Hidden gems - castles, towns and lakes

Remember, it's perfectly fine to stay several days at each stop.

Skaraborg lies between Sweden’s two biggest lakes, Vänern and Vättern. This article is full of tips about experiences inland, between the lakes – a smörgåsbord of new discoveries all within an hour’s drive of each other.

Stop 1:

Start the day in Vara

Vara is a pretty little town in the middle of the fertile Västgöta plain. Don’t miss a visit to Sivans osthandel. This family run business has worked with cheese for five generations and is beloved of cheese enthusiasts all over Sweden. Sivan herself literally grew up among the cheeses and it’s her two daughters who now run the business.

Take the opportunity to have lunch or fika at the legendary Konditori Nordpolen, which has been in the centre of Vara since 1903. The café is named after balloonist S.A. André, who dreamed of flying to the North Pole and during an early test flight from Gothenburg landed in a field outside Vara. At the café you can enjoy personal service, outstanding cakes and pastries, stonebaked bread and lighter lunches, which can be eaten indoors or outside in the garden.  

Nearest stop: Vara station

Travel on to Bjertorp Castle

In the afternoon travel on to Bjertorp Castle where you’ll check in. The castle was finished in 1914 and was built in a beautiful art nouveau style by the great Swedish architect of the time, Ferdinand Boberg. Your stay will be in elegant yet still intimate surroundings, full of history in both the rooms and public spaces.

If you’re a person who likes to bring your golf clubs on holiday with you then we’re delighted to say that the adjacent golf course has been named the best in Västra Götaland by the readers of the Golf Digest magazine.  If another type of activity is your preference then we can recommend a walk in the castle’s beautiful surroundings. Dinner is eaten in the hotel’s restaurant which year after year is featured in the Nordic White Guide as well as being part of A Taste of West Sweden. The mahogany clad walls of the dining room provide a stately frame and extra luxurious feel to your meal, which is based on local, sustainable produce.

Nearest stop: Bjertorp

Stop 2:

 Carry on to Lake Hornborga

Lake Hornborga is probably Sweden’s foremost bird watching lake, and offers unique nature experiences all year round. The lake is best known for the cranes which dance the spring in every year here. There are two visitor centres with information about the lake and its flora and fauna. Naturum Hornborgasjön is the largest, on the east side of the lake, and on the southern shore is Infocenter Trandansen, open in the spring. 

Löfwings Ateljé och Krog is nearby – a cultural oasis with gallery, studio, B&B, conference facilities, café, shop and restaurant, all run by the Löfwings, artist Göran and chef Linda. Not far away is K-Design, with a café and 350 m² shop with a great selection of stylish home décor, in exciting shapes, designs and lovely colours. If you head north of Lake Hornborga you’ll come to Mellomgården, where homemade fika bread, galettes, waffles and lighter lunches are served. Make sure you pop into the farm shop where you can browse among the clothes, toys and locally produced delicacies.

K-Design stop: Kabelstationen

 Explore Varnhem

While you’re in the area we highly recommend a visit to Varnhem Church and Abbey Ruins – a beautiful and inspiring place. Travel back in time to a medieval monastery, admire the church’s Romanesque-Gothic vaulted ceiling, and visit the thousand year old abbey ruins where you can almost hear the masses and songs of the monks echoing from the past. For many years Varnhem was a major spiritual and political centre in Sweden, so four medieval kings and Stockholm’s founder Birger Jarl are all buried here.

Nearest stop: Varnhem

Check in at Mössebergs Kurort

Mössebergs Kurort dates back to 1867 and is today a modern spa hotel in a time-honoured setting, with treatments, a restaurant and wine and champagne bar. In the Cittaslow diplomaed building your body and soul will both be rested and nourished.  Enjoy a massage (either a classic or hot stone variant), spa bath, manicure, pedicure or facial. At the end of this relaxing day what could be better than a delicious dinner at Arvids Restaurang & Bar? Probably not a lot! The restaurant’s culinary experiences make the most of the natural pantry around Falbygden.

Nearest stop: Falköpings resecentrum

Stop 3:

Explore Falköping and visit another cheesery

Start the day with a trip to Falköping, a pretty town with local traders and small shops. Make sure to fit in a visit to Falbygdens Osteria which is a paradise for cheese lovers, with everything from shop and restaurant to cheese warehouse, different types of cheese tastings and guided tours. A unique chance to learn more about cheese – and buy some delicious samples to take home.

 Travel on to Skövde

Do you want to get a typical flavour of urban life in Skaraborg? Then you need to visit Skövde – a somewhat bigger centre, with good shops, small town charm and a great selection of restaurants. The larger brands are all here but also unique vintage and design boutiques. Eat lunch at Den lilla krogen, overlooking Hertig Johans square.

If you want to buy deli products to take back with you then we recommend a visit to Lilla Saluhallen. And if you’re itching to get active then head to Billingens friluftsområde. Just a stone’s throw from the busy town centre you’ll find yourself in a recreation area with lakes and walking trails, as well as a stunning view of the town you’ve just left.

Nearest stop: Skövde resecentrum

Check in at Knistad herrgård

Just outside Skövde is Knistad herrgård, a place combining the tranquility of the countryside with first-class service and a restaurant showcasing local food traditions and ingredients. Just around the corner you’ll find a varied and well-maintained 18-hole golf course. If you’d prefer to go walking in the beautiful surroundings and then enjoy a sauna or hot tub, you can do that too. In the restaurant, a dining experience then awaits with local ingredients and flavours that you will probably recognise but prepared in new, exciting ways!