Some well-known coastal towns

What is typical of Bohuslän are the smooth, sculptural granite rocks, the boating life and the small picturesque fishing villages, each with its own character. There’s a virtually endless number of small coastal towns that are worth visiting, and a few are listed below.

Smögen is one of the most famous coastal towns in Bohuslän – a popular destination for sun worshippers, sport fishermen, divers and lovers of the good life. It might not be Bohuslän’s oldest fishing village, but the atmosphere and the unique building style has been well maintained. The attraction above all else is the 600 metre long quay, one of the province’s most famous tourist destinations.
             
The quay at Smögen attracts tourists from the next town as well as from other continents, who come to see the lively boat traffic, to shop in the stores along the walk, or to eat at one of the outdoor cafes. The country’s second largest fish auction is held at Smögen. The boats bring their catches of fresh fish and seafood, which you can purchase minutes later in around the corner one of the fish shops.

A popular short trip from Smögen is the ferry to the island of Hållö, which is also a nature reserve. The hostel and cafe are open in summer. The magnificent scenery on Hållö, with its smooth granite landscape in the middle of the ocean contrasts well with the hustle and bustle of Smögen.

The lovely town of Fjällbacka is associated with one of Sweden’s most famous actresses – Ingrid Bergman. She spent her summers at Dannholmen in the Fjällbacka archipelago and the green cabin there still belongs to the family. To honour Bergman, a bust of her has been placed in the small square in the centre of Fjällbacka.
   
Right through the massive stone cliff in the middle of Fjällbacka is the Kungsklyftan (the ’King’s Cleft’), a huge opening in the rock, where parts of Astrid Lindgren’s film ”Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” were filmed. From the square in Fjällbacka there are stairs up to Vetteberget mountain, from which you have magnificent views across the Fjällbacka archipelago.

In summer you can take boat trips, and fish and seal safaris to destinations like the popular Väderöarna islands – also a mecca for sport divers. In autumn it’s time for the lobster safaris, and the hotel ’Stora Hotellet’ offers lobster weekends from the end of September to the end of November. At Stora Hotellet you can travel around the world in 23 rooms, since each room has been decorated and named in honour of explorers and famous ports all over the world. Fjällbacka also hosts the World Championships in Mackerel Fishing, which is a popular autumn event.

Mollösund is one of Sweden’s oldest fishing villages. Much of the genuine old environment has been retained, with boatsheds, fishermen’s houses and piers. The old wooden houses with leaded lights crowd together along the narrow cobblestone streets. By the harbour is Café Emma and Restaurant, certified by Västsvensk Mersmak and famous for its fish soup and traditional äggost.

By the quay is the beautiful two-masted, gaff-rigged schooner Mathilda, which sails out into the archipelago in high season. A typical feature of Mollösund are the large wooden racks for drying fish, a centuries-old method. Here the fish is ling, which is prepared using lye, to become the popular Christmas dish of lutfisk. Mollö island, just across the water, is known for its fine swimming spots, but also for its cows. Every year cows are ferried over from the mainland, to graze. These famous, ecological Mollö cows are left to wander freely around the island all summer, before being ferried back to the mainland in the autumn. Mollö island also attracts visitors who come to see the 16th-century port, the Bronze Age cairns and the old, abandoned cemetery.

Bovallstrand, like most of the fishing villages along this coast, goes back to the 16th century, and is a fine example of a genuine Bohuslän community. In the middle of the port precinct is the Bryggcaféet, a restaurant certified by Västsvensk Mersmak, and specialising in fresh fish and shellfish. Children love the glass pane in the floor, where they can watch crabs crawl around underneath the restaurant. For swimming it’s just a short trip over the bridges to Badholmarna – the ”Swimming Islands” – where the fjord opens up to the archipelago and the sea. Without a boat, you can’t get further out to sea than this.

Badholmarna are a number of islands, connected by bridges. There are small sandy beaches which are ideal for children. Of course there’s also swimming from the rocks, as well as high boards, diving towers, piers for swimming, ladders, bathing huts, a small kiosk, bathrooms and a carpark. Bovallstrand has also been a shipping port for granite, quarried at Korpåsberget just north of the town centre. It’s genuine Bohuslän town, and perhaps the best way to experience it is simply to stroll among the old boathouses by the harbour, chatting to the fishermen who have just been out catching mackerel, herring and cod.

Among other things, Hunnebostrand is known for its Lobster Academy, and when the season starts in late September the lobster safaris depart from here. Hunnebostrand is also a popular holiday spot with a good harbour, fine swimming beaches and lots of street life in summer. An annual festival taking place on July 9 this year is ”Sotekanalens dag” (Sote Canal Day), featuring lots of outdoor dining, children’s activities and music.
  
The Sote Canal, more than 7 km long, is a man-made fairway that slices through the granite rock of the Ramviks peninsula on Sotenäs, and is a popular route for boaters. Hunnebostrand is one of Bohuslän’s oldest coastal towns, with a history going back to the 13th century. It grew considerably during the herring period lasting from 1556 to 1589. When the quarrying industry got underway in the 1860s the population boomed and for decades the sound of the hammers echoed from the quarries. Today only a few practitioners remain, but at the Stenhuggarmuseet (the Stone Cutters’ Museum) in Hunnebostrand you can learn about how the stone cutters worked in the olden days.

In Grebbestad most of the action takes place by the harbour and along the 200 metre long quay. Much of the town’s picturesque old buildings have been retained and the best way to appreciate them is to take a walk through the winding narrow streets above the harbour. From the quay there are views across the islands and to Otterön island with its protected orchid meadows. Grebbestad is also famous for its shellfish.
    
Fine shellfish deserves something fine to wash it down. In the old cannery in the middle of Grebbestad a family-owned brewery named Grebbestads Bryggeri makes beer using the traditional Bohuslän method, in large, beautiful copper tanks. In 2002 the brewery developed a Lobster beer for the start of the lobster season. Grebbestad is also home of the Oyster Academy and fresh oysters are sold from a quayside kiosk during high season. Also on the quay is the popular shellfish restaurant, Greby’s. There are lots of fishing trips that depart from the quay and you can also hire canoes and discover the archipelago on your own.

Strömstad, a lovely spot by the Koster fjord and Sweden’s most westerly town, was once an important resort with its own carbon dioxide springs (Lejonkällan). Today Strömstad is a major destination for Norwegian shoppers, and geographically it is located in the middle of one of Norway’s most dynamic regions, Östfold. Unlike many of the fishing villages along the coast, Strömstad is a lively place throughout the year, with a wide range of restaurants, pubs and shopping.
    
There is no shortage of things to do in Strömstad. There are seal safaris, boat and fishing trips. The Strömstad baths have swimming of various types but also a spa section where you can have a special treatment with Bohuslän seaweed. From the harbour, ferries will take you to the virtually traffic-free Koster islands, a popular holiday destination for cyclists and families. Every port on South Koster has bike rental facilities and North Koster is a paradise for hikers. A small cable ferry links the two islands.

Just south of Strömstad is Daftö FerieCenter, a holiday centre known for its high quality – it’s one of Sweden’s leading campground and cabin facilities. A few years ago it joined 24 other first-rate European camping facilities in the organisation ’The Leading Camping’. In 2003, 2004 and 2005 Daftö FerieCenter won the prestigious”Superplats” prize, awarded by the consumer organisation ADAC.