Alingsås: Fika, Culture and Nature

Nolhaga slott stands in Nolhaga Park, an imposing building in the Italian Neo-Renaissance style from the late 19th century. The castle houses the exhibition “FIKA! Från kafferep till en slät kopp” about Swedish fika culture and Alingsås as a café city; it also covers the city’s bakery and café history. Alingsås is known as Kaféstaden and has a long café and bakery history.

Culture and Fika

Nolhaga slott is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. There is a wheelchair lift at the main entrance, while a lift leads to the exhibition floors. The guided fika walk is also part of the city’s culinary history: it combines Alingsås’s long bakery tradition with tastings of classic baked goods in traditional cafés.

The Nolhaga Maze contains 33 panels with texts about the history of Alingsås. The Alingsås Museum presents local historical objects, events and people in the historic Alströmerska magasinet. In addition to the museum, Alingsås Kulturhus also comprises Alingsås konsthall, Alingsås bibliotek and Palladium.

Nature and Landscape

Part of Nolhagaviken belongs to the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Nolhagaviken is an area open to visitors for birdwatching, with a wheelchair-accessible bird tower and a rich variety of birdlife. Nolhaga Park offers walking paths, a cycling trail, a bird tower and an observation tower; Lake Mjörn, with a bathing beach, is nearby.

The Brobacka Nature Reserve contains around 40 glacial potholes formed by the inland ice. The large glacial pothole there has a diameter of 18 m. A well-signposted hiking trail of approximately 1 to 1.5 km leads through the area of the glacial potholes to a viewing platform and a viewpoint on the mountain.

The Brobacka Nature Reserve also contains a small soldiers’ cottage with an exhibition. Guided tours of varying lengths and difficulty levels are available, including storytelling walks for children. A 2.6 km-long nature and cultural trail runs through Dammsjöås, with around ten information panels.

History at Anten and Gräfsnäs

The ruins of Gräfsnäs slott are the remains of a castle built in the mid-1550s on a hill that juts into the northern part of Lake Anten. A cultural reserve was established for Gräfsnäsparken in 2010. Several events, markets and artist performances take place there during the summer months.

The Anten-Gräfsnäs Museijärnväg runs steam locomotives along a 12 km route beside Lake Anten. Its station area includes a museum, a café, a railway park and a historic station building.

Trails, Water and Park Activities

The Gotaleden passes through Alingsås, through quiet forests, along Lake Mjörn and through Kongo to the picturesque town centre. The trail is divided into nine stages, which are easily accessible from commuter train stations along the route.

Nolhaga Parkbad has two 25-metre pools, a leisure pool and a relaxation area. At Nolhaga lantgård, visitors can get up close to Swedish heritage breeds in a petting enclosure. Fishing Sweden offers guided fishing tours on Lakes Mjörn, Anten and Sävelången. At KAYAKOMAT, kayaks and SUP boards can be rented for paddling in Alingsås.

Getting There and Other Places

Commuter trains run from Gothenburg to Alingsås every half hour; the journey takes approximately 40 minutes. The following places belong to the wider Alingsås area: Lycke, Hemsjö, Alingsås, Sollebrunn, Ödenäs and Långared/Alingsås.

For the higher-level travel overview: Västra Götaland.

More Destinations

More places in the same destination:

Borås, Vårgårda.