Holiday apartment in Åmål: city history, coast and trails

Åmål combines a rich urban history with culture, waterscapes and varied trails. Between historic houses, museums, parks and the long coastline along Vänern, numerous distinctive impressions unfold.

History and culture

Åmål was founded as a city in 1643 and developed into an important trading and shipping town. In the historic Gamla Staden district, the old urban structures survived the great fire of 1901. Houses from the 18th and 19th centuries preserve the character of an old town there. Gamla Kyrkan was built in 1669 and is now used for music, literary days, art and lectures.

Plantaget, with the buildings around the park, is also one of the best-preserved 18th-century environments in Sweden. Åmåls Hembygdsmuseum is housed in a harbour warehouse dating from the late 18th century and presents historical settings across three floors. Vågmästargården, built in 1714 at the inner end of Åmål’s guest harbour, reflects another aspect of the town’s history. Hantverksmagasinet combines an arts and crafts shop with an exhibition hall; textiles, woodwork, metalwork, ceramics and jewellery are on display.

Snarhögsgården was moved to Örnäsparken in Åmål in 1931 and features period-furnished rooms. It is run by Åmåls Hembygdsmuseum; the museum can be contacted to arrange a visit. Lectures, exhibitions and reading sessions are held at Åmåls Kulturhus. The building also houses a library, an art gallery and Europa Direkt Fyrbodal.

Water and landscape

The municipality of Åmål has a long coastline along Vänern in the east; the town of Åmål is also located there. Tösse Skärgård consists of around 30 wooded islands. The archipelago offers opportunities for paddling, camping and hiking. The municipality of Åmål also includes three preserved 19th-century croft sites, which are open to the public.

Joytrail rents canoes and paddling equipment for use on the Dalsland-Nordmarken lake system, which has more than 100 campsites. Kungsberget offers a different view of the surroundings: the mountain lies in the centre of Åmål and is a viewpoint and park overlooking the town. The guest harbour is centrally located in Åmål and has around 35 guest berths.

Hiking and outdoor activities

Storspåret is a 20-kilometre hiking trail. It begins in Hanebol near Åmål and ends in Edsleskog, where it connects to the Pilgrim Trail. The trail is signposted; a bus service connects Edsleskog and Åmål for the route link. In the Hanebol outdoor recreation area, running, walking and picnicking are possible in summer, while skiing and sledging are available in winter. The signposted Skogsslingan leads through the area as a 7.4-kilometre forest trail. Cycling is permitted on three designated sections in the Hanebol outdoor recreation area.

Hälsans stig also offers a 3-kilometre signposted walking trail in Åmål. In addition, Joytrail offers a 15-kilometre-per-way railbike ride on Svanskogsbanan: it runs from Forsbackabaden outside Åmål to Svaneholm or Svanskog.

Further experiences

At Tollebols kvarn, guided tours and family activities are offered in summer, including cycling tip rounds. There is also a museum and a summer café. Forsbacka Golfklubb is a parkland and woodland golf course on and around Forsbackasjön in the municipality of Åmål.

Åmåls Blues Fest is one of the most important annual events in Åmål. For literature enthusiasts, Nordiska Litteraturhuset is a literary venue in the extension of Vågmästargården. It is home to, among others, Bokdagar i Dalsland and Dalslands Litteraturförening; Bokdagar i Dalsland, author evenings and other activities are also planned there. Åmålstravet is one of Sweden’s five 800-metre tracks and operates as a Swedish track with right-hand running.

For further location options: Tösse, Åmål, Ånimskog, Edsleskog, Fengersfors.

For the higher-level travel overview: Västra Götaland.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Mariestad, Lerum, Munkedal.