Jordal: Natural Forest, Hiking Trails and Industrial Heritage

Jordal combines the tranquil landscape of Ranebo Natural Forest with a remarkable history of water management and small-scale industry. This creates a varied mix for planning your trip: you can explore nature trails and a cave, visit a picnic area on the shore of Stora Holmevatten, and learn about the former use of mills, sawmills and power facilities.

Nature experiences in Ranebo Natural Forest

Ranebo Natural Forest is located near Jordal. The nature reserve has hiking trails and paths as well as rest areas and barbecue areas. The forests were planted around 1900 and have remained more or less untouched since being reforested. This gives the natural area its own historical character: it is not only a destination for a hike, but also tells the story of how a landscape developed over more than a century.

One specific option for planning your day is the approximately 8.5 km hike through Ranebo Natural Forest, which leads to a cave. Take this distance into account when planning your excursion. Those who would rather take a break by the water will find a picnic area on a rock on the shore of Stora Holmevatten. This allows you to choose different focuses without limiting nature experiences to just one type of excursion.

Jordal’s Power and Mill History

Jordal’s technical past is also part of the area’s character. Jordal’s power station and the associated dams are located on a tributary of the Jörlandaån. Electricity generation at the new power station in Jordal continued until 1956. Jordal’s power station is located at the foot of a mountain beside the former Jordals kvarn och såg. The term “former” refers to the historical function of this site and should be taken into account when planning your own excursion.

Between Jordal’s power station and Hållsdammen was a small-scale industrial area that included at least seven mills and a sawmill from the 18th century onward. The remains in the registered small-scale industrial area L1969:5135 are of high cultural-historical value. Kvarndalen is an archaeological small-scale industrial area. A mill in the water-management cultural landscape near Jordal is documented as early as 1388.

Which accommodation location suits your trip?

When searching for a holiday apartment in Jordal, you can use the focus of your trip as a guide. If nature is your main interest, the trails, paths, rest areas and barbecue areas of Ranebo Natural Forest, together with the approximately 8.5 km hike, support a suitably focused day plan. If you are more interested in history, the power station, the former Jordals kvarn och såg, Kvarndalen and the remains of the small-scale industrial area offer various points of interest. Accommodation in Jordal can therefore serve as a base for a trip that combines physical activity and cultural-historical discoveries, without requiring every day to follow the same pattern.

For further trip planning, you can also find Fristad, Färdsle, Lycke, Dängevik and Kareby.

For the overarching travel overview: Västra Götaland.