Pilgrim Trail Skaraborg – Nature, history and culture
From the picturesque town of Hjo, with its traditional wooden buildings on the shores of Lake Vättern, to magnificent Läckö Castle keeping watch over Lake Vänern, the Skaraborg Pilgrim Trail takes you through a varied landscape rich in nature, culture, and history.
The trail forms part of a route linking two of Scandinavia’s most important pilgrimage destinations. Head north towards Nidaros and St Olav, or south towards Vadstena and St Bridget of Sweden. Whichever direction you choose, you’ll discover sweeping views, historic sites, and a walking tradition rooted in the Middle Ages.
Individual pilgrim trails now part of the Pilgrim Trail Skaraborg
The Skaraborg Pilgrim Trail includes stretches that were previously pilgrim trails in their own right. Although their former names are no longer officially used, our earlier guides offer plenty of tips on sights and places to visit along the way. Read our earlier guides for tips on what to see and do along these sections of the trail:
Photographer: Jonas Ingman
12 places to visit between Hjo and Läckö
1. Hjo’s traditional wooden houses and Almnäs Bruk
The Skaraborg Pilgrim Trail begins in Hjo, a town of traditional wooden buildings on the shores of Lake Vättern. Explore cobbled streets, turn-of-the-century villas, delicatessens, and a leafy town park overlooking the lake. Don’t miss the Strandpromenaden along the waterfront, known locally as the “Hjo Riviera”. It’s home to Sweden’s longest illuminated bench, and it has plenty of places for a refreshing dip.
Two ice cream cafés sit beside the harbour: Moster Elins Glass and Gula Paviljongen. You can also see S/S Trafik, one of Sweden’s best-preserved steamships.
For somewhere to stay, try STF Villa Eira Hostel in the town park, Hotel Bellevue beside the harbour, or Spa for Hjo, which is just under 3 km south of town.
Shortly after leaving Hjo, you’ll walk along the shores of Lake Vättern and pass Almnäs Bruk, known for its organic cheesemaking. The farm shop sells award-winning cheeses, including Almnäs Tegel and Wrångebäcksost. The long sandy beach along Göransnäset is an inviting spot to rest or cool off with a swim.
Photographer: Linus Bergman
2. Hömb village and Kungslena Church
The trail passes through the idyllic village of Hömb, where red wooden houses line both sides of the street, some with grass-covered roofs. These cottages date from the 17th century and originally stood around Hömb Church, but were moved to their present location in the early 19th century. Leaving Hömb, the trail skirts a park with many old broadleaf trees, and nestled among the greenery is Kavlås Castle, which dates from the 18th century.
In Kungslena, you’ll find a distinctive church with three towers. It was built after the Battle of Lena in 1208, when the previous church was burnt down. The central tower is said to represent Birger Jarl. Step inside to admire the large paintings and the 12th-century sandstone font, preserved from the earlier church.
Photographer: Jonas Ingman
3. Åsle Tå
The trail passes Åsle Tå, Sweden’s largest preserved collection of rural cottages. The red cottages stand close together along the picturesque village lane, offering a glimpse of life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Displays inside the cottages and the agricultural museum tell the stories of everyday life and work in a bygone era.
The countryside around Åsle is also rich in history, with traces of peat cutting at Åsle marsh and reminders of the Battle of Åsle in 1389. Check opening times before your visit, as they vary with the season.
Photographer: Turistrådet Västsverige
4. Falköping and Mösseberg
The trail takes a detour into Falköping where you’ll find the 12th-century St Olof’s Church, small shops, cafés, and Falbygdens Museum. History reaches much further back here, with ancient burial sites scattered throughout the town, including Stone Age passage graves built around 5,000 years ago. Falbygdens Osteria, with its cheese shop, is just a short detour from the trail.
On the approach to Falköping, the trail crosses the plateau mountain of Mösseberg. You’ll pass Mösseberg Animal Park and Mösseberg Park, home to the popular spa hotel Mössebergs Kurort. The 35-metre-high observation tower offers sweeping views across the surrounding landscape. Entry is free to both the zoo and the tower.
Photographer: Henrik Theodorsson
5. Gudhem Abbey ruins
The ruins of a Cistercian convent founded in the 1160s stand in Gudhem, overlooking Lake Hornborga. The convent remained in use until Gustav Vasa’s Reformation in 1527, when new laws paved the way for the eventual end of monastic life in Sweden. Visit the abbey museum for a glimpse of everyday life in the convent.
Photographer: Henrik Theodorsson / Platåbergens Geopark
6. Lake Hornborga – Nature, birdlife, and culture
The Pilgrim Trail follows Lake Hornborga over two stages. Stop at the Lake Hornborga nature centre to learn more about the area’s rich birdlife, nature, and history. Next door, Café Doppingen serves light lunches and fika in a beautiful limestone building with a thatched roof and large panoramic windows.
Nearby, Löfwings Ateljé & Krog is a place to enjoy art, stop for a coffee, or have a meal in the restaurant. For a cosy stay in traditional old houses, try Nästegården Bed & Breakfast.
Photographer: Jonas Ingman
7. Varnhem and Kata Gård
Another impressive church along the trail is Varnhem Abbey Church. Walk beneath its centuries-old vaults, where the monks’ prayers and songs once echoed. Four Swedish kings and a queen are buried here. Beside the church stand the ruins of the Cistercian monastery founded in the 12th century.
On the hill behind the abbey church, Kata Gård preserves the ruins of one of Sweden’s oldest churches. Its crypt is considered the country’s oldest surviving room, and excavations have revealed finds from before the monks arrived in the 12th century. A museum building with a striking, steeply pitched roof shelters the ruins and has won international acclaim for its architecture.
8. Skara – Cathedral, history, and culture
Skara Cathedral is one of the most impressive sights along the Pilgrim Trail. Consecrated in the 1150s, it’s a prominent landmark with twin towers known as “Skara’s trousers”. And did you know that Diocese of Skara is Sweden’s oldest?
There’s plenty of culture and history to explore in town. Visit Västergötlands Museum, the Veterinary Museum, or Fornbyn, an open-air museum of traditional buildings. The Old Library houses Sweden’s oldest book, the Skara Missal.
Art lovers can see the Lars Lerin collection at Skara Stadshotell and paintings by celebrated Swedish artists such as Carl Larsson, Anders Zorn, Jenny Nyström, and Bruno Liljefors at Skara Konsthotell. For local crafts and second-hand finds, browse the shops along Stråket.
Places to stay in Skara:
Photographer: Monika Manowska
9. The spa town of Lundsbrunn
The trail continues towards Lundsbrunn, where people have come for their health and wellbeing since the early 18th century. A settlement gradually grew around the spring, and you can still stroll among the historic spa buildings, including Brunnssalongen (the pump room), Läkarvillan (the doctor’s villa), and Apoteksvillan (the apothecary’s villa). Today, Lundsbrunn Resort & Spa offers a hotel, restaurant, and spa on the site.
Photographer: André Nordblom
10. Husaby Church and the bishop’s castle
Husaby is one of Sweden’s oldest and most important medieval church sites. Dating from the 11th century, Husaby Church was the country’s first bishop’s church and is known for its distinctive triple tower. Step inside to see the medieval paintings uncovered during restoration in 1901—the church is as rewarding to explore inside as it is to admire from outside.
A few hundred metres before you reach the church, you’ll pass the ruins of Husaby Bishop’s Castle. Built in several stages, probably beginning around 1480, it served as a defensive stronghold. An imposing tower chamber and surrounding stone curtain wall remain.
Please be considerate when visiting: the castle ruins stand on private land, with homes nearby.
Photographer: Jesper Anhede
11. Lidköping – The porcelain town
The trail passes straight through Lidköping, a town with historic ties to porcelain manufacturing. Rörstrand Museum presents more than 300 years of Swedish porcelain history and traces of this heritage can also be seen in the town’s squares and public spaces. Make time for fika, too— there’s a café on almost every corner in the town centre.
Just outside the town centre, beside the new waterfront park, is Vänermuseet, with exhibitions exploring the history of the town and the surrounding region.
Places to stay in Lidköping:
Photographer: Jonas Ingman
12. Läckö Castle and Spiken fishing village
Standing on a headland in the Eken archipelago, Läckö Castle has been voted Sweden’s most beautiful castle. Explore the baroque interiors and leafy castle garden, then visit Naturum Vänerskärgården Victoriahuset next door to learn about the lake and its islands.
Elsewhere in the Eken archipelago, Spiken is a small fishing village with one of Europe’s largest inland fishing harbours. Stop for something to eat or an ice cream, and take a look around the small shops, most of which are open during the warmer months. For a taste of the local speciality, try löjrom (vendace roe) at Restaurang Sjöboden.
Places to stay near Läckö Castle:
Photographer: Photo Cred Fedja Salihbasic
Length: Approximately 221 km, divided into 17 stages.