Svenljunga: Holiday apartment amid lakes, paddling areas and culture

The Fegen area lies in the southeast of Svenljunga Municipality and borders Halland and Småland. Fegen and the adjacent lakes Spaden, Svansjön and Kalvsjön feature many small, sheltered bays, projecting headlands, and around seventy islands and skerries.

Nature

Fegen and the adjacent lakes are suitable for canoeing; there are equipped campsites for overnight stays. Ätran and the Fegen area are also designated paddling areas, with several kilometres of waterways and numerous lakes for canoeing or kayaking. In Fegen Nature Reserve, camping, pitching tents and lighting fires are permitted only at the designated campsites. An overnight stay requires a campsite fee or campsite coupon.

Swimming is also well established in the municipality: there are thirteen municipal bathing areas, most of which are equipped with dry toilets and jetties. The Klev Nature and Cultural Reserve comprises a park and garden landscape with broad-crowned oaks and beeches, a forested steep slope, the remains of a fortification and a boulder-rich scree slope. In Bjällermossen Nature Reserve, moorland, swamp forest and mixed coniferous forest meet; cloudberry blossoms, black grouse and old, slow-growing pines can be found there.

At Buttorp, north of Sexdrega, a natural rapid that is unusually large for its size lies on the Ätran. This site includes a municipal nature reserve, a barbecue area and information boards.

Trails

The Orrvägen and Solvik bus stops are located on Route 153 towards Fegen, in the immediate vicinity of the nature reserve. The Ätranbaneleden trail ends at the nature reserve in the village of Fegen. For cyclists, the Sjuhäradsrundan runs as a link between Svenljunga, Borås, Ulricehamn and Tranemo. The Ätradalsleden runs between Falkenberg and Falköping and past the Fegen area in Svenljunga Municipality.

The Röstorps kulturstig cultural trail near Örsås passes settlements, graves and fields belonging to Iron Age farmers, as well as the sites of crofts from the 19th century; twelve information boards stand along the trail. The trail is an easy hiking route of around 2 kilometres, with several places to stop and rest. At Gräne Gruva, the open-pit mine is still visible and can be reached via a short footpath from the car park. There are four marked trails there: Trollstigen, Toppleden, Järnvägsleden and Geologileden.

Strömsfors Berättarstig is an approximately 1-kilometre-long storytelling trail with information boards in three languages. It runs along the water and, according to the trail description, is easily accessible by car, rollator, pram and wheelchair.

Culture

The history of the region is particularly evident at Gräne Gruva. From 1899 to 1932, mica and feldspar were mined there and subsequently exported mainly to Germany by water and rail. Klevs gästgiveri in the nature reserve dates back to the 1650s in its origins; its buildings were protected as listed buildings in 1988.

Hammarlind Museum is a digital museum about the Hammarlindska donation, which comprises more than 3,000 objects. Svenljunga Sculpture Park features three large-scale works of art: “Svensk älg 22”, “Silverörn” and “Björn 6500”.

In Sexdrega, the Åkersta Vin & Spirituosa Museum preserves a well-preserved liquor shop and an apartment dating from around the turn of the century. The shop and apartment are shown by prior arrangement. Another collection can be found at Bynanders Motormuseum, with around 60 cars and 120 motorcycles.

Water

There is an opportunity to go canoeing between Uddebo and Strömsfors; canoes can be rented at Gulahuset. Svenskt Kanotäventyr offers paddling experiences throughout the Fegen area and along the Ätran towards Falkenberg. Svenskt Kanotäventyr also rents out canoes, kayaks and boats for excursions on the Fegen and Ätran waterways.

Services

Svenljunga’s physical tourist information centre is open year-round and located in the central library, right by the market square. The joint digital destination portal brings together information about attractions, activities, accommodation and dining options.

Places

You can access additional pages about local places here: Holsljunga, Håcksvik, Mjöbäck, Mårdaklev, Svenljunga, Örsås, Östra Frölunda, Överlida, Sexdrega, Kalv and Hillared.

For the higher-level travel overview: Västra Götaland.