Borås between art and nature

Borås combines urban culture with nature: the city is surrounded by forests and lakes, and its distinctive features include public art, museums and a variety of outdoor trails. You can focus your stay on exhibitions and city views, or make hiking and other activities the main focus.

Art, textiles and discoveries

In the city centre, there are more than a hundred sculptures, installations and murals within an area of just under 1.5 kilometres. Borås has around 40 murals; most were created as part of the former No Limit® festival. The Hej Borås app offers three different art walks and shows additional sculptures and street art murals. One art walk is 1.3 kilometres long and starts and ends at Sandwalls Plats. This lets you explore the city's artworks along different routes without limiting your visit to a single trail.

Borås Konstmuseum displays national and international contemporary art; admission is free. The collection at Textilmuseet spans Swedish textile industry products from the 1870s to the present day. If you want to do more than visit exhibitions, there's also a DIY area: tools and materials for your own sewing projects are available to visitors free of charge. The two museums have different focuses: contemporary art at one, and the history and products of the textile industry at the other.

At Navet Science Center, experiments and interactive discoveries invite people of all ages to explore. The exhibitions cover natural sciences, lightning, mental challenges and space. Around 300 animals from 42 different species live at Borås Djurpark. The zoo also serves as a centre for species conservation, biodiversity and research. These attractions complement visits to art and museums with science and wildlife.

Hiking trails, landscapes and winter activities

Borås has 16 nature reserves, where recreational activities include fishing, birdwatching and hiking. The Borås Outdoor Guide shows hiking trails, facilities and nature reserves, and provides information on difficulty, length and amenities. There are also numerous hiking and exercise trails where you can experience nature on foot. The distances and difficulty levels listed in the guide are useful points of comparison when planning different routes.

Rya Åsar is right next to central Borås. Trails wind through rocky landscapes and oak forests, and the area also features lakes and viewpoints. From Björbobacken, an accessible one-kilometre path leads to a viewpoint with tables and benches. There are also hiking trails of 2.4, 4 and 9 kilometres, with varying difficulty levels. The longer trails range from moderate to challenging. The options therefore include both a short path to the viewpoint and longer routes with specified difficulty levels.

Other types of trails offer even more options: the 8.5-kilometre Storsjöleden gives you a sense of wilderness and passes traces of the old cultural landscape. Four exercise or hiking trails start from the Ymer outdoor recreation area; the long Sjuhäradsleden hiking trail also passes Ymergården. Ymer also has a 27-hole disc golf course. The Linnémarschen routes range from an accessible 3-kilometre course to a two-day, 57-kilometre hike with an overnight stay in a tent. The hiking event has been held in Borås for over 40 years and is now considered Sweden's largest hiking event.

The season can also shape your choice of activities. Winter options in Borås include toboggan runs, ice rinks, winter swimming and ski slopes. In winter, Borås Skidstadion, with ski slopes and artificial snowmaking capacity, is located just below the Ymer outdoor recreation area. Winter activities are thus available alongside hiking and exercise options, while the trails vary in character and difficulty.

Experiences in the surrounding area and getting there

Vänga mosse is in the area around Borås, about half an hour from the city. It offers an easy hike and abundant birdlife. Part of the trail is accessible and runs along wide wooden boardwalks. Also nearby, the canoe route in Bosnäs follows the Bosjön lake system; the full route takes about two hours by canoe. These excursions complement the trails and natural areas in Borås with a hike through a bog and a trip on the water.

Bus route 100 connects Gothenburg with Borås Central Station; the journey takes just under an hour. Check the current timetable before departure, as route details may change.

Discover more destinations: Backabo, Kinnarumma, Borås, Dalsjöfors, Rydboholm, Dannike, Sjömarken, Seglora, Sparsör, Målsryd, Borgstena, Bredared, Äspered, Aplared.

For the broader travel overview: Västra Götaland.