Excursions

Experience Swedish nature and nature conservation first hand! The sites and themes for the excursions were carefully selected to highlight significant natural and cultural features of Swedish nature as well as associated management practices in Sweden.

Excursions  

A1. Discover Life Below the Surface in Kosterhavet National Park

Discover the teeming life below the surface of Kosterhavet National Park during a visit to the Sven Lovén Center for Marine Sciences at Tjärnö. Guided by marine biologists aboard a research vessel and with the aid of a remote-controlled submersion camera we will learn about life 100 metres deep. This excursion includes a visit to Sweden’s most species-rich aquarium where visitors can see and touch some of the marine organisms that are part of Kosterhavet marine life. We will also visit a sandbar and look at life there. 

Location: Sven Lovén Center for Marine Sciences at Tjärnö and Kosterhavet National Park

A2. Sail the Archipelago on the Swedish West Coast

Discover the archipelago and Kosterhavet National Park as part of the crew onboard a sailboat. The excursion will take us through the national park and will be combined with a landing at the Koster Islands. You will have the opportunity to learn more about the unique characteristics of the area and how sustainable recreation can contribute to the local economy.  

Location: Kosterhavet National Park

A3. Experience Kosterhavet National Park by Boat

Enjoy Strömstad’s beautiful inner archipelago and Koster Fjord while learning how Kosterhavet became Sweden’s first marine national park. Dramatic scenery including barren islets and skerries and hundreds of seals sunbathing and playing in the water are just some of the sites you will see along the way. This excursion includes a stop to Ursholmen to visit a lighthouse and museum where you will also learn about the history of the area and how fishermen and islanders live today. During this excursion we will learn about the process behind the making of the national park.   

Location: Kosterhavet National Park

A4. Sustainable Fishing in Kosterhavet National Park

Spend the morning and early afternoon learning about sustainable fishing practices in Kosterhavet National Park. We will go by boat alongside a sustainable shrimp trawler while it is trawling for shrimp. It will then bring us to Torskholmen, a fishing port where we will sample the fresh shrimp whilst listening to fishermen telling us about sustainable fisheries developed in the Koster–Väderö Fjord. Representatives of the Sven Lovén Center for Marine Sciences and the management of the national park will tell us more about the joint initiative.  

Location: Kosterhavet National Park

A5. Rock carvings at the Tanum World Heritage Site

This excursion features a visit to the unique rock carvings in Tanum, on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1994. In addition to an inspiring guided tour of Vitlycke Museum and the 3000-year-old Tanum rock carvings, we will visit a Bronze Age village to learn more about how life was lived back then. We will dine on a traditional Bronze Age menu at the Museum and then continue to a nearby nature reserve, popular for its beautiful beaches where we will engage in further discussions on cultural heritage. Bring swimwear! 

Location: Tanum World Heritage site, Vitlycke Museum

A6. Walking tour of Trossö, Kalvö and Lindö islands

Discover the varied coastal landscapes of Trossö, Kalvö and Lindö, a chain of three islands that form one of the most beautiful and well-kept nature reserves in the country. Species action plans and management of the coastal landscape will be the topic of discussion as we trek across these islands where biodiversity is maintained with the help of grazing Highland cattle. The islands are inhabited with villages and many historically significant buildings on Kalvö and Lindö.  

Location: Trossö, Kalvö and Lindö islands

A7. Visit Nordens Ark Zoo and Ramsvikslandet Nature Reserve

The day starts with a visit to Nordens Ark Zoo where we will see wolves, wolverines, white-backed woodpeckers, forest deer and the Great Grey Owl and learn more about a unique conservation breeding and recovery programme. After lunch we will head to Ramsvikslandet nature reserve, nearly 800 hectares of rocky landscapes broken by moorlands, dry heaths and meadows and home to several red-listed species. Management plans, species conservation and biodiversity in semi-natural grasslands will be the topics of the day. 

Location: Nordens Ark Zoo and Ramsvikslandet Nature Reserve

A8. Experience the Halleberg and Hunneberg Table Mountains and the Tunhems Ekhagar Nature Reserve

A local guide will bring us on a tour of the Halleberg and Hunneberg Table Mountains. These geologically interesting sites feature unusual screes that form the basis for a rich flora and fauna. We will also visit Tunhems Ekhagar Nature Reserve, home to several hundred great oaks which host many rare and endangered beetle species and several red-listed tree lichens. On this trip we will learn more about biodiversity and work with species action plans in Sweden.  

Location: Halleberg and Hunneberg, Tunhems Ekhagar Nature Reserve

A9. Experience the Wilderness of Tresticklan National Park on Foot

Along the border with Norway in western Dalsland lies the huge rocky wilderness of Tresticklan National Park, the largest uninhabited and roadless tract in southern Sweden. Visitors to the national park are greeted by the sight of pristine forest, beautiful lakes and a remarkable landscape. On the way to Tresticklan we will also make a stop in a forest nature reserve where the forest is actively managed for nature conservation purposes. In Tresticklan we will experience the unique cultural heritage of the area as we enjoy a challenging hike through the national park.  

Location: Tresticklan National Park

A10. Sustainable Tourism in Kosterhavet National Park

Experience Kosterhavet National Park by gliding through the water in a kayak! If the weather allows we will cross the 250-metre-deep Koster Fjord to the protected Koster Archipelago together with a certified ecotourism guide. Sustainable tourism and its contribution to the local economy will be the topic of the day. Depending on weather conditions the paddling can be somewhat physically demanding but prior kayaking experience is not necessary.  

Location: Kosterhavet National Park

A11. Discover the Koster Islands by Bike The day begins with a ferry to Sydkoster Island where we will pick up our bikes and enjoy a guided tour of the island. We will learn about the fantastic nature and cultural history of the island, visit a beach and learn about the various organisms living there before stopping for lunch at Koster Gardens, a slow food restaurant. After lunch we will learn more from a local guide about the importance of “green areas” for human health and well-being and how nature interpretation can be used to enhance the experience of a natural area.  

Location:  Sydkoster, Kosterhavet National Park