Sweden’s ruggedly beautiful west coast

My idea of Sweden was based entirely on Scandi-noir dramas, all bleak landscapes, depressed people and woolly jumpers. Driving from the airport in early December the grey skies and vast landscape of fallow fields and red farm buildings confirmed that impression, especially as the sun started to set at around 4pm. But alongside those dark skies and empty spaces there was already a feeling of calm as we whizzed along in our rental car, which was of course a Volvo.

At almost twice the size of the UK but with a population density 90% lower, Sweden is a land of open landscapes and wild coastline. We were touring a small part of West Sweden made up of three provinces: Bohuslän, Dalsland, Västergötland. Lakes, mountains, forests and the endless islands are all within a few hours of Gothenburg so even without a car everything is accessible using the excellent trains, buses and ferries.

A charming seaside village

We started in Lyckorna, a historic seaside resort founded in 1877 by Robert MacFie, the son of William Andrew MacFie (credited with introducing curling to Sweden in 1846) who established a spa and bathing resort on this forested ridge. Now a charming village, with its traditional church with prominent spire overlooking the town and the old clock tower converted into a wonderful mussel and fish restaurant.

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We arrived in time for Lucia Day, an annual Christian festival celebrated throughout Sweden and as iconic as the midsummer crayfish parties. There was a procession to the church of white clad handmaidens (tärnor), star boys (stjärngossar) and gingerbread men (pepparkaksgubbar) with candle wreaths on the maidens’ heads – now battery powered rather than actual flames.

We were staying just up the hill at Villa Sjötorp, a classic summer house completed in 1901 by Carl Emil Haeger. The white clapboard exterior topped with typical Norse dragon heads was taken back into the family in 1995 by Haeger’s great great granddaughter Ellika Modenfelt, who painstakingly restored it to its former glory with the help of local craftsmen. The minute we entered we were greeted by glorious colour, festive winter decorations and happy people. Our bedroom overlooked the sea with a large ceramic-tiled chimney and a classic cast-iron bed. Here we found the genius Swedish invention of single duvets on the double bed. At first we were bemused by it but as we snuggled under our individual goose feather duvets we had a blissful night’s sleep without having to fight for the covers.

The living areas featured elegant rooms with gilded wooden carved ceilings, a welcome fireplace and a popular restaurant serving delicious food from local sustainable and organic producers. As we were there in December we got to experience a traditional Julbord, a magnificent spread with a heavy focus on pickled herring. Ellika talked us through how to approach a frankly intimidating volume of food starting with 10 varieties of pickled herring served alongside wholemeal crackers and dark bread, washed down with brännvin, the Swedish schnapps which comes with its own song. Next up was a variety of fish and salads before we moved onto the cured meats and, finally, the hot food including baked ham, meatballs, sausages and a potato and salt-fish casserole. We finished off with more cheese and bread, and a selection of sweets and desserts. The highlight was the herring of which the Swedish are rightly proud, and obsessed with. You can eat it fresh and it’s delicious simply grilled.

It was hard to crawl out of our comfy bed early but we were booked to go kayaking along the coast. Our lovely hosts had prepared a breakfast of breads, fruit, coffee and boiled eggs with tubes of Kalles Kaviar Original, a smoked cod’s roe paste that’s almost as much of a national obsession as the herring.

Ancient oyster beds and rocky islands

Perhaps the best way to experience West Sweden is on the water. Ingela and Marcus run Skärgårdsidyllen Kayak & Outdoor activities in the magnificent archipelago of Grönemad, Grebbestad. It had been many decades since I’d been kayaking so Ingela kindly offered to go in a tandem kayak with me as, despite the comprehensive safety instruction and dry suit, I didn’t fancy falling into the North Sea in winter. Under grey and sleeting skies we paddled out onto the water where we passed ancient oyster beds and rocky islands with traditional fisherman’s huts. Eider ducks and black guillemots kept us company as Marcus and Ingela talked about the history of the area including pointing out their house overlooking the sea. They also run guided kayaking tours in the national marine park of Kosterhavet, hiking, paddle boarding and yoga, fishing and food tours throughout the year. You couldn’t wish for better guides and their glowing good health is testament to the benefits of outdoor life.

If you have time it’s well worth exploring Grebbestad, a popular seaside town with excellent seafood options, but we had a boat to catch. About nine miles off the coast of Bohuslän you can find Väderöarnas Värdshus, an inn with 22 rooms. This rugged island has cliff paths leading to the old pilot lookout, and sheltered coves. Set within the Väderöarna marine nature reserve, in season you can fish for lobster and crayfish but in December the best thing to do was have a wood-fired sauna and hot tub, complete with cold plunges into the dark winter sea.

But the highlight was the warm, friendly people who are proud of their country. They were keen to explain the best ways to enjoy the visit, from the choice of drinks to have in the hot tub, to sauna etiquette and braving that night-time dip. The sea didn’t exactly look inviting but cheered on by the Swedes I made like the locals and took the plunge, although – full disclosure – it was teeth-achingly cold so I stayed in for just enough time to defend national pride before jumping back into the hot tub. At dinner our enthusiasm for herring shocked them as they were sure all English people hated them. When we assured them we thought they were delicious it sparked a discussion from all the guests over the best places to eat Julbord. No one could agree where that was but when I asked what made a great Julbord the geneßral consensus was the more herring the better. As we sat outside wrapped against the cold and stared up at the star-filled sky, only the gentle lapping of the sea and the happy sound of the drinking songs disturbed the silence of the wilderness. Those Scandi dramas might have depicted the landscape, but they failed to prepare us for the warmth of the people.

Natasha was a guest of Visit West Sweden; westsweden.com