Okome: Hiking Trails and Cultural Heritage

For a stay in Okome, two hiking trails offer different route profiles: Boa kyrkstig, with its historic connection to the church, and Ödemarksstigen, with nature reserves and loops. Okome kyrka and Okome kvarn also reveal different aspects of the area's history. You can therefore plan your stay around hiking distance, architectural history or the mill surroundings.

Hiking trails with different route profiles

Boa kyrkstig is 6 km long and runs from Boa to Okome. It follows the historic route that residents of the village of Boa used to walk through the forest to the church in Okome. Its starting point, destination and former purpose are closely linked: the trail brought the residents of Boa to the church. Its length is clearly stated for route planning, while its history gives the trail a specific connection to the area.

Ödemarksstigen is in the highlands between Okome and Gällared and is 12 km long in total. It can be divided into two loops, each 6 km long. One loop is therefore the same length as Boa kyrkstig, while the full route is twice as long. When planning, you can distinguish between the total distance and individual loop on Ödemarksstigen, whereas Boa kyrkstig is described as the route connecting Boa and Okome.

Ödemarksstigen connects the Kålabro, Skogen, Bergs naturskog and Boa nature reserves. It also passes through other forest areas in Falkenberg Municipality. Its profile therefore includes both the loops and total length, as well as the named protected areas and woodland. By comparison, the historic church route is the focus of Boa kyrkstig. The trails thus differ in their respective points of interest.

Okome kyrka: Building history and older furnishings

The present-day Okome kyrka was built in 1891 on the site of the demolished old Okome kyrka. The pulpit and canopy date from 1649, making them older than the present church. The building and its furnishings therefore point to different periods: the two furnishings predate the church. Their separate dates help distinguish the building's history from its older furnishings.

Following renovations completed in 2013, the church was reconsecrated on September 29, 2013. This date belongs to the building's more recent history, not to its construction: the present church was built as early as 1891. The dates mentioned thus span from the pulpit and canopy of 1649, to the church built in 1891, and finally to its reconsecration in 2013.

Okome kvarn and the mill surroundings

The history of milling is central to Okome kvarn: milling operations have taken place there since the 19th century. The surroundings of Okome kvarn and såg include a dam and several red-painted wooden buildings dating from the late 1930s. The site's milling history is thus complemented by an ensemble of buildings with its own distinct date.

The buildings next to the dam at Okome kvarn are used as a local heritage centre and museum by the local heritage association and the parish association. A professional assessment from 2023 cites Okome kvarn's buildings and preserved dam as the basis for its high cultural and historical value. In addition to the milling operations, this brings the buildings' current use and the preserved dam into focus.

Discover more destinations: Skrea, Falkenberg, Vinberg, Olofsbo, Glommen, Grimsholmen, Hjortsberg, Gällared.

Return to the main travel guide: Falkenberg.