The Golden Coast
This area is situated in the southwest of Sweden and has vast stretches of beaches, warm sea and holiday resorts reaching for 400km (250 miles) from Laholm in the south to Strmstad in the north. Here there are flat, sandy beaches, bare rocks and fjord-like inlets with meadows stretching down to the seashore and tiny fishing villages.
This is a long, narrow province strung out along the picturesque west coast. Unlike its northern neighbour, Bohusln (see below), its landscape is gentle, with mile after mile of long sandy beaches, often fringed with pinewoods. Inland, the scenery changes as it meets the tableland of Smland and the landscape is characterised by a series of ridges and valleys. There are also vast forests and heather-covered moors.
Areas of note are Kungsbacka, a northern market town and the nearby Onsala peninsula, ideal for bathing, sailing and fishing, and Fjrs Brcka, an unusual gravel ridge formed during the Ice Age. Further south is Varberg, one of Halland’s main coastal resorts, dominated by the 13th-century Varberg Fortress. Other resorts are the port of Falkenberg and Tylsand, with its long sandy beach sheltered by dunes and pine trees. Halland’s capital is the important seaport and industrial town of Halmstad. Warmed by the waters of the Gulf Stream, the west coast is a natural choice for seaside holidays.
The long narrow province of Bohusln has countless spots where visitors can enjoy an idyllic holiday in the sun. The coastline is deeply indented and there are hundreds of rocky islands. All along the coast are picturesque villages with their typical red-painted huts where the nets are hung out to dry. The province is also one of the most important centres of ancient Swedish civilisation and there are many archaeological relics dating back to the Bronze Age and Viking times.
Other towns worth visiting include Bovallstrand, Hunnebostrand, Kungshamn, Lysekil, Smgen and the islands of Orust and Tjrn.
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