Stigen: Textile History, Hiking Trails and Swimming Spots

Stigen is a destination for visitors who want to include local history and time outdoors in their plans. The town’s development is closely connected to the textile industry. Other highlights include a manor house with a historic past, hiking opportunities and municipal swimming spots. This makes it possible to tailor your stay to different interests: you can explore the history of industry, plan around the National Day, or focus on trails and swimming.

Textile Industry and Historic Sites

Stigen grew up around a large wool mill, which began operating in 1874. It is considered the only place in Dalsland where the textile industry played such a significant role in the town’s founding. Wool production is therefore central to the town’s history. Other historic sites also offer insights into the area’s long industrial history. At the waterfalls formed by the Lillån west of Stigen, there were sawmills, grain mills and fulling mills as early as the 17th century. The lower western power station in Stigen was built in 1913. The dates therefore span the mills of the 17th century, the start of the wool mill and the power station in the early 20th century. Together, they give the area’s industrial history a long time frame, though the sites are not connected to a single event.

Stigen Manor and 6 June

The origins of Stigen Manor date back to the 1820s. The manor house can be rented for various events. It is also the venue for Färgelanda Municipality’s traditional National Day celebration on 6 June. If you would like to combine your trip with this event, check the programme for the relevant year in advance. This makes it possible to plan a visit around a fixed date, while the manor house also has its own historic connection to the town’s history.

Hiking and Scenery

Ödeborgsfjället is the southernmost tip of Kroppefjäll. It is a hilly, forested landscape with wetlands and small lakes in hollows. This combination of landscape features gives you a more specific picture than a general idea of forest: wetlands and small lakes are also part of the area. If a particular landscape is important to you when choosing where to stay, you can take these features into account.

There are wide, easy-to-walk paths around Brötegårdssjön; the terrain is suitable for strollers and small children. So when choosing a route, the condition of the paths matters as well as the scenery. The trailhead can be reached from Route 173 via Spinnarevägen in Stigen. There is a parking area about 300 metres after the turnoff. For directions to the starting point, note the road, the street name and the approximate distance to the parking area.

Outdoor swimming is another option: Stigen is one of the municipal outdoor swimming spots in Färgelanda Municipality. Along with the hiking trails, this offers another way to plan your stay. If you are mainly interested in the easy-to-walk paths around Brötegårdssjön, you can take their suitability for strollers and small children into account; if you want to visit the hiking trail, directions via Route 173 and Spinnarevägen can help.

Find a Hotel for Your Stay in Stigen

If you are travelling for the celebration, check the programme for the year before making firm plans. You can then compare the specific details of hotel offers with your own requirements.

Discover more destinations: Färgelanda, Rådanefors, Ödeborg, Högsäter

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