Discover West Sweden: natural, progressive and just a bit different

Welcome to West Sweden, where rugged coastline meets pristine forests and tranquil lakes, and where responsible tourism is deeply integrated and community focused.

This is a lesser-known region for travellers seeking something a little different: it’s picturesque and unspoilt, and offers active, outdoor adventures away from the crowds, exciting cultural and culinary experiences and wholesome family fun in extraordinary, sustainable and design-led accommodation that is often as close to nature as you can get.

Made up of three distinct regions, West Sweden offers contrasts at every turn. In Bohuslän, you’ll find a granite labyrinth of over 8,000 islands (some of which are car free), colourful fishing villages and impressive restaurants that offer world-class seafood. In Dalsland, dense forests and glittering lakes dominate the landscape, offering a scenic playground for kayaking, cycling and hiking. And in Västergötland, UNESCO-listed plateau mountains rise above Sweden’s largest lake, Vänern, with its freshwater archipelagos. Here pilgrim trails perfect for hiking, castles, abbeys and Viking relics tell stories of Sweden’s past. This region is also home to the iconic Göta Canal, offering an unforgettable journey of locks and cosy cafes by boat or bicycle alongside its scenic banks.

Natural gateway to the West Sweden region is unpretentious Gothenburg, with its laidback vibe and industrial edge. It’s a walkable city with a variety of museums, green spaces, lively bars, vintage shops and markets that are easy to explore on foot. In September 2025, it was named the UN’s Sustainable Lifestyle Hub thanks to its environmental credentials (see below) and is home to the Nordic’s highest building, the imposing Karlatornet. With new rail links set to dramatically improve travel to the West Coast in the coming years, this underrated city is growing and becoming smarter, greener and more connected.

Restorative travel with space to breathe

In a country where 95 percent of the land is uninhabited, West Sweden offers restorative escapes that bring travellers closer to silence, nature and self. Forest walks, stargazing, saunas and cold-water swimming are not novelties here but a normal part of life. Silent retreats at Tofta Nature Reserve encourage meditation and slow time. At Salt & Sill, Sweden’s first floating hotel, guests can take invigorating sea dips before heading for the warmth of the inviting boat sauna. Deep in the Dalsland countryside at the stylish Swedish Country Living, it’s impossible not to relax and renew in the climate-smart Hermitage cabins, built using recycled materials and set on the edge of a lush forest overlooking a peaceful lake.

Sample package: A two-night, off-grid stay at Swedish Country Living’s Original Hermitage cabin costs from £916 total / £458 pp (two sharing) including food, canoeing or kayaking and all equipment, including backpack, maps and torch.

Fun for all the family

West Sweden is a natural playground, with wholesome outdoor activities and child-friendly attractions. It is Sweden’s largest camping region, offering around 50 campsites of a very high standard operating in spring, summer and autumn, with a handful that are open year-round. Most feature glamping tents, cabins, pitches and easy access to kayaking, fishing, walking and cycling.

At Dalsland’s Activities, a huge range of activities await, from axe throwing, ziplining and blow piping, to beaver safaris, fishing and trekking in pristine wilderness. On the Bohuslän island of Tjörn, the new Tjörnbro Arena provides family-friendly climbing, cycling and kayaking. At Lake Vänern, a shipwreck tour reveals the mysteries of the deep with underwater telescopes, while in Gothenburg, families can spend fun-filled days exploring Liseberg amusement park and Universeum science centre, before taking a ferry to the scenic archipelago for island picnics and refreshing dips.

Sample package: A two-night stay in a Bergsbyn Cottage at the high standard Lagunen campsite in Bohuslän costs from £228 total / £46 pp (five sharing) including access to bikes and kayaks.

Food with a sense of place

The region’s food is deeply rooted in its seas and forests. In Bohuslän, visitors can join lobster, langoustine, mussel and oyster safaris orage for sustainable seaweed, taste testing it with a local expert at Algblomman. Alternatively, it’s possible to try vendace roe from Lake Vänern, known as Sweden’s caviar. In Dalsland, mushrooms, berries and wild game encourage outdoor cooking, such as the innovative ‘Food in the Wild’ experiences at Ragnerud.

The Swedish ritual of fika is best experienced in Alingsås, the Capital of Fika, where guided café tours explore this beloved coffee-and-cake tradition. High-end dining is also represented with over six Michelin-starred restaurants, including Signum at Hällsnäs, near Gothenburg, which has now received the coveted accolade of not just one but two stars.

Sample package: A two-hour oyster tasting and opening course is £75 pp at Evert’s Sjöbod, a cosy boathouse in Grebbestad offering the very best of Bohuslän’s world-class seafood, including a boat trip, course on how to open oysters safely, about 5-6 oysters to enjoy and accompanying stout.

Uncompromising, climate-smart holidays

West Sweden is at the forefront of responsible tourism, thanks to its Stepping Up Sustainability initiative, which creates economically viable businesses and tourism that does not have unnecessary environmental impacts. Visitors can book climate-smart trips where they travel by train, transfer by electric car, and stay in small, family-run accommodation, such as off-grid cabins or glasshouses set deep in the forest. Meals are made from locally sourced produce, and trips include clear calculations of their low carbon footprint. In September 2025, Gothenburg was named the new host city for the UN’s Sustainable Lifestyle Hub, positioning it as an international platform where global and local stakeholders will collaborate on scalable projects to accelerate the transition toward sustainable lifestyles. The city has also won the prestigious Leadership Award of the Global Destination Sustainability Index no less than seven times in recent years.

Sample package: Three nights in the idyllic Erikson glass cabin in Västergötland, including farm-produced food (fika, breakfasts and dinners) and use of kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) costs from £928 total / £464 pp (two sharing). Carbon emission is 0.3 kg Co2-equivalent per person per night (6.8 kg is the average for hotels in Sweden).

Outdoor adventures in pristine nature

Sweden offers the freedom to roam its vast, often untouched, landscapes. Hiking trails in the west include the island-hopping Kuststigen Coastal Path and the 140 km Biosphere Trail through UNESCO-listed landscapes. Pilgrim paths also criss-cross the region, offering slow travel through history and nature. Close to Gothenburg lies the interesting Gotaleden trail. Divided into nine stages over a total of 99 kilometres, it winds alongside steep cliffs, beautiful lakes, historic industrial areas and immaculate castle gardens. Its proximity to train stations makes it easy to access and adapt.

Cycling highlights include Dalsland’s 500 km of exhilarating gravel roads, and the picturesque Göta Canal Trail, named Europe’s Best Cycling Route of 2025. Water-based activities range from fishing and kayaking to canoeing and SUP on both sea and freshwater.

Sample package: Original Travel’s active tailormade itineraries in West Sweden cost from £1,195 pp depending on accommodation and range of activities chosen.

Culture and Creativity

From murder mystery to giant sculptures, West Sweden’s cultural offering goes far beyond the range of art and cultural attractions in Gothenburg. On Tjörn, the Nordic Watercolour Museum is celebrating its 25th anniversary, while Pilane Sculpture Park is currently showcasing monumental stone works by Ugo Rondinone, last displayed in New York. Crime novelist Camilla Lackberg brings Nordic Noir to Fjällbacka’s scenic coast and inland, and the fairytale Läckö Castle hosts a variety of concerts and opera in its baroque halls. Borås – an hour’s drive from Gothenburg – has established itself as Sweden’s street art capital, with more than 120 public works and cutting-edge exhibitions in its Textile Museum.

Sample package: For heritage lovers, Naturum Victoriahuset beside Läckö Castle provides a modern stay with castle views with prices starting at £148 total / £74 pp (two sharing) for one night in a double room.

West Sweden: quick facts

Gateway: Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city and natural starting point
Landscapes: Granite archipelagos, forests, lakes, plateau mountains and canals
Highlights: Sustainable travel, seafood safaris, art trails, cycling, kayaking, hiking and more in unspoilt nature, family activities, extraordinary accommodation.
Seasons: Year-round appeal with outdoor activities in spring, active family trips and long days in summer (in mid-August, Swedish children are back at school), seafood safaris, foraging and golden forests in autumn, and cosy Christmas and wellness escapes in winter.
Tour operators: Discover the World, Sunvil and Where the Wild Is among others. Visit UK tour operators for a full list.

Ends

For further information, visit westsweden.com. For a wide selection of downloadable images, visit West Sweden’s image bank.

Press enquiries: For queries, interviews or press trip enquiries (with a suitable commission), please contact Travel PR on 020 8891 4440, or email Julia Farish (j.farish@travelpr.co.uk) or Sarah Belcher (s.belcher@travelpr.co.uk).

Photo credits: Jonas Ingman, Copenhagen Wilderness, Tina Stafren, NORR_Johanna Fr, Carina Gran