tradition of self-sufficiency.

The property also enjoys its own shoreline on Lake Mälaren, accompanied by several docks, a sauna, a greenhouse, a boathouse, and a collection of historic service buildings.

While the estate requires careful restoration, its authenticity remains one of its greatest strengths. The current family has cared for and leased the island since 1981, preserving much of its original character rather than modernizing it. Walking through the buildings today feels less like visiting a conventional home and more like stepping into a living piece of Swedish history.

The estate is listed for sale at Bernstein.