More to offer than a moose
Most tourists that visit Sweden usually go to Stockholm or travel up to the north to see the Aurora Borealis and the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi.
Except for the Germans. They come to Sweden to go on moose safaris. (Why mooses are such a big deal in Germany, I have no idea.)
Two days on the road
As we normally do not do much travelling in our own country, and that is a real petty as Sweden has some stunning parts, we decided to try something new this summer.
Me and junior went on a mini two-day bike and kayak adventure along a small portion of the Swedish West Coast.
Kattegattleden
Kattegattleden (Led means way or trail in Swedish) is a 395 km long bike route, from Helsingborg in the south all the way up to Gothenburg in the north.
The route was crowned Cycle route of the year 2018 by ‘Fiets en Wandelbeurzen’ (Cycling & Hiking Fairs) in Netherlands.
Apparently this is a very prestigious nomination, even though I have never heard about it before.
Nevertheless, the route is BEAUTIFUL!
From city to countryside
This time we only covered 64 km of the total length of the road, but with a five-year old it was plenty enough. We really enjoyed taking it nice and slow.
We started out in central Gothenburg early in the morning.
With the help of excellent route signs along the way, guiding us through the maze of streets and bike lanes, we soon got out from the city onto the well paved bicycle paths heading south.
Along the way we passed small coastal villages like Askim, Hovås, Billdal, Säro and Gottskär before arriving in Onsalsa, which was our final destination.
Fjord
In Onsala, we stopped for some afternoon dinner before we got into our kayak and headed out on Kungsbackafjorden.
Kungsbackafjorden is wildlife preserve where you can find more than 240 different species of birds.
One of the first things we saw was around 20-30 white swans with cygnets, (baby swans) swimming around in the shallow waters looking for food.
We also managed to see something that we first thought was a big log, which is was not.
It turned out to be the head of a curious seal that took a short look at us before disappearing into the depths…
Back to the bike trip
Kattegattleden offers loads of interesting things to experience from the saddle.
While the wind is blowing in your face you will have wonderful views both of the archipelago and the surrounding countryside.
Admire some of the beatiful, expensive, houses overlooking the oceanside.
And if you get hungry of all the pedaling, there are numerous cafés and restaurants along the way.
Nature comes surprinsingly close.
In case you are into nature, as I guess you might be, chances are that you will meet horses, cows, sheep and an occasional deer or hen on the road.
(The hen was more surprising to see than the deer. It must have escaped from some farm close by, cause it was totally misplaced standing in the middle of the bike lane looking just as smart as only a hen can look.)
Have a swim
Besides from the fantastic, endemic, extraordinary wildlife mentioned above there are also loads of places to stop for a swim along the way.
What better cure for tired legs than having a refreshing ocean dip?
If you are uncertain where to find the best beaches, know one thing. People on the west coast of Sweden usually do not need beaches, they jump in straight from the cliffs.
But, can you really swim wherever you want to in Sweden?
What if it is on private property, as in most other countries?
Well, Swedes might be blonde, blue-eyed and naive. And we do not have any of the seven wonders of the world.
But, we do have some kick-ass nature laws that you will not find in many other places.
Freedom to roam
In Sweden we have something called the Freedom to roam nature, or Allemansrätten. (In English ”Everyman´s right” or The Right of Public Access which is the correct translation).
It means that as long as you respect the flora and fauna and leave it untouched you have the right to walk, cycle, ride, ski and camp on any land. With the exception of private residences, protected areas or on cultivated land.
We ourselves sometimes forget how privileged we are having laws like Allemansrätten and we will try to do more Scandinavian trips in the future.
Close by does not have to mean less of an adventure.
Åke
Have plans on going to Sweden, but having trouble desiding on where to stay?
Well, search no more, Åke will help you out!
If you want to know more about Allemansrätten you can read bout it here.
Back in the kayak
After a short paddle we found a private, deserted little island in the middle of the fjord. We decided that this was going to be our island for one day.
It was already getting late so we were in a bit of a hurry to get all the gear out from the kayak and onto higher grounds before everything was dark.
Correction. Sweden does not really turn dark in the summer (especially in the north were you have the midnight sun.)
It got murky fast, and it was hard to see where we could hang our hammock.
Sleeping in mid air
Hammock? Why no tent you might wonder?
The Swedish West Coast consists of rock, lots of it. And it is hard. Therefore, no tent.
Not only is a hammock much more convenient. (You only need two trees.) A hammock saves a LOT of space.
The only drawback this time was that we shared the hammock.
Surprisingly enough it was not that bad. We slept quite ok the whole night, as we were smart enough to bring two fluffy pillows.
Hammock + pillows = hardcore camping with a little twist.
Chinese quality
We hung our hammock between to birch trees.
I was a bit afraid that it would not stand the weight of us both but it was no problem at all. The Chinese apparently know their stuff when it comes to suspended beds made of nylon.
From our bunk we had great views over the entire fjord and the flickering lights of the houses along the coast. We could even spot the top of the Tjolöholms castle in the distance.
A special moon
This night was also the night of the blood moon.
A blood moon is when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting the moon into shadow.
The red/orange moon looked spectacular from our base at the top of the island. Its reflection cast a long light on the calm waters below.
Of course I managed to bring my DSLR with an empty battery so no award winning photos of that moon. Rookie misstake…
What is a no-no to bring into nature?
I often ask myself if I should bring certain technical equipment out into nature. Cameras are a no brainer, but how about phones and tablets?
I guess we have become more and more addicted to these things.
Just take a look at people on buses or trains. Or in a pool area when people are on holiday for that matter.
People do not talk to each other anymore, they stare at a screen. Kind of terrible, isn´t it?.
Just a bad excuse?
Even so, when travelling with kids, sometimes you need a backup.
So when it was bedtime, and we had climbed rocks and learned all about todays topic, the jellyfish, we decided to have an outdoor cinema under the stars.
It was super cozy and relaxing lying there in the warm summer night with a fresh breeze of ocean air blowing through the mosquito net while watching Duck Duck Goose.
After the movie was finished we fell asleep. Exhausted after the days adventures.
The end of our journey
When sleeping outdoors morning tends to come early. We woke up at 6:30am.
The sun was shining, and we decided to take the kayak back to the mainland for some proper breakfast.
All in all – this was a fantastic little journey along the coastline of the west coast of Sweden. An adventure is always an adventure, no matter how short and modest it might be…
