Over the years, we’ve had the chance to get to know quite a few excursion destinations here in the area. Some are just a few minutes away from our Treeline Studio, while others require a slightly longer drive. Here is a selection of our favorites—a mix of culture, gastronomy, swimming, nature experiences, and hikes. The focus is on Munkedal and Bohuslän; this post doesn’t focus as much on the forest and lake landscapes of Dalsland.
Hike along the Örekil | Outdoor | 10 min
The Örekil in Munkedal is considered one of the best salmon rivers in West Sweden; with a population that is actually growing, contrary to the strong negative trend in Northern Europe.
But the river valley isn’t just a great destination for anglers: a small, exciting path runs along the river, leading you directly along the water and offering great insights into the flora and fauna of this deeply carved valley. Now a nature reserve, this is a very special corner of Bohuslän. There are benches and small shelters along the river, but the path can be a bit tricky in parts, so you should be reasonably sure-footed. You can park directly at the salmon ladder (especially here in summer for a chance to see jumping salmon!) and at the Brålands Gård campsite. Quite apart from the hike along the valley, the salmon ladder itself is worth a visit. A small suspension bridge leads over the salmon ladder, and you can look into the various pools—plus a great view into the valley.
Our rating: 5/5
Bohusleden in Munkedal – Kanotcentralen | Outdoor | 12 min
The Bohusleden is a long-distance hiking trail that leads from Gothenburg to Strömstad on the Norwegian border. It passes directly by Munkedal, and you can reach a parking lot for it in about 12 minutes from our Treeline Studio (Kanotcentralen, just outside Munkedal). Here you can start in both an easterly and westerly direction: heading east, you walk past a wild little river with spectacular views into the valley and later directly by the water; heading west, you follow a wonderful path along Vikssjön. There are also great views, water access, and fire and camp sites here. The only small downside: circular routes are not so obvious and you have to piece them together a bit—but an out-and-back hike is just as beautiful. After all, the way there and back offer completely different perspectives.
Our rating: 4/5
Waterfall with a view over Munkedal (Klevabäcken Vattenfall) | Outdoor | 13 min
Just outside Munkedal, there is a short hike that leads to a waterfall. The path leads directly over the spot where the stream plunges into the abyss. If you continue along the path, you reach a kind of high plateau with a great view over the entire area, including the Örekilälven. The atmosphere is particularly great here in the evening when the sun sets in the west.
Our rating: 3/5
Forest paths Munkedal | Outdoor | 8 min
Right on the edge of Munkedal, an extensive forest area begins, offering very accessible and comfortable hiking opportunities through typical Swedish forest. You can walk several circular tours ranging from 3.3 to 7.9 kilometers on a very well-marked network of hiking trails. The barrier for a hike couldn’t be lower!
By the way: cross-country skiing is also possible here! Parts of the trail network are groomed in winter—and there are also illuminated sections.
Parking at Brukskolan
Our rating: 3/5
Vann Spa | Gastronomy | 27 min
Probably by far the largest hotel operation in the area, and at a quite high level. Located directly on the Abyfjord, the location could hardly be better; and the hotel knows how to use it: several areas of the building complex feature huge window fronts facing the water. This includes the sauna as well as the restaurant area. External guests can also come here year-round for breakfast, the lunch buffet, or dinner. And especially outside the absolute peak season, you can enjoy a perfectly relaxed, great hotel atmosphere. Gesa and I are guests here fairly regularly, sometimes just for a coffee with a view.
Our rating: 5/5
Röe Gård | Gastronomy & Boutique, Kids | 32 min
Agricultural and forestry facility with several old buildings on the property. One houses a café (since March 2026: Cake Cowboy) with indoor and outdoor seating. Opposite is a boutique with various selected goods, some from the region (interior design, sweets, decor, toys, and much more), and right next to it is a children’s playground. The facility is surrounded by the region’s famous climbing rocks as well as forest and fjord. Several hiking trails pass by the facility; a map with the various routes is available on-site.
A small highlight in the immediate neighborhood: an old hill fort from times long past.
https://www.roegard.nu/
Our rating: 3/5
Nordens Ark | Nature Zoo | 30 min
Not a classic zoo, but not a wildlife park like you might know from Germany either—rather a very extraordinary mix of both. The operation specializes in the protection of endangered species and tries to create living conditions that are as spacious and natural as possible. And it succeeds spectacularly: the park is perfectly integrated into the landscape, and visitors sometimes walk across elevated walkways and bridge structures to get a look into the various enclosures.
Our rating: 5/5
Fire pit Abyfjorden (near Nordens Ark) | Outdoor | 30 min.
At the zoo’s parking lot (free to use), the Soteleden (hiking trail) runs along the fjord. If you follow it a short distance towards the fjord exit, you come to a small boat dock and right behind it to a pier with a small beach. There is an established fire pit for grilling under impressive old trees. This spot by the imposing rocks on the fjord invites you to linger, grill, and swim. Perfect spot for a wonderful sunset. From there, the Soteleden continues through a stretch of forest along the zoo and the fjord.
Our rating: 3/5
Panoramic path Lysekil | Outdoor, Culture | 45 min.
A wooden path attached to striking granite rocks with views of the archipelago and the open sea. A delight especially at sunset, but absolutely recommended in any weather—just as impressive in a storm as in sunshine! The path is barrier-free and can be easily navigated with a stroller. The wooden boardwalk is interspersed with great beach sections. Various very lovingly designed seating areas invite you to linger, and if you’re brave enough, take a dip in the sea using the diving tower. Information boards along the path provide info about marine life and the underwater world. There is a parking lot at the beginning of the path, and right next to it is a popular restaurant with a sea view (NH5).
Parking: Norra Hamngatan 20
Our rating: 5/5
Canoe touring Kanotcentralen | Outdoor | 12 min.
Just outside Munkedal begins the Flottarleden, a chain of lakes used many years ago for transporting timber, which is now a paddling paradise.
In total, you can cover about 30 km paddling through the most beautiful forest landscape, and there are several established overnight spots for wilderness campers (open shelters with fire pits). The lakes you cross are all not too large—which makes the paddling area quite pleasant in terms of wind and wave exposure. The lakes are connected by narrow channels, and there is plenty of variety.
You can rent a canoe directly from us or at the Kanotcentralen (“Canoe Center”—note, only staffed in summer).
Parking: Kanotcentralen Munkedal
Our rating: 4/5
Bohusläns Museum Uddevalla | Culture, Kids | 31 min
Museum of the Bohuslän region with exhibitions on the history of Bohuslän and art, featuring both permanent and traveling exhibitions. The focus is on regional art and information about life past and present in the coastal region of Bohuslän, sometimes with changing exhibitions—but always worth it.
The very lovingly designed, spacious children’s play area is a highlight. Smaller children in particular can spend hours here. The children’s area is complemented by a creative workshop where paper and paints are available for drawing. Located directly by the water, with a restaurant/café and museum shop. Open Monday-Sunday, free admission.
https://www.bohuslansmuseum.se
Our rating: 4/5
Uddevalla Panoramic Path, Café Snäckan | Culture, Gastronomy |
An established walking path along the fjord over a wooden boardwalk anchored in the rock. A starting point is, for example, “Strandpromenaden” in Uddevalla with a large parking lot. From there, a roughly 30-minute walk along the fjord towards Gustafsberg is a great option. You pass beaches, forest, and meadows and finally reach Sweden’s oldest spa resort, Gustafsberg. Well-preserved buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries and an extensive park area invite you to linger. Café Snäckan is located directly by the water and has a large outdoor area under old trees.
https://www.konditorisnackan.se/
Our rating: 4/5
Lock landscape and playgrounds Trollhättan | Culture, Kids | 50 min
Trollhättan is located very close to Lake Vänern. With about 10 times the area of Lake Constance, it’s Sweden’s largest lake—a real inland sea! And the water that leaves the lake through the Göta älv and makes its way towards Gothenburg has to overcome a quite significant height difference right here in Trollhättan. For shipping, this has the tedious consequence of having to overcome these heights through massive locks, but for energy production, it has the great benefit that massive amounts of electricity can be generated using turbines.
For visitors to the city, both circumstances result in a wonderful excursion destination:
The entire power plant and lock environment is a mix of spectacular nature and imposing, sometimes historic infrastructure structures. A gorge with thundering masses of water and (at the right water level: an impressive waterfall!), power plant buildings, and locks combine in a small area to create a very interesting destination.
It’s also very exciting for children: in addition to experiencing the locking processes and the river landscape, there are two very cool themed playgrounds here (Vattenkraftens Lekpark and Skrotnisses Lekplats), including a water play area and giant slide, and a science/experiment museum (“Innovatum Science Center”). Right next to it is the Saab Car Museum, as a reminder of the time when the local car brand still existed.
Our rating: 4/5
Hafsten Resort | Kids, Outdoor | 37 min
Hafsten Resort is an extensive campsite with an attached hotel complex. It’s interesting for external guests for two reasons:
1) There is an outdoor swimming pool with a slide, a beach, a children’s playground by the water, and various catering options (ice cream kiosk, restaurant, snack bar), which are also accessible to day visitors.
2) From here, you can start an interesting hike. This leads up to Havsten, a rock high above the water surface with a spectacular view over the fjord world. The shore here also offers very interesting places to linger: pine forest right down to the water and very interesting stone beaches with beautiful spots that invite you to have a picnic.
Our rating: 4/5
Saltkällans badplats | Swimming, Gastronomy | 18 min
A very great excursion destination—either for swimming, stopping at the bistro, grilling under the impressive pine trees, or using the playground.
At the beach, the water is very shallow, making it a very good place for smaller children to experience the water. However, there is also a pier at least 50 m long, at the end of which you can find your way into the water via a diving tower.
The “kiosk” is particularly recommended—besides beach ice cream, they serve very good pizza, burgers, and langos. With a view of the setting sun over the fjord, it’s a good spot for a summer evening!
Opening hours for the kiosk can be found on Facebook under “Saltkällans badkiosk”
Our rating: 4/5
Skredsvik | Outdoor | 27 min
Skredsvik is a narrow, long peninsula in a small side arm of the Gullmarnsfjord. The special thing about this arm jutting into the water are the small romantic bays that go into the water on both sides. Perfect for swimming, lingering, and fishing!
You can park directly at the small boat harbor, or at the farm about two hundred meters further. From here, you walk across a property with incredibly imposing old oaks, a cow pasture, and along an old estate (“Säteri”) perched on a hill, which you could just as easily place in Tuscany.
A bit further out, the flora becomes a bit sparser, and eventually, you have only rocks and grasses beneath you.
You rarely meet other people here—a wonderful spot for a few quiet moments in nature!
Gårvik | Kids, Swimming | 24 min
Gårvik is a small, scenically very interesting indentation on the Gullmarnsfjord: a small road leads directly towards the water, whose shores are bordered by steep rocks on the right and left. Here there is a beach, a boat harbor (from whose piers you can catch mackerel!), a children’s playground, and a small stream that flows into the fjord across the beach.
Right in front of the beach lie a few islands that contribute to the very romantic, wild atmosphere of this place. Highly recommended for swimming, enjoying the view, and playing. In summer, there is a kiosk on the beach.
Our rating: 3/5
Maltes Stig | Outdoor | 17 min
Maltes Stig (“Malte’s Path”) is a circular route about 4.5 km long around a point of land in the Gullmarnsfjord, right at the highway exit. For the people of Munkedal, the path is a very important destination for a short walk; I know people who do their round here every day.
For long stretches, the path runs directly along the water; not particularly spectacular, but there are wide views into the Gullmarnsfjord, you pass the local leisure boat harbor, come to the mouth of the Örekilsälven (“Örekil River”), walk a few hundred meters along this river, and go under the imposing valley bridge of the E6 highway. Along the path, there are several fixed fire/grill spots with first-class views, a sandy beach, and an elevated viewpoint.
Our rating: 3/5
Heestrand | Walk, Swimming | 41 min
Heestrand is a small settlement right near the sea. Most of the houses here are used exclusively as summer houses, and the atmosphere is accordingly: quiet, relaxed, radiating holiday peace.
Right by the small country road you take into the village, there is a small parking lot in a meadow. From here, you walk down a small street towards the water. You walk along a small bay and then come to a mini harbor. Actually, it’s just a few piers with so-called sjöbodar, small old red huts—built on stacked stones as foundations—used as storage sheds for boating and fishing life. After strolling across this small pier system, the coastal path begins, leading directly along the water and offering great views.
There is a barbecue area, and on display boards, you can learn something about the industry that shaped this region for a long time: the quarrying of granite stones as building material. The rocks clearly show the traces of this time, and there is a lot of material lying around that was once worked on but then apparently discarded again.
In summer, there are great vibes here, many boats pass the shore, and even as a landlubber, you get the feeling of being part of the maritime life.
Our rating: 4/5
Torp Shopping Center | Culture, Gastronomy | 25 min
Torp is a very large commercial area by Swedish standards (IKEA, Bauhaus, Lidl, Jysk, etc. etc.), with a very large, modern, and well-maintained shopping center of the same name as the main attraction. In this, there are dozens of shops and boutiques, restaurants, cafés, etc. Especially for rainy days, it might be an option for an excursion for some.
Small gastro tip: The supermarket chain Coop has one of its XXL branches here. Right in front of the entrance, there is a self-service restaurant with an absolutely impressive selection of dishes (EVERYONE will find something here), which you choose at the counter and then pay for by weight. The prices are very, very fair and it’s a great place to sit.
Our rating: 3/5
Small coastal towns | Culture and Gastronomy
Below is a list of our favorite coastal towns, with a very rough description of some features we think are worth mentioning. One thing characterizes all these places: they have a marina and thus maritime life and the classic Bohuslän townscape (small white wooden houses).
- Fjällbacka 43 min
One of the most popular coastal towns, although relatively small. The harbor area nestles almost cozily against a steep rock wall in the background. When you’re here, you should definitely walk the Kungsklyftan: a small path (starting right at the small playground at the harbor) that leads extremely spectacularly first through a narrow gorge (where several thick rocks are wedged threateningly above the path), and then via a staircase up to a viewing plateau above the town. You should be somewhat sure-footed, but the effort is worth it! - Hunnebostrand 43 min
A place like a labyrinth of small winding streets and white wooden houses. Great shore life in the town, lots of gastronomy, and especially a very good fish shop that sells all kinds of specialties. In summer, there is a lot of stage programming in the evening. - Bovallstrand 38 min
For us, the little brother of Hunnebostrand. Also with a harbor and gastronomy. If you drive through the town, you reach a beautiful walking area including an official sea bathing facility. - Grundsund
Great little town with many streets that create a beautiful traditional Bohuslän townscape. A sound divides the town in the middle; both sides are connected by a bridge. Not as much gastronomy and retail as in other coastal towns, but there is a very beautiful panoramic path with a place to stop for refreshments right by the water, which can easily be done as a circular route. - Other places
In addition to those mentioned above, there are many other interesting places—some even significantly better known than those listed above:
Fiskebäckskil, Smögen, Lysekil, Grebbestad, Strömstad, and Hamburgsund are probably the best known in northern Bohuslän. All are worth a visit!
Nature reserves
The coast here is teeming with great nature reserves that try to protect the extraordinary nature. All are maintained by the Västkuststiftelsen, and there is detailed information material for each (www.vastkuststiftelsen.se).
Here is a selection of our favorites so far:
- Valön 41 min
One of our absolute favorites—and everything is here: river mouth, meadows, beaches, islands and skerries, Mediterranean flair, and a rocky coast that falls directly into the water. - Veddö 47 min
Peninsula near Fiskebäck. Dreamy circular hike with lots of water, views, and partly park-like landscapes. Can be perfectly combined with a visit to Fiskebäck. - Bua Hed 47 min
Nature reserve at the end of the Åbyfjord. Completely different characteristics than Valön and Veddö, but also very exciting. In particular, several small bathing bays make you think you’re somewhere on the Mediterranean. Not so much for hiking, but all the more recommended for beach days! - Näverkärr 43 min
- Tjurpannan 55 min
- Ramsvikslandet 49 min
Links
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