West Coast of Sweden
The little town of Marstrand is located on the West Coast of Sweden, just north of the city of Gothenburg (Göteborg). This village and island is a place that seems to attract the crowds and especially the ones that love sailing. But there is much more to Marstrand then only its harbour and of course the amazing amount of sailing boats. Marstrand seems to be a place that has it all: a cosy quay with colourful wooden houses, a fortress from the 17th century, wonderful rocky cliffs, a clear blue sea and views to die for. No wonder that it is loved and visited by so many people! But Marstrand also has a lesser discovered area, and that is a wonderful nature area on the backside of the island, which is well worth to explore!
Going to Marstrand
The village of Marstrand is divided over two islands. Half of the village is located on the island of Koön, which has a connecting road to the mainland, and the other half (only 150 across the water) is located on the island of Marstrandsön. The most attractive part of the divided town of Marstrand is without a doubt the part that is on the island of Marstrandsön and that is what this page will be mainly about.
The only way to reach Marstrandsön is by boat or ferry, but it only takes a few minutes to cross over from the mainland. So let's hop on board the ferry!
Just close your eyes for a minute and imagine a fresh salty sea breeze blowing through your hair, feel the warmth of the sun shining on your face, hear the sounds of seagulls in the distance and let me take you on a little virtual tour to Marstrand....
Sailing Marstrand
The harbour of Marstrand
The first thing you'll notice at Marstrand are the hundreds and hundreds of boats in the harbour.
The cheerful 'tinging' sound of the boats rocking on the mellow waves that come in from the sea; the sun reflecting from the white boats almost blinding to the eye, and the sun sparkling in the clear blue water, all these will make you wish you came here by sailing boat yourself! It must be perfect to go out to sea at this wonderful part of coast in Sweden. And well, that is what many people seem to do.
Some people consider the waters around Marstrand as one as the best places to sail in Sweden, and many classic sailing matches and regattas are organised here. The events range from small racing yachts to the Swedish Match cup. For current and upcoming activities and events I would suggest contacting the local tourist office at info.marstrand@kungalv.se
Södra Strandverket
The ferry arrives in the middle of the quay, so your first choice upon arrival would be, do we go left or right? I opted for left and ended up at the end of the quay at "Södra Strandverket". It looks a little like a fortification, and as I like visiting historic places, it triggered my curiosity right away.
Södra Strandverket is indeed a fortification, but not nearly as old as I originally thought. It 'only' dates back to 1852 when it was build out of fear that Sweden would be drawn into the Crimean War. The war was over though before they managed to finish these fortifications.
Södra Strandverket was the last in the series of defence instalments at Marstrand, and at the time no less then 46 cannons and a garrison of 170 men were present in the fortification. Nowadays the building seems relatively empty, but it is still in use, although only for commercial purposes. There are rooms for conferences, but more interesting are the around 20 craftsmen that exhibit and sell their own work here. Outside the fortress there are some benches (photo 1) from where you can overlook the southern harbour entrance and the Albrektsunds Canal.
The quay
Although you probably are tempted to follow the trail from the Södra Strandverket fortifications (see previous tip) out off town and along the rocky shoreline of Marstrand, I would suggest you turn back first and follow the quay to the other end. This way you'll be able to look at the little village first, before exploring more of the island.
The quay in Marstrand is not a new addition to the town with the purpose to draw in the crowds. In the contrary, the quay was already build in the 1790's when it was (at that time) Europe's longest single quay of 1200 metres long. It looks quite charming with the old and colourful houses along the waterside. The quay is also Martstrand's busiest spot, which is not so surprising, as this is where you can find most restaurants and shops.
In the photo above you can see one of Marstrand's 'famous' buildings called "Turisten" but often better known after the name "Oscar". The house was build in 1897 and was in use as a hotel and restaurant.
The little church of Marstrand
From the quay it is worth while to take one of the little side streets into the village as well. One place not to be missed is a visit to the little white church. You probably already seen it from a distance from the ferry, but it is nice to drop by here as well to take a closer look. The church and adjoining graveyard are very picturesque.
The church of Marstrand is the only remaining medieval building in Marstrand and dates back to the 13th century. The church belonged in those days to a Franciscan convent. The monastery however was destroyed during the 16th century, but the church survived. If you are lucky the church is open and you can have a look inside. Unfortunately we weren't that lucky and missed seeing the Triumph crucifix from the 14th century and a series of paintings, also said to be inside the church, all dating back to the 18th century. These 10 painting are also known as "The history of the heart".
