Published · Details checked
Statue of canoeing legend Gert Fredriksson along Åpromenaden with Nyköpingshus in the background.
Tova at Nyköpingshus — the legend of Duke Charles and the shepherdess
Outside the ramparts of Nyköpingshus Castle right beside Tovastugan stands Mats Åberg’s 1995 bronze sculpture Tova, depicting the local folklore of the young shepherdess Tova Liten.
According to legend, the stern Duke Charles met Tova in the forest outside Nyköping, where her warmth and courage softened the duke’s heart — a story that also gave its name to Tovastugan.
Gert Fredriksson and Arvid Knöppel’s Roe Deer along Åpromenaden
By the riverside with the white King’s Tower in the background stands the statue of Nyköping’s greatest athlete, canoeist Gert Fredriksson, winner of eight Olympic medals and seven World Championship titles.
Continuing along Åpromenaden, look for Arvid Knöppel’s bronze sculpture Roe Deer (1961), poised on a natural granite rock above the water.
Woman by the Sea, The Bearer and Solfångaren on Stora Torget
In Teaterparken stands Ivar Johnsson’s classic bronze Woman by the Sea, while Mats Åberg’s The Bearer (1997) on Behmbrogatan honours local cultural champion Bo "Bobo" Hesselgren.
Finish your walk at Stora Torget in front of the 1723 Town Hall, where Åke Jönsson’s five-metre bronze fountain sculpture Solfångaren catches the light.
Common questions
Where does the Nyköping River art walk start?
Start at Tovastugan and Nyköpingshus Castle, then follow Åpromenaden past the Gert Fredriksson statue and Roe Deer towards Teaterparken and Stora Torget.
Who created the sculpture Tova by Nyköpingshus?
The bronze sculpture Tova was created in 1995 by artist Mats Åberg, who also sculpted The Bearer on Behmbrogatan.