Discover Olsäter: Cycle Route, History and Family Moments

Olsäter combines a distinctive cycle route with traces of transport history, art and nature. If you are looking for a place where active days, historical discoveries and activities with children can all have a place, Olsäter offers several specific points of interest to consider when planning your trip. When looking for a holiday apartment or other accommodation, you can therefore think about which of these aspects of the area will be most important for your journey.

Cycling through Olsäter

The Klarälvsbanan, Sweden’s longest paved car-free walking and cycling trail between Karlstad and Hagfors, runs through Olsäter. This places an unusual route right at the heart of the area: it is intended for walking and cycling and connects the names Karlstad and Hagfors along an extended route. This information may be important when choosing your destination if outdoor exercise is to be a regular part of your holiday. Near Olsätersskolan there are also woodland and nature, as well as the Klarälvsbanan cycle route.

Transport history by the river

Olsäter also has an interesting history as a transport hub. Near Olsäter, traffic across the river was handled by ferry until 1935; that was the year the present bridge was built. The ferry connection belongs to the past, while the year 1935 marks the transition to a permanent crossing. If you are interested in regional history, this change provides a tangible subject through which the development of the area can be told.

For a long time, Olsäter may have had an inn as early as 1636. From there, coach services operated north to Bogerud, to Ås in Ö. Emtervik, south to Nordsjötorp and Deje, and east to Älvsbacka. The different directions show the role the area once played in connecting surrounding communities. This historical information is itself a reason to visit and is not a statement about any present-day service.

Art, church and distinctive details

The Lustenrundan art and creative trail takes place every year on the last weekend of August. In Olsäter, it includes an exhibition venue in a barn belonging to the Lööf family. If you time your trip to coincide with this weekend, you can get to know Olsäter from a cultural perspective. The barn also gives the art event a distinctly different character from a traditional exhibition space.

In the vicinity of Olsäter, between Deje and Olsäter west of the Klarälven, lies Övre Ulleruds kyrka. The church contains a medieval cross and a 13th-century baptismal font with a runic inscription on the slab. For travellers interested in cultural history, this site offers a concrete insight into older ecclesiastical art and written records. Its building history is also connected with Olsäter: timber for the construction of Övre Ulleruds kyrka was felled in the forests of Rud and Olsäter and floated down the Klarälven to the construction site.

A dedicated activity for families

Near the school in Olsäter, there is a playground with a carousel, spring riders, a swing set with a double-decker swing, a toddler swing, a sandbox, balance beams, a stump house and a park table. The surface consists of wood chips. For families with children of different ages, these specific facilities are useful when planning the day, as they make it possible to treat a simple stay in the area as an activity in its own right. You can combine the playground with a day in nature or a ride on the Klarälvsbanan without structuring your entire holiday around a single activity.

Getting there and choosing accommodation

For your journey to Olsäter, service bus route 650 is available. Route 600 runs along Riksväg 62; the nearest stop is at the turn-off to Olsäter. At Olsäterskorset on Riksväg 62, there is also a car park near a bus stop. This information can help you take your preferred mode of travel and personal daily rhythm into account when looking for accommodation. The key question is whether you want to choose Olsäter primarily because of the cycle route, nature, cultural history or family-oriented local attractions.

More destinations

For further travel planning, you can also visit the pages about Deje and Forshaga.

Return to the main travel overview: Forshaga.