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Getting There & Away

The bus and train stations are in the northeastern part of town. For travel information, see opposite.

Lisco Line (0454-33680; www.lisco.lt) sails once a day between Karlshamn and Klaipėda in Lithuania.

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Southwest Sweden

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GÖTEBORG (GOTHENBURG)

HISTORY

ORIENTATION

INFORMATION

DANGERS & ANNOYANCES

SIGHTS

ACTIVITIES

TOURS

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

SLEEPING

EATING

DRINKING

ENTERTAINMENT

SHOPPING

GETTING THERE & AWAY

GETTING AROUND

AROUND GÖTEBORG

SOUTHERN ARCHIPELAGO

MARSTRAND

BOHUS FÄSTNING

BOHUSLÄN

BOHUSLÄN COAST

UDDEVALLA

STRÖMSTAD

DALSLAND

HÅVERUD

AROUND HÅVERUD

VÄSTERGÖTLAND

VÄNERSBORG

TROLLHÄTTAN

LIDKÖPING

KARLSBORG

HALLAND

HALMSTAD

VARBERG

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Sweden’s southwest has a knack for diversity. One day you’re partying hard in a disused power station, the next you’re gliding silently across a crisp, clean lake. Heading the cast is Sweden’s ‘second city’ of Göteborg (Gothenburg in English), and its arsenal of kicking bars, cafes, museums and theme-park thrills. Take advantage of the excellent summer pass and explore the city for next to nothing.

The rest of the Västergötland region is low-key and eclectic: don’t miss Trollhättan, Sweden’s film-production capital; Läckö Slott, fairy-tale castle supreme; and the quiet delights of the Göta Canal, which threads its way across the region.

North of Göteborg lies the arrestingly beautiful Bohuslän coastline, a minimalist marvel of electric blue waters, granite islands and sparkling red-and-white fishing villages. Behind it, cocoa-coloured cliffs frame luridly green valleys, while mysterious Bronze Age rock carvings intensify the region’s enigmatic air.

Further inland, Dalsland county evokes a Swedish Twin Peaks with its brooding, watery landscape of silent lakes and thick dark forests. Flanked by Europe’s third-largest lake, Vänern, it’s a canoeists’ paradise and a perfect spot to ditch the crowds.

For wilder waves and attitude, hit the Halland coast, home to sandy Blue Flag beaches, Sweden’s top windsurfing and a hedonistic summer vibe.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Wise up on contemporary art and counter-culture cool at converted power station Röda Sten in Göteborg

Take in coastal perfection and a perfect sunset from high above Fjällbacka

Peddle (or splash) your way around the dazzling Koster islands, off the coast of Strömstad

Decode mystic Bronze Age artwork at the Unesco World Heritage site in Tanumshede, Bohuslän

Feast on herring and archipelago views on the tiny island of Åstol

Glide across silent lakes and international borders from secretive Dals-Ed

AREA: 30,584 SQ KM

POPULATION: 1,838,691

HIGHEST ELEVATION: GALTÅSEN (362M)

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Orientation & Information

Götaland covers a large slice of Sweden, containing five different landskap (regions): Bohuslän, Dalsland and Västergötland in the west, Halland in the south, and Östergötland in the east (covered in the Southeast Sweden chapter, Click here). These regions are grouped together into the three län (counties): Västra Götalands län (taking in Västergötland, Dalsland and Bohuslän), Hallands län and Östergötlands län.

Götaland is also the region containing Sweden’s two largest lakes – Vänern and Vättern – connected by the Göta Canal. The latter lake divides Götaland into two distinct parts.

The following agencies offer detailed information on the area:

HallandsTurist (035-17 98 00; www.hallandsturist.se; Box 538, 30180 Halmstad)

Västsvenska Turistrådet (031-81 83 00; www.vastsverige.com; Kungsportsavenyn 31-35, 41136 Göteborg)

Getting Around

Västtrafik (0771-41 43 00; www.vasttrafik.se) and Hallandstrafiken (0771-33 10 30; www.hlt.se) provide regional transport links. If you’re planning to spend some time exploring the southwest counties, it’s worth enquiring about discount cards, monthly passes or a sommarkort, offering cheaper travel in the peak summer period (from late