Tänum: Rock carvings, the Bronze Age and trails through the World Heritage Site

Tänum combines impressive evidence of the Bronze Age with a hiking trail through three rock-carving areas. The municipality of Tanum also offers varied landscapes: deep sea areas and barren coastal stretches alternate with forests and small-scale agricultural landscapes. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Tänum can therefore choose between cultural and historical discoveries, a longer hike and excursions into a diverse landscape.

Rock carvings as the focal point of the trip

The rock carvings of Tanum provide insight into the lives and beliefs of people in the Bronze Age. Almost 500 different rock carvings can be seen at Vitlyckehällen. One particularly striking depiction is a human figure more than two metres tall holding a raised spear, known by the nickname the Spear God. These motifs make history accessible not only through dates, but also invite visitors to reflect, image by image, on the beliefs of earlier communities.

In the immediate vicinity of Tanum, the Vitlycke Museum is the visitor centre for the World Heritage Site of the rock carvings of Tanum. The museum offers exhibitions and a Bronze Age farmstead. The Bronze Age farmstead includes reconstructed 3,000-year-old longhouses at a 1:1 scale. They illustrate how people in the Bronze Age lived in their houses and on their fields with their domestic animals. For families with children of different ages, this creates a trip that combines visible landscapes, images carved into the rock and vivid reconstructions.

World Heritage walks: two sections, one well-defined day of hiking

In the vicinity of Tanum, the World Heritage walks hiking trail is 6 kilometres long and passes through the three rock-carving areas of Lövåsen, Gerum and Sotetorp. The route can be divided into a northern and a southern section, each approximately 3 kilometres long.

In the vicinity of Tanum, the trail has three rest areas and a viewpoint overlooking the Tanum plain and the central parts of the World Heritage area. The paths to the Vitlycke rock carvings have information boards and are equipped with stairs for improved accessibility. The large Litsleby panel is accessible by wheelchair. You can reach the World Heritage walks by following Road 914 three kilometres south and turning off at the sign “Hällristningar 1”.

Combining the Bronze Age with local history

The cultural programme around Tanum does not end with the rock carvings. The Vitlycke Museum offers open guided tours without prior booking as well as bookable guided tours. Nearby Tanumshede also offers historical traces to explore. Tanums Gestgiveri is listed as a historic building. The historic Kungsvägen passes between Norway, Kungahälla and Copenhagen. Tanumshede is also a natural starting point for visiting the surrounding World Heritage area with its rock carvings.

The old centre of Tanumshede is also entirely protected as a heritage site. The Sockenmagasinet was built there in 1869 after several years of crop failures. Those interested in older routes, townscapes and regional history will find a different way to experience the area here than on the rock-carving trail.

Which base suits your trip?

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Tänum, it is worth deciding on the focus of your trip. For a day of rock carvings, the museum and the Bronze Age farmstead, cultural history takes centre stage. Those who prefer being outdoors can plan the 6-kilometre trail or individual sections. In the municipality of Tanum, hiking, swimming and cycling experiences with cycling maps are also offered as leisure activities.

Explore more places

If you would like to compare other places at the same destination level as Tänum, here is a compact selection: Resö, Lur, Fjällbacka, Flötenmarksen, Kleva Västra, Tanumshede, Rabbalshede and Havstenssund.

To the higher-level travel overview: Tanum.