Dalsland - nature as its best

It's an inspirational destination for everyone who loves spending time in the great outdoors, including families and friends, groups and couples, and offers a range of accommodation in which to base yourself while exploring the area. accommodation/9 For a secluded getaway, try the Stenebynäs estate beside the shores of serene Lake Iväg.

Here, three traditional Swedish wooden houses and cottages offer welcoming holiday homes to suit families and groups of different sizes. Guests are just steps away from the lake, tempting for a freshwater swim, and where boats can be taken out to explore its more distant shores and beaches or used for some fishing. Kayaks and canoes are available too and guests can get active on dry land with a game of tennis on the estate's private court.
  
Not far away lies a gourmet dining experience in the shape of Falkolts Gestgifveri,  at Steneby, an award-winning restaurant serving up an inventive menu drawing upon the abundance of fine produce found in Dalsland, including elk, deer, pike, salmon and beaver.

Or if you want to take the concept of getting away from it all even further, why not stay at the gorgeous manor house on Henriksholm a three-mile-long island in Dalsland? It's wonderfully remote, offering guests the unique chance to feel like the lord or lady of their own country house, on their very own island! Lose yourself around the beautifully renovated Henriksholm manor, boasting 24 high-ceilinged rooms or bask in its incredibly peaceful outdoor surroundings; swimming, walking and canoeing, whilst admiring the surrounding wildlife.

The elegant Baldersnäs Manor is located on a lush peninsula by Lake Laxsjön and the Dalsland Canal, approximately 2 hours north of Gothenburg. The manor's two hundred years' of history, takes its origins from the ironworks of Dalsland. The exquisitely beautiful park at Baldersnäs was created in the 1820s, reflecting the style of an English park. It oozes romance, with open spaces blending with verdant groves and hills. The garden also boasts winding paths, caves and man-made islets. What's more, at the guest harbour in the Dalsland Canal system, there's a service building and capacity for some 30 pleasure craft. From here, visitors can get on or off the canal boats that operate between Bengtsfors and Håverud during the summer.

Here are some more adventures to get your teeth into during a visit to Dalsland, many of which can be arranged through Dalsland Activities. Dalsland Activities' very own moose park is a protected area providing a home to seven well cared for moose along with roe and fallow deer and goats. The animals are free to roam among 14 hectares and are friendly creatures who like to arrive in the show enclosure when it's time for food and to meet the visitors. Dalsland is known for its beaver and elk and safari experiences - to get close to them - can be arranged through Dalsland Activities.

Dalsland is also known for its excellent canoeing waters due to the labyrinth of rivers and lakes. To experience the wilderness away from it all, and for something a bit different, take an inspection trolley ride: the whole family can take part. . Dalsland's lake and waterways make it perfect territory for fishing, whether for a dedicated angling trip or for a bit of bank-side relaxation here and there.

There is also local culture to experience in the province of Dalsland including The Dalsland Canal , one of Europe's most beautiful waterways. The best-known part is the pretty Aqueduct in Håverud - a unique meeting between road, railway and waterway. Several different passenger boats use the canal during the summer season

Hantverkshuset (House of Handicrafts) is located in Upperud, only 10 minutes from Håverud, where you'll find fine handicrafts made in West Sweden and across the country. At beautiful Baldersnäs Manor you can stroll around the park and have lunch in the restaurant which serves up fresh, locally produced food, for a real taste of West Sweden.
      
All mentioned activities can be booked through tour operator Simply Sweden.
 
The Dalsland Canoe Marathon 11 August 2012.