Road trip to three beautiful gardens in West Sweden

If you set out on a journey around West Sweden’s magnificent visitor gardens you’ll get a lot more than just floral splendour, well maintained borders, and garden cafes. Your trip will be through the Borås region’s beautiful historic landscapes, past its textile centres and exciting destinations. Enjoy home baked fika and great meals made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. If you want to buy textiles and designer crafts there’s an excellent choice of shops and outlets. Stay in a guesthouse, a mill, or a mansion. And decide which direction you want to travel yourselves!

The green gardens at the heart of Västergötland

It doesn’t matter in what order you decide to visit the green gardens of Västergötland. Start your road trip to either Sammels Farm in Landvetter, Nyhagens Garden in Skene or Björnhyltans Garden in Ambjörnarp - the next one is just around the corner...

Just 25 minutes by car from Gothenburg going towards Borås lies the green oasis that is Sammels Farm, where your welcome will be resplendent. Cascades of colour and gorgeous scents from the lush flower beds, laden berry and fruit plantations, a well-stocked greenhouse, vegetable plots, and a meditative herb filled kitchen garden! Borders and bushes are prettily enclosed by the rustic stone wall built when the surrounding fields were cleared. Enjoy the magnificent beds as you wander along the gravel paths, explore the greenhouse and the orchards, and pet the farm cats and hens.

Photographer: Monika Manowska

There’s a fine selection of mouth-watering home baked cakes in the cosy greenhouse café, and you can choose to eat in, or outside in the garden. You can also pre-book both guided tours and courses. The farm’s beehives keep the shop in wonderful honey and the shelves are stocked with tempting seasonal veg, fruit, berries, juice, beeswax products and preserves.

Nursery with art and outlets in the Textile District

The tour continues through the Textile District of Mark towards Nyhagens Garden in Berghem, near Skene. On the way you’ll pass Kasthalls Factory Shop, where you might pick up one of their internationally renowned hand woven rugs at a bargain price.

Photographer: Jonas Ingman

Nyhagens Garden and Nursery is surrounded by pretty fields and a leafy woodland area. This visitor garden is perfect if you’re looking for green tips for your own garden. Be inspired by beautiful magnolias, clematis and perennials, and wander freely through the kitchen garden with its raised beds, fruit trees and berry bushes.

It’s a delight to stroll round the garden and discover the ceramic art that has been tastefully placed around. The artwork is available to buy in the shop and makes an ideal gift to yourself or someone else. The nursery’s plant selection and large choice of magnolias are much sought after.

Photographer: Monika Manowska

And while you’re in the area a visit to Ekelunds Linen Mill is a must. It’s Sweden’s oldest weaving mill and has become a popular attraction, with guided tours, outlet shop, museum, and café.

Shopping village, 17th century manor and textile museums aplenty

Our green tour then heads for Björnhyltans Garden, situated between Svenljunga and Tranemo. If you choose road 41 via the textile and design town Borås the journey will take you through Kinna’s cultural landscapes. You can visit both Rydals Museum, with Sweden’s oldest working spinning mill, and Lydde Gård – a former yarn merchant’s manor which is now an organic hotel in idyllic countryside. In Borås itself you’ll find the Textilmuseet, Scandinavia’s leading museum of textiles, with fascinating exhibitions and inspiring workshops covering textile fashion, design and art.

Unmissable destinations on the way to Björnhyltans Garden include the Glasets Hus glassworks and museum in Limmared, the 17^th century manor Torpa Stenhus, and Gällstad shopping village – a popular outlet with major brands at mini prices.

Photographer: David Márquez / Rydals Museum

Exotic Mediterranean plants and incredible edibles

Björnhyltans Garden is a sensory experience awash with masses of colour, form and scent. This bucolic farm has existed for around a hundred years surrounded by fields, dry stone walls and arable land. You’ll feel immediately welcome in the visitor garden, with a Mediterranean themed glasshouse at its heart, as well as a flower garden, kitchen and herb garden, farm shop and inspiring courses.

Paved walkways and winding gravel paths cross the flower garden, taking you past scented roses, pretty perennials and fruit trees. Around the barn you’ll be met by hens and sheep, and the magnificent “Room for Life” glasshouse where the focus is on organic edibles. Vegetables grow in rows next to herbs, berries and flowers. You’ll definitely feel inspired by the many growing tips you’ll pick up for your own garden! The vines, fig and olive trees in the Room for Life give the whole experience an exotic Mediterranean feel and provide an oasis where you can eat your own picnic or a delicious farmhouse ice cream.

Photographer: Monika Manowska

Before you leave make sure you visit the farm shop, where you can buy fresh vegetables picked that day, fruit, and also gardening equipment, because maybe these garden experiences have sown seeds about growing your own bounteous garden.

Shopping

4. Ekelunds Linen Mill, Horred
Sweden’s oldest linen weaving mill, established in 1692. Mill tours, factory shop, museum and café.

5. Kasthall Factory Shop, Kinna
The weaving mill was established in Kinna as long ago as 1889 and in the shop you can buy internationally renowned quality rugs at outlet prices.

6. Gällstads Shopping Village, Gällstad
In Gällstads little shopping village you can find top international clothing brands and exciting start-ups at knockdown prices.

Attractions

7. Glasets Hus, Limmared
Glasets Hus – the House of Glass – the name says it all! Glassworks with its own glass production, have a go at glass-blowing, museum, shop and cafe.

8. No Limit Street Art, Borås
No Limit Street Art invites you to see the town as a gallery. Building walls have been used as blank canvases by artists from around the world since 2014.

9. Rydals Museum, Rydal/Kinna
In Sweden’s oldest working spinning mill you can see the spinning machines working and enjoy exhibitions about the history of the mill.

10. Torpa Stenhus, Länghem
15th century estate by Lake Åsunden offering guided castle tours, theatre, café and restaurant. Medieval Days fill Torpa with jesters, knights and craftspeople.

11. Textilmuseet, Borås
Scandinavia’s leading Textile Museum, with exhibitions and workshops on fashion and art, and the textile industry’s history and future. Restaurant and café.

12. ISA af Lygnern, Sätila/Mark
Cast off from Europe’s longest oak jetty and enjoy Lake Lygnern’s magnificent surroundings. Go on a fun themed trip or a pleasant evening cruise aboard the historic boat ISA af Lygnern.

Accommodation

13. Hofsnäs Herrgård, Länghem
The beautiful manor house of Hofsnäs Herrgård, in the Torpanäset nature reserve, offers peaceful accommodation and dining featuring locally sourced food. Add more to your experience by going hiking, cycling, or fishing.

15. Lydde Gård, Kinna
A renovated yarn merchant’s villa is now an organic hotel in the countryside, close to lakes, museums and a golf course. Organic and Fairtrade breakfast, and honey from our own bees.

16. Sju Sjöar, Öxnevalla
Sju Sjöar, meaning seven lakes, is a hotel set in beautiful countryside with a certified restaurant offering sustainable and locally produced food experiences. Conference, train, hike, fish and relax in a wood fired hot tub.

17. Två Skyttlar, Örby/Mark
Beautifully situated hotel and conference venue with a turn of the century dining room, serving locally produced food. Lakeside lodge for weddings, parties and business events.

18. Pensionat Kajutan, Sätila/Mark
Stay next to Lake Lygnern in the lovely countryside around Sätila. Hiking trails, cycling packages and boat trips just around the corner. Spa, conference facilities and restaurant.

Other restaurants and cafes

19. Köksträdgården, Lockryd
Köksträdgården (The Kitchen Garden) is West Sweden’s first Taste of West Sweden certified roadside restaurant. Excellent freshly made food is served here using organic and local ingredients.