Discover Uddevalla: Hiking Trails, History and Nature

If you are planning a trip to Uddevalla, you can organize your interests for your stay around specific themes: routes through central areas, hiking, historic spa architecture, and natural and regional history. The routes differ in length and terrain; historic buildings and exhibitions offer a different focus from route planning. You can first decide whether you would like to include longer routes, an easy-to-walk path, architecture or museum topics in your stay.

Gustafsberg and its spa history

Gustafsberg is Sweden’s oldest seaside resort and spa, dating back to the late 18th century. Its surviving historic buildings include old bathhouses, now used as a hostel, a brick boarding-school building constructed in 1897, and numerous private villas from the same period. The different buildings offer a tangible way to explore the history of the place: the spa resort dates back to the late 18th century, while the boarding-school building has a specific construction year. Visitors can walk, swim and enjoy fika in Gustafsberg’s historic surroundings. If you are interested in architecture, you can focus on the surviving buildings; other options include walking, swimming or enjoying fika.

Routes by length and terrain

Strandpromenaden is a 9.3-kilometre walking and cycling route. It runs from Skalbankarna to Lindesnäs and passes through the centre of Uddevalla. Its endpoints and route through the centre are clearly specified. Tureslingan is shorter: this red-marked circular hiking trail is about 2 kilometres long and runs from the Tureborg residential area, past ruins, into the Ture dalar nature reserve. Some sections are quite steep and can be difficult. For a shorter route, consider Emauspromenaden, which is about 600 metres long and easy to navigate with a wheelchair, walker or pushchair. The three routes therefore differ in more than length: Strandpromenaden is designated as a walking and cycling route, Tureslingan as a circular hiking trail with steep sections, and Emauspromenaden is noted as being easy to navigate with various mobility aids. These differences can help you choose a route that suits your plans.

Natural history and protected areas

Snäckskalstriangeln connects three areas of Uddevalla with shell banks: Kuröd, Ramseröd and Älje Porsen. There are hiking trails at Skalbankarna, and you can also visit the Skalbanksmuseet. It contains shells of animals that lived more than 10,000 years ago, when the inland ice had just melted and Uddevalla was underwater. This timeline places the shell deposits in the context of the area’s landscape history. Gustavsbergsområdet is part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas. The ruins of Ture Malmgrens borg are part of local folklore and offer another aspect of the area’s cultural heritage.

Exhibitions and events

Bohusläns museum presents permanent exhibitions on the history of Bohuslän, temporary exhibitions and contemporary art. The museum also regularly hosts events and talks. Its programme therefore encompasses both regional history and changing exhibition and event themes. If you are planning your visit around a particular exhibition or talk, check the current schedule beforehand. This lets you include museum topics in your travel plans without assuming specific dates.

For the general travel overview: Uddevalla.