Hultafors: Forest, Water and Industrial History
Accommodation in Hultafors
Hultafors brings together forest landscapes, water and industrial history. The area consists mainly of a high-lying forest and wilderness area, crossed by a deep valley running from east to west. When choosing accommodation, it is worth considering whether you would prefer to spend most of your time outdoors or exploring the area's historical traces.
Viaredssjön stretches for just over seven kilometres from Hultafors towards Viared. Brown trout are found in the Sörån in Hultafors. Vikhult bathing area, with a small beach, is located on Viaredssjön.
Forest Landscapes, Water and Walking Trails
The Knalleleden passes through Hultafors and is one section of the walking trail from Rome to Grövelsjön. At Knalleleden, Fjällaberg serves as a rest stop, with wide views over lakes and forest areas. This route thus combines a named place to take a break with a sweeping view of the landscape.
Another walking-trail connection lies just outside the area: near Hultafors, a rest stop with a shelter, seating and a barbecue area is located along one stage of the Sjuhäradsleden. The Knalleleden passes through Hultafors, while this rest stop is outside the area.
Railway Station, Sanatorium and Industrial Buildings
Hultafors station building was constructed in 1907–09 in an English-inspired villa style. It was designed by Gothenburg architect Yngve Rasmussen. The station was a stop on the railway line between Gothenburg and Borås. Until 1972, the station building, with its post office and bank, remained a social hub for the area. This former role makes the station an important part of local history, without saying anything about rail services today.
Another chapter in the area's history began with the climate and water-cure sanatorium founded in 1908, which later became Hultafors Sanatorium. The stone bridge over the Sörån is also one of Hultafors's oldest monuments. These two examples add further aspects of the area's development to the history of the station.
The Hultafors wooden clog factory began operating at the Sörån waterfall in Hultafors in 1907, after the business was moved there. The present main building, with its office and factory areas, was built in the Functionalist style in 1939. East of the factory is a small brick building, built as a washhouse in 1945 and part of the factory site's history. The old sawmill in Vikhult is designated K and can still be operated with the help of a tractor.
Hydropower has also left visible traces: the Hultafors power station building has retained its original Neoclassical form from 1920. The inlet channel, hewn into the rock, runs 900 metres west from the Hultafors dam to the power station intake. The Hultafors dam retains numerous structural traces that tell the story of hydropower at this site.
Discover more destinations: Töllsjö, Bollebygd, Olsfors.
Back to the main travel overview: Bollebygd.
