The kings of the Svear lived here, on the island of Adelso in Lake Malaren, and their hall stood on a ridge from which they could watch the water traffic to Birka. Hovgarden means the court farm, and the name hints at what it was: a royal manor, the seat of power for the region in the Viking Age, set directly across a narrow channel from the island that held the trading town. The site is known today for the Kungshogarna, the royal mounds, a row of large grave mounds along the ridge, from the Iron Age and Viking Age, which are among the most visible reminders of Sweden's early kings, and for a runestone and a medieval church, built in the twelfth century, that stands on the highest point.
Together with Birka, the farm was listed as a World Heritage site in 1993, as a picture of a trade and power system that stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The landscape is gentle, with fields, grazing cattle, oak trees and the lake on all sides, and the church tower, painted white, serves as a landmark. In summer, the wild flowers on the mounds are a delight, and in the evening the light from the lake turns the grass gold.
Adelso is reached by a short road ferry, which means a motorbike can roll straight on and off, and the crossing itself is part of the fun. On the island, the roads are narrow and lightly used, lined with farms and woods, and a quiet circuit takes you past the church and the mounds. The ride this stop belongs to carries on to Drottningholm, the royal palace on the neighbouring island of Lovon, begun in the seventeenth century in the style of Versailles and now a residence of the royal family, with a baroque theatre from the eighteenth century that still has its original stage machinery, and a Chinese pavilion in the park. The palace is also a World Heritage site.
Ekero, eighteen kilometres away by the map, has fuel and shops, and the area is within easy reach of Stockholm. Cafes in the area serve cinnamon buns and strong coffee, a Swedish ritual called fika, and a stop in the afternoon fits the mood of the place. Check the ferry timetable, which changes by season, and avoid the busiest summer weekends if you can, when cyclists and day trippers crowd the island. Spring and early autumn are the best times, and midsummer evenings can be lovely.