Hiking in Vänerstad
Vänersborg

Walk along the waters surrounding Vänersborg

Vänersborg really is a city surrounded by water. To the north is Lake Vänern with its sandy beaches, cliffs and water so clean you can drink it. To the west is the Vassbotten bay, Karls grav canal to the south and the Göta River to the east. Here in Vänersborg, many leisure boats and cargo ships pass by travelling either north towards other ports in Lake Vänern or south towards the cities of Trollhättan, Lilla Edet and Gothenburg and then the sea. On their way they travel past many locks, one of them is located here in Vänersborg; Brinkebergskulle lock. 

Birger Sjöberg, the city's most famous poet, gave his Vänersborg an exotic feeling when he named it Little Paris. The city stands on a rich history, from its foundation in 1644 until now when it is the regional capital of Västra Götaland County. Hiking in Vänerstad lets you explore the city of Vänersborg and the nearby areas that are rich in history and natural beauty, just by the shores of Sweden's largest lake.

Sights along the way

The hike begins at the old renovated train station building in central Vänersborg and you will start walking south, past the guest harbor and the beautiful work of art "Andarnas skepp" (The spirit's ship). You will walk along the park area next to Vassbotten bay before turning left and following the dug Karls grav channel where boat traffic travels on their way towards or from Lake Vänern. If you are lucky you will see one of the large cargo ships passing by. You can then decide if you want to follow the canal all the way to Brinkebergskulle lock or if you want to turn north through the outskirts of Vänersborg. 

When walking north you will arrive at the beautiful Holmängen area, an untouched nature area just by the shores of Lake Vänern. Soon you will also arrive at Skräcklan Park, the most popular park in Vänersborg. Here you can pause your hike and take a swim in Lake Vänern from one of the several bathing spots. If you are here during summer you can also sit down and have something to eat at the Skräcklestugan cafe. At the park you can see the poet Birger Sjöberg's muse Frida looking out over the waters towards Dalbobergen Nature Reserve, where Birger Sjöberg and his friends often visited. The walk ends along the so-called Kulturaxeln (the Culture axis) where you can see the old Residence, the main square, the park Plantaget, Vänersborg church and a little further away; Vänersborg museum - Sweden's oldest preserved museum environment.

If you want to see even more

The Hiking in Vänerstad map offers even more for you to discover in Vänersborg. There are several extra paths you can take to see more of the area. For example you can see Nygårdsängen by Vassbotten bay, a valuable wetland area and if you follow Karls grav canal you can visit Brinkebergskulle lock. After visiting Brinkebergskulle lock you can visit the Restad Gård area that has a sculpture park, many walking paths along the Göta River and nice picnic areas. There is also Lillån nature area to the north.