Mellerud between Lake Vänern, the Canal and Cultural History

Mellerud is part of the Dalsland region on the western shore of Lake Vänern. The municipality connects Kroppefjäll in the west with Lake Vänern in the east, with forests, lakes, canal landscapes, and open plains in between. The selection of localities includes not only the eponymous Mellerud but also Åsensbruk, Håverud, Dalskog, and Köpmannebro.

Water and Landscapes

The Dalsland Canal is open to boat traffic every year from June to August. The Visit Dalsland Center in Håverud offers seasonal tourist information with brochures and maps for Mellerud and Dalsland. The center also has exhibition and concert halls, as well as a café. A grocery store sells locally produced food.

The Akvedukten i Håverud solved the problem of building the canal, which had been created by soft rock and a deep, gorge-like valley; a railway bridge and a road bridge are also located at the same site. Vita Sannar is a long, gently sloping sandy beach on Lake Vänern with a jetty leading to the rocks, benches, changing rooms, and toilets. The beach can be reached by car, bicycle, and on foot; there is a large nearby parking area with bicycle racks.

Nature and Trails

Buterud Nature Reserve can be reached via a trail from HÃ¥verud or by canoe via the Dalsland Canal. It features leafy forests with many yew trees, the rare chickling vetch and orchids, as well as habitats for several woodpecker species. Forsbo Nature Reserve is one of the most species-rich areas in Dalsland and includes around 80 endangered or Red-Listed species.

Visitors to Forsbo Nature Reserve can park at the lock or at Dalslands Museum and follow the Pilgrimsleden north into the reserve. Forsbo can be reached by car via HÃ¥verud or by bus to Upperud. The Pilgrimsleden Dalsland is generally rated as moderately difficult, marked in orange, and the entire route is designed to take approximately four to five days of hiking.

Culture and History

Hantverksgatan at Mellerud Museum offers insights into historic trades, including blacksmithing, tailoring, shoemaking, and ironing. The museum presents historic residential and everyday-life settings from different eras, including a dwelling hut for poor rural inhabitants, a farmhouse kitchen, and a middle-class room. The Dalaborg Room contains a reconstruction model of the medieval Dalaborg Castle, which was built on Lake Vänern in 1304 and burned down in 1434 during Engelbrekt's uprising.

Dalslands Konstmuseum is situated on a hill overlooking Lake Spången in an area that was formerly shaped by industry. The museum has a permanent collection and presents exhibitions of contemporary art from March to November. The museum has a guest jetty and parking for cars; bus service is available via the stop at the Upperud lock on route 720. The museum park contains sculptures and walking paths, and swimming is possible at the lake by the guest jetty.

Kanalmuseet in Håverud presents the history of the Dalsland Canal and life along the rivers, lakes, and canal from the 1800s to the present day. Kulturbruket på Dal in central Mellerud offers concerts, theater, dance, humor, and lectures in a concert hall with 243 seats. Åsnebyn is a cultural reserve designated in 2008, with a farm whose origins date back to the Middle Ages; the landscape contains traces of earlier times.

The museum grounds of Kroppefjälls Hembygdsförening include relocated historic buildings, a herb garden with around 350 plants, and a geological hill with rock types from Dalsland. The museum presents the regional slate industry in an indoor and outdoor exhibition. It is located in the former restaurant of Rostocks Brunn- och Badeanstalt and displays objects from the health resort era and the local area.

Rostocks Brunn operated as a health resort until 1948; that year marked the end of an approximately 300-year chapter in the history of Dals Rostock. Örtagården in Dals Rostock contains around 250 plants and explains the history and uses of medicinal plants in connection with the former health resort.

To the main travel overview: Västra Götaland.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Vara, Sunnersberg, Bengtsfors.