I visited this WHS in July 2018. The day before my visit, the boat which took me to Drottningholm was berthed next to another one which was fully packed with people (mostly children) heading to Birka. In the summer months, not only does the island of Birka and its museum cater mostly for children but they charge an arm and a leg for it (almost 50 euros for a return trip) in what seems like an overpriced tourist trap. For those who still want to visit Birka in the summer months, a cheaper alternative at around 30 euros is to catch the daily ferry at 11:30 from Hovgarden but you'll only be allowed slightly more than 3 hours as the ferry back to Hovgarden is at 14:45.

Initially I had planned to cover both islands, Birka and Adelso, which is why I left Drottningholm for a separate visit (it's really easy to combine the palace with Hovgarden if you have a rental car), but after the noisy crowds I saw departing from Stockholm to Birka during my stay, I decided to call it a day after Hovgarden. After an early departure from Stockholm, I reached the free unmanned ferry point which departs every half hour and takes only a couple of minutes to get you and your car on the island of Adelso.

Once you reach the island, brown signs with the unesco symbol show you the way to the Hovgarden church and burial mounds, together with several yellow signs with Vildsvin written. Visiting quite early in the morning, it only took a couple of metres to deduct what that meant - wild boars - which cross the country roads every now and then. Since I was not in any hurry, I decided to park my car in a small parking lot near some sports and fitness centre, a couple of hundred metres before the Hovgarden church and visitor centre. From here there is a walking trail, a UNESCO WHS plaque and some information boards in English. The trail is only visible at the beginning as the rest is literally a walk in a grass field with grazing cattle surrounded by the sea (and Birka in the background), a few trees, a pier, 2 hills (one of which has some remains of a brick building) which are not to be mistaken with 4 burial mounds, a church and cemetery, and of course the painted rune stone (photo - best light for photography is in the morning).

More than a thousand years ago, a powerful demesne (a piece of land attached to a manor and retained by the owner for their own use) resided here. From Hovgarden, the Viking age king ruled over his demesne and the trading town of Birka. Declared as the descendant of the Nordic Aesir gods, he was also the highest ranking leader in the Aesir cult. He did not rule politically over the decisions of the law court, although he was its chief justice in matters of dispute.

Activity at Birka ended in the late 900s, but Hovgarden continued to exist as part of the royal demesne, one of several royal manors belonging to the king. During the 12th century, the Hovgarden church was erected beside the ancient burial mounds. In the 1270s, the Swedish King Valdemar Birgersson began the building of a royal hall, Alsno Hus, a splendid brick building used only for official purposes (now in ruins and used as grazing land and a place to seek shade by the roaming cattle!). Around 1280, King Magnus Ladulas held an important meeting here, during which the foundations for the Swedish nobility were laid.

Birka and Hovgarden's OUV is supposed to lie in the fact that the area is a preserved example of the Vikings' trading networks during the two centuries when they expanded economically and politically in Europe. However, not much is left to see and when compared to the Jelling Mounds or Trelleborg, the only plus points out of the visitor experience is that the rune stone is easier to see as it is not (yet) protected behind a glass like in Jelling. The rune stone inscription is painted in falu red so it is even easier to see and appreciate. However, the design, size and inscription is not that significant compared to the rune stones and picture stones in Gotland Museum in Visby or the rune stones in Jelling.

Nor are the 4 royal burial mounds of Hovgarden, three of which to the north of the church and the biggest one further on which is known as Skopintull, where the remains of two cremated persons were found together with remains of valuable objects and bones from hunted birds of prey which confirm that this was a royal grave. If the priest with the key to the church sacresty is around, you'll be able to see another two small rune stones in the wall which are even less spectacular.