Dalsland gets its first traffic light – a place to pause
Dalsland in West Sweden is a popular destination for wilderness seekers, drawn to its remote and beautiful natural scenery. Now Visit Dalsland is installing the region’s first traffic light, up on the slopes of Mount Bläsen in Northern Dalsland. This is meant to be a signal to pause, breathe, and reconnect with nature.
Dalsland is a small region full of green forests, lakes, and birdsong, and the traffic light stop signal helps promote it. Hikers can take a moment to reflect and admire the breathtaking view framed by Lake Ärr. The traffic light will be up during the summer and can be visited by both locals and tourists throughout the lighter months.
Pater Noster Art is taking action to save our seas
Pater Noster, the renowned boutique hotel on a remote island in the West Swedish archipelago, has upped its sustainability credentials by entering into a pioneering sponsorship of Green Cubes, a greentech initiative working with Hexagon’s R-evolution, aimed at combating ocean acidification. This summer, the hotel will also host the "Art & Science of Water" exhibition, featuring celebrated artists fusing science and photography.
An art exhibition to save our oceans Work by the underwater photographer Christy Lee Rogers will be shown, her homage to "Avatar: The Way of Water" created to support the Disney/Avatar campaign "Keep Our Oceans Amazing". Christy, in collaboration with James Cameron and Disney, photographed the stars of the film, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet underwater. 100% of net proceeds from the art sales will go to environmental organisation The Nature Conservancy and their work to protect our oceans.
Other featured artists include Lara Zankoul, a Lebanese fashion photographer whose socially committed work, created in her studio’s large aquarium, evokes strong emotions and debate, and Ulrika and Lukasz, an award-winning duo whose "Stories Trapped in Ice" series documents scientific research using ice cores from the Niels Bohr Institute.
The artworks, printed on large aluminum plates, will be displayed outdoors on the rocks and in the island’s various buildings. The exhibition will also feature information about Green Cubes and its first rainforest project at La Gamba Tropical Station in Costa Rica, as well as music from Mattias Tell, a songwriter and producer at Kode Records from Gothenburg, whose music gives space to the sea and its sounds.
The Pater Noster exhibition is included in its neighbouring island’s exciting art offer - Tjörn – Island of Art. This year the Nordic Watercolour Museum, in Skärhamn on Tjörn, is exhibiting work by Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck, best known for his monumental immersive and sensory installations. Skulptur i Pilane, an open-air sculpture park on the island, in stunning natural surroundings with great views of the archipelago, has a new exhibition of sculptures by internationally renowned artists each summer, with the iconic Anna head by Jaume Plensa on permanent view.
Gothenburg and West Sweden on Wanderlust’s The Travel Green List 2024
The British travel magazine Wanderlust has selected Gothenburg, West Sweden and Climate Smart Holidays to be part of their 2024 list of top sustainable travel destinations.
Climate Smart Holidays was launched in summer 2023, a joint initiative between the West Sweden Tourist Board and five tourism businesses: Erikson Cottage, Inforest, Swedish Country Living, STF Lugnåsberget Ekohotell and Dalslands Aktiviteter, to show that it is possible to travel and have a really comfortable stay in ways and places that generate much lower carbon emissions, using the Climate Smart Holidays online tool.
Wanderlust has promoted sustainable travel for 30 years and in 2023 launched The Travel Green List, the only one of its kind. Six expert judges reviewed over 1000 entries, with carbon reduction and removal, meaningful employment and education for local people, and innovative ways to support biodiversity just some of the factors in consideration. Entries were whittled down to a final 16 top destinations. Wanderlust has this to say about being included on "The Travel Green List": "Being part of the list is no small feat: it is a testament to the sincere effort and innovation in caring for how and why we travel.”
Tjörnbro Arena and Lilla Brattön – new accommodation and island experiences in Bohuslän
Tjörnbro Arena is a new destination, with fully renovated accommodation including family friendly 2-3 bedroom hotel apartments with kitchen, living room and bathroom. There’s a great selection of activities on site and nearby, such as a popular outdoor pool and trampoline park, paths and trails for hiking, cycling and running, and wind-protected waters for SUPs and kayaks. Part of Tjörnbro Arena’s core mission is to encourage young people to get active.
The arena also has 2 restaurants serving local produce, as well as cabin accommodation, another restaurant, adventure golf, sauna and picturesque countryside on the neighbouring island of Lilla Brattön, reached from the middle of June to the middle of August by ferry from Tjörnbro Arena, making the arena the perfect basecamp to experience the best of Bohuslän and the west coast
Collaboration with publishing company Actes Sud and tour operator Nord Espaces when Camilla Läckberg’s highly anticipated new book is released in France
On 5 June Camilla Läckberg’s book The Cuckoo was released in France. Alongside tour operator Nord Espaces we’re sponsoring a competition with the prizewinner receiving a trip to Gothenburg and Fjällbacka, but we’re showcasing the whole of Bohuslän and West Sweden in our communication. The competition is featured, among other places, in 100 000 of the books, in adverts in major magazines, and on digital posters in the Paris Metro.
Nord Espaces, which offers a package trip to Fjällbacka including a guided tour in Läckberg’s footsteps, is also featuring the competition in its channels via social media, a blog post and newsletter. The West Sweden Tourist Board has also commenced the second part of this year’s France campaign, using the interest in Camilla Läckberg’s book release not just to promote Fjällbacka and Bohuslän but the whole of West Sweden as well.
The international contemporary art biennale Borås Art Biennal 2024 has opened
For the eighth time Borås Konstmuseum has organised an international contemporary art biennale, with 15 artists participating. This year’s biennale is titled Layers, Loops, Lines and is an exploration of time, space and place. Installations, murals, textiles and sculptures will be on show.
Between 15 June and 15 September visitors can experience imposing and thought-provoking contemporary art both inside Borås Konstmuseum and throughout the city's public spaces.
Borås is West Sweden’s second largest city and can be easily reached by express bus from Gothenburg.
A stunning exhibition of work by fine art photographer Kirsty Mitchell at Läckö Castle this summer
British fine art photographer Kirsty Mitchell’s stunning collection, Wonderland, exploring how deep grief can be turned into a moving life story, in a series of exquisite scenes where all the costumes and props are meticulously handmade by the artist herself, will be shown at Läckö Castle from 8 June – 15 September 2024. Kirsty’s work, created in memory of her mother, can be seen both in the magical setting of the castle interior and in its magnificent grounds, where the exhibition is free for visitors.
Läckö is an impressive baroque castle on Kållandsö, at the tip of a beautiful peninsula on the shores of Vänern, Sweden’s largest lake. Nestled on the shoreline next to the castle’s own beach is an architecturally award winning visitor centre, which also houses a hotel with a view of the castle, Hotellet Naturum Vänerskärgården – Victoriahuset. On the ground floor is restaurant Hvita Hjorten, serving dishes made from local ingredients including crops harvested from the castle’s own kitchen garden.
A thirty minute drive away is Porcelain Town Lidköping, famous for its Rörstrand pottery, where you can visit the fantastic newly renovated Rörstrand museum and the outlet store next door.
Among other things there are several other churches along the route where you can shelter for a while and rest your legs, and a couple of lovely spots for refreshing dips. Accommodation near the trail includes Inforest’s sustainable off-grid tiny houses, in the middle of the forest.
The new stage is part of the Pilgrim Path Västergötland. Other Pilgrim Paths in West Sweden include one along the Göta Älv river and one in Dalsland, and you can find lots more information about them here:
The Gotaleden is a 71 km long trail between Gothenburg and Alingsås. In May a new stage was inaugurated, from Alingsås to Vårgårda. The Gotaleden is easy to access by train and apart from the fabulous scenery has a number of great places to stop for food along the way, not least in Alingsås itself, the Capital of Fika.
In between Alingsås and Vårgårda you’ll find Dahlbogården Event & Rum where you can stop for a tasty meal and stay overnight. This country estate has been family owned since the middle of the 1900s and is a really charming place to visit. Lunch is served on weekdays, fika on Saturdays and a classic Sunday dinner at the end of the week, with fish and shellfish featuring highly on the menu.
You’ll find suggestions here for easy access routes that everyone can enjoy. They’re not too long, are conveniently close to parking places and have level surfaces suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs, permobils and rollators.
It should go without saying that we all should be able to get to and enjoy West Sweden’s beautiful surroundings and there’s a great selection of coastal and inland trails to choose from, such as Maltes Stig, a beautiful walk exploring the Saltkälle fjord in Bohuslän, with a swimming area and picnic spot with a table, or the Vänga Mosse nature reserve just north of Borås with its scenic wooden boardwalk trail. There’s a rich birdlife in the area, and visitors might see black grouse, cranes, herons and different birds of prey.
Happy Midsummer to you all! One of the Swedes’ most cherished festivals, Midsummer is celebrated on the shortest night of the year, 21 June, or the weekend nearest to it.
You can expect to encounter at least some of these traditions: a maypole and possibly a frog song and dance, games and processions, national costumes, Swedish herring, flowery headdresses and strawberries.
There’s a choice of places to celebrate it in West Sweden which you can read about here:
