My sister lives in Jutland in Denmark. After moving to Stockholm we don't get to see each other a lot but we try to make it happen at least once per year. This time we agreed to meet up over the summer halfway: In Västra Götaland, the Swedish West Coast between Gothenburg and Vänern, Sweden's largest lake.
I had visited Gothenburg briefly many years ago but I was sure there was plenty of other things to see and do. For one thing, I wanted to go to Tanum and see the Bronze Age rock carvings. But I also knew that the waterway between Vänern and the coast played an important role in the industrialisation of Sweden and that Denmark and Sweden had fought many wars over control of the coastline.
I booked a place for us to stay for the week just outside Vänersborg, a city built by the Swedish around 1600 to guard the export of iron. The local church had been razed by Danes twice, the sort of signs that tell you this is ancient border lands. Today Danes are welcome -- as tourists. From our base we explored Tanum, Gothenburg, Trollhättan and the twin table mountains of Halleberg and Hunneberg.
Trollhättan
Lake Vänern is huge, like 145 km from end to end at its widest point. The surface of Vänern is 43 metres above sea level. Since ancient times, the most dramatic drop has been at Trollhättan some 10-20 km from the lake. Cargo was transported over land between the lake and the waterway below the falls; not until 1800 was it possible to sail the entire distance through a system of locks. The falls at Trollhättan powered many early industries, still today energy intensive production takes place along the waterway though no longer in the centre of Trollhättan.
You can walk along the historical waterway and take in the spectacular scenery, then enjoy fika or lunch in one of the many restaurants and cafe next to the water in Trollhättan.
Halleberg and Hunneberg
The twin mountains of Halleberg and Hunneberg are table mountains. Rising steeply above the surrounding plains, the plateaus offer excellent hiking trails and the steep edges make for some dramatic scenery with waterfalls and exposed rock. The trails are easy to get to by car and you can choose one that matches your temper.
One road takes you up Halleberg with a trail taking you out to Hallesnippen for a view over Vänern which we enjoyed. We also visited the nearby beach at Nordkroken where you can walk on the flat bedrock under shallow lake water. On a calm sunny day you can take some amazing pictures here; I enjoyed a swim and family time so no pictures this time around.
At Hunneberg we followed a trail along the water at Byklevsfallet, then we continued up the mountain to catch a spectacular view of Eldmörjan.
Gothenburg
We only had one day in Gothenburg this time, mostly spent indoors. But I did get a nice shot of Gothenburg Cathedral.
