Area: Provinces of Bohuslän and Halland
The landscapes of the Västkusten (the West Coast) have been formed by the Inland Ice. Inland Ice is the name for the glacier ice that has been covering northern Europe during 100.000 of years, and nowadays only present in Greenland and Antarctica. The ice has scraped the surface and grinded the landscape into smooth bare rocks. The (at times) wild sea has helped to wash the rocks clean. Inner parts of the provinces have lots of forests of birch and aspen.
This part of Sweden is a favourite part of mine to visit during late spring / early summer, and I have been here many times. I try to visit before the tourist season starts (end of June) when the area starts to get flooded with visitors. Sitting on these bare rocks in the evening, overlooking the calm sea, while eating fresh sweet strawberries and sipping a glass of wine. The eyes are treated on a beautiful view of the sun slowly setting behind the horizon in an array of colours ranging from orange to red. Life doesn't get any better than small enjoyable moments like this :-)
I often squeeze in some all-time favourites during these visits, but I also try to discover new places. And although I have been to the cute villages of Fiskebäckskil and Grundsund before, I had never hiked the coastal stretch between the two, until today. And it didn't disappoint! A very varied hiking trail and always a pleasure to walk through picturesque Grundsund.
Härmanö is one of those places that I love to visit again and again. You start off in the picturesque fishing village of Gullholmen with its colourful houses clinging to the grey cliffs, and from there you can walk across the whole island to the southern tip, experiencing typical archipelago island landscape with gorgeous views over the coastline.
Käringön is a tiny little island and village on the West-Coast of Sweden. This island is not about things that you 'must-see', it is more a sort of 'must-be'. An island that is not about any highlights or must do's. It all boils down to the feeling you have when walking around on the island while enjoying some good food, the beautiful views and above all feeling relaxed.
Another one of those cosy and colourful villages clinging to the rocky grey shores of the West Coast. This is also the village where the ferry used to go out to the island of Käringön, so I have been here many times, walking around the tiny streets and exploring the rocky shores.
No visit the the West Coast is complete without visiting the village of Mollosund. Wandering around in the old part of town with its red houses bringing you straight back into history. And ending the day with a nice dinner or drink on the terrace overlooking the sea and the sailing boats passing by.
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.
If you go a bit further north on the West Coast, the grey cliffs will turn to red. And a magic place to enjoy the red cliffs meeting the sea is at Ramsvikslandet, one of the best hikes in the area in my opinion.
Stocken is only a small village, not much to do here, not much to see. But the place has a certain charm and the surrounding area is so beautiful and tranquil. I just loved it here. The blue sea, the endless grey cliffs, the clear blue skies with a sun that shines brightly. I see the glistering of the sun in the calm waters, the white little dots of numerous sailing boats. Little islands in the sea, deserted, empty, nothing more than huge rocks. And here I am, sitting on the cliffs after an exhausting climb, gasping for air but amazed by another wonderful view.... Please tell me.... how can I not love this place?
If you want picture perfect fishing village you have to see Gullholmen! The ferry lands right in the center of the cutest fishing village. The streets are so narrow, leading you up the cliffs, surrounded by colourful small historical houses. Click, click, click, my camera cannot seem to stop taking photos here! Such a gorgeous, yet, tranquile place to be.
Venturing out to the very north of what I defined as 'the west coast area', and also going inland. Here you will find a totally different vibe entering thick forest and beautiful lakes of Tresticklan National Park. The national park forms the largest roadless and uninhabited forest tract in southern Sweden.
The Koster Islands, part of the Kosterhavets National Park, is one of those spots that has been on the wishlist forever, and which I finally managed to visit in June 2021. The weather was not fully on our side, but great to finally be able to hike on the island of North Koster.
I haven't written a page about it yet, but hopefully I will get some time to do so in the near future. A very interesting place to visit is the World Heritage site of Tanum where thousands of images were carved in the rocks surfaces during the Bronze Age (1700 BCE - 500 BCE)
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