Holiday apartment in Vara: culture, nature and active days

Vara combines a vibrant cultural scene with open landscapes, natural areas and many clearly defined opportunities for exercise and discovery. Every year, Vara Concert Hall presents nearly 200 concerts and performances on its stages. In the townscape, The Blue Orange makes its own distinctive mark: The artwork combines Vara’s blue railway station building with sculptural forms and was inaugurated in 2012. At the same time, it has turned the railway station building into an appealing visitor destination.

Culture

The art scene also includes all the artworks that are part of the Konst Skaraborg programme and are represented in Vara. Vara Church was built in 1902 in the Neo-Gothic style. The houses on Olas gränd offer an older glimpse of the town: The oldest houses in Vara date from the 1860s. This means that contemporary art, stage performances and historic buildings stand side by side within the town, without their respective characteristics blending into one another.

Activities

For running and cycling routes, the Oltorp outdoor recreation area has a 2.3-kilometre illuminated running track and a 4.2-kilometre mountain-bike trail. In Vara itself, there are three marked health trails measuring 2.5, 3 and 5 kilometres. Skogskullespåret is approximately 1.3 kilometres long and has outdoor fitness equipment. At Hjortemossen, there are three walking and cycling routes open year-round, measuring 2.5, 3 or 5 kilometres, as well as a mountain-bike trail.

Vara Badhus also expands the range of activities with water-based pursuits. It has a swimming pool, leisure pool, hot tubs, children’s pools and a sauna. There is also an 80-metre water slide and three children’s pools. The warm-water pool provides space for activities such as swimming lessons, water aerobics and baby swimming.

In the Ranahult Nature Reserve, two marked trails pass through different landscape areas: A 1-kilometre trail runs through pastureland and deciduous forest, while an approximately 0.5-kilometre trail passes through a wetter area rich in orchids. The Municipality of Vara also provides information about hiking trails through natural areas.

Nature

There are five nature reserves in the Municipality of Vara. The landscape is characterised by the open Västgötaslätten plain, with large contiguous areas of agricultural land. Long-term, uninterrupted grazing has created the conditions for a species-rich flora.

In the transitional area between the plain and the forest regions south, east and west of the municipality lies a varied, small-scale cultural landscape. Stone walls and gravel roads cross a hilly landscape with oak-covered hills and natural pastureland. Backavallen is a 40-hectare heathland area covered with pine trees and grazed by livestock, with walking paths and a remarkable flora that also includes pasqueflowers.

Levene Äng is an approximately 16-hectare nature reserve and archaeological landscape near Levene Church. It contains a large burial ground with more than 100 graves. Rösjö Mosse is a good place for birdwatching; birds of prey, owls, grouse and nightjars breed there.

Food and drink

In the Varaslätten area, the Mathantverkssafari, held annually on the first weekend in May and September, connects farm shops with local accommodation providers and restaurants. At Sivans Osthandel, the family has been working with cheese maturation since 1875, spanning five generations. Conditori Nordpolen offers award-winning baked goods such as princess cake for consumption indoors or in the garden, as well as sourdough bread from the wood-fired stone oven to take away. Vara is considered part of western Sweden’s food larder, with many local food producers, regional specialities and distinctive flavours.

The Västtågen trains connect Vara with, among other places, Gothenburg, Herrljunga and Uddevalla. The railway station is centrally located and only a short walk from the centre, restaurants and Vara Concert Hall. Several bus routes depart from Vara railway station for other parts of the municipality; Västtrafik serves both areas close to town and rural areas. A staffed InfoPoint provides information material and maps, as well as tips on sights, activities and available services.

Other places at this destination level are Kvänum, Larv, Vara and Vedum.

For the higher-level travel overview: Västra Götaland.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Herrljunga, Svaneholm, Tidaholm, Bollebygd.