Billingehus – a fully refurbished hotel with new spa on one of West Sweden’s table mountains
Hotel Billingehus is on Billingen, one of West Sweden’s fifteen table mountains, and part of the UNESCO Global Geopark. The mountain is a mecca for outdoor activities like hiking and mountain biking, lake swimming and both long distance and alpine skiing in the winter. This iconic hotel has perched monument like on Billingen’s slopes for over fifty years, and after a multi-year renovation has now reopened.
There are 240 rooms, with everything from four poster beds, freestanding bath tubs or even your own sauna, to 70s style rooms with a gramophone player and disco ball. In addition, Billingehus Spa & Health will be opening in May, a 2000 m² spa area with, among other things, warm springs, a tea lounge and a sauna oasis. Skövde is around one hour by train from Gothenburg, and the hotel is just 3 km from the town centre.
Lådfabriken was once a “Fisklådefabrik” – a fishing box factory – but is now a little luxury boutique B&B on the island of Orust, just over an hour north of Gothenburg. It’s a unique building that has been carefully renovated, and has four individually decorated ensuite rooms.
The new ‘Eko Tiny House’ is a separate building in the garden between the cherry, almond and walnut trees that make you feel as if you’re in a tree house. The bedroom is in the loft with the stairs on level 2. From the king size bed you can see the Skagerrak sea. On the ground floor there is a private entrance, a luxurious bathroom and a cosy living room with a ceiling height of 5 meters. All windows face west so you can enjoy sea views with beautiful sunsets. ‘Låda’ gets its electricity during the summer from solar panels on Lådfabriken’s roof. This ‘tiny house’ was built using a block system, which allows you to build organic and healthy buildings without glue, sealants or joint foam.
The Times visited the Koster Islands, in the Kosterhavet Marine National Park
Ailsa Sheldon from the Times was a guest at Kläpphagen, a boutique B&B with glamping, a restaurant, bar and farm shop on the island of South Koster, off the coast of northern Bohuslän. She loved the easy access to outdoor life including cycling, hiking and swimming, and really enjoyed her meal in the restaurant, with delicious local ingredients and something from the garden on every plate. The Kosterhavet sea is home to Sweden’s only marine national park, with a dedicated naturum visitor centre. The coast is perfect for exploring by kayak.
Car free South and North Koster are ideal places to hike, with trails on both islands, and South Koster is also good to explore by bike. Passenger ferries from Strömstad on the mainland travel to both islands. On South Koster the former Pensionat Ekenäs has opened under new management, and is now Ekenäs Havshotell, with both refurbished rooms and a restaurant relaunched with a new direction.
The Guardian enjoys a low-impact stay in exceptional sustainable properties around West Sweden
Guardian journalist Sarah Baxter enjoyed a trip to West Sweden, staying first in luxurious seclusion in an off-grid glass cabin by a lake, at Erikson Cottage, which she described as “a perfect marriage of Swedish taste and sustainability.” Water based activities are offered there, like wild swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding, as well as forest walks or making your own pizza sessions. Guests can of course choose to fully wind down and do absolutely nothing.
Sarah’s next stay was at Lugnåsberget Ekohotell. All the properties she visits are sustainable destinations, part of the “Climate Smart Holidays” initiative being promoted by the West Sweden Tourist Board and other actors in the tourism industry. In this tranquil spot she explores the area’s stonecutting heritage and enjoys homemade cinnamon buns and a chat with the owners, who are passionate about self-sufficiency and sustainability. The location is perfect for forest walks and swims in local lakes, with a wood fired sauna to relax in afterwards.
Next stop was Dalsland, and Swedish Country Living, another off-grid stay in a fairytale ‘hermitage’, built with local materials. The shower room on site is run on a circular system, using water from the nearby lake which is then purified and returned to the lake. Guests can borrow canoes or explore woodland trails then enjoy the sauna and hot tub hidden discreetly behind the reeds on the shore.
Try a similar experience with Sustainable Journeys, a new tour operator dedicated to offering customers unforgettable travel experiences showcasing the beauty and diversity of our planet, but also aiming to support the well-being of local communities and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage.
News from tour operators offering package trips to West Sweden
Reisen mit Sinnen, Germany
A new product which includes Gothenburg, cycling along the Göta Canal, walking some of the Bisophere Trail and visiting Läckö Castle next to Sweden’s largest lake, Vänern, as well as traditional Swedish fika. Some of the trip’s journeys will made be on local trains. This is what you can look forward to:
“Relaxed city life in Gothenburg, combined with typical Swedish nature and coastal landscapes.On your journey through Västergötland you’ll get to know a region full of history and traditions, cycle at your own pace alongside the Göta Canal and discover the Kinnekulle biosphere area. Plus trips on one of Sweden’s loveliest train lines, a maritime ambience on Lake Vänern, with its magical archipelago – and of course “fika”, the Swedish coffee and cake break, not to be missed.”
Fjordkind Reisen, Germany – new experiences focusing on families
An exciting journey including the city of Gothenburg and all three of West Sweden’s provinces – Bohuslän, Dalsland and Västergötland, including a farm stay on the lovely island of Tjörn with oportunities to explore by bike and kayak, a forest B&B with lovely woodland trails close to Sweden’s largest lake, Vänern, with its fantastic freshwater archipelago, and three nights in a Tiny House right in the middle of the forest, with animals on the doorstep and the charming town of Hjo on the shores of Lake Vättern a short drive away.
Get right to the heart of West Sweden with Meet the Locals
West Sweden Tourist Board has brought together a small and diverse group of wonderful people who are all happy to share some of life’s simple pleasures. Meeting up with a Local will have a low impact on the planet but a big impact on your memories of Sweden. You might take a ride with a horse and cart or in a classic Oldsmobile. Meet a Guinness World Record holder, learn to bake some Swedish Fika, or swap gardening tips with a like-minded enthusiast.
We are delighted to introduce two new Locals:
Marcus lives in Mölnlycke and is passionate about his regular walks in the local nature reserve. He’d love to introduce you to some of his favourite spots and talk about the nature and wildlife you can see barely 20 minutes from central Gothenburg. It’s West Sweden and of course you will pass by a beautiful lake, so if the weather is good be sure to bring your swimming kit and take a refreshing dip.
Robert has lived in Sweden for about 14 years and recently moved to just outside Alingsås. He couldn’t think of just one thing so you can take your pick from café culture in Alingsås - the capital of Swedish fika - some traditional baking at home or, in Gothenburg, sampling some of the fantastic results from the explosion of new craft breweries that have sprung up all over the city in the past 10 years.
With both of these great new Locals the main thing is that you will get a taste of real West Sweden and some insider tips for how to get the most from the rest of your trip.
