Uddevalla – Beach Promenade, Gustafsberg and Shell Banks

Gustafsberg is Sweden’s oldest seaside resort and spa, dating back to the late 18th century. Those looking for historic surroundings, walks, swimming and fika will find a clear focus there; the beach promenades, Tureslingan and Snäckskalstriangeln, on the other hand, lead through different types of landscape. At Skalbankarna, it is also possible to see how far back the region’s landscape history reaches.

Exploring Uddevalla on foot and by bicycle

Strandpromenaden is a 9.3-kilometre walking and cycling route. It leads from Skalbankarna to Lindesnäs through the centre of Uddevalla.

While some sections of Tureslingan can be quite steep, Emauspromenaden is about 600 metres long and is also easy to navigate by wheelchair, rollator or stroller. At around 600 metres, Emauspromenaden is therefore significantly shorter than Tureslingan, whose circular route measures about 2 kilometres.

Tureslingan is an option for a shorter hike with significantly more challenging sections. The red-marked circular hiking trail is about 2 kilometres long and leads from the residential area of Tureborg via the ruins into the Ture dalar nature reserve. Some sections are quite steep and can be difficult. The ruins are also part of local folklore.

Another way to explore the landscape is Snäckskalstriangeln. The hiking trail connects the three areas of Uddevalla with shell banks: Kuröd, Ramseröd and Älje Porsen.

Gustafsberg and the Bohusläns museum

In the historic surroundings, visitors can go for walks, swim and enjoy fika. The old bathhouses, which now serve as a hostel, a brick boarding-school building erected in 1897, and numerous private villas from the same period have been preserved, among other things.

The Bohusläns museum focuses on the history and culture of the wider region. On display are permanent exhibitions on the history of Bohuslän, temporary exhibitions and contemporary art. The permanent exhibitions relate to the history of Bohuslän; temporary exhibitions and contemporary art complement this focus. Various events and lectures take place regularly, so depending on the programme, a museum visit can be combined with a cultural focus.

Shell banks and protected nature

The Gustavsbergsområdet is part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas. At Skalbankarna, there are hiking trails as well as the Skalbanksmuseet. The shells found there came from animals that lived more than 10,000 years ago, when the inland ice had just melted and Uddevalla was under water. This geological background gives the trails and the museum a distinctive focus within a stay in Uddevalla. The landscape history at Skalbankarna therefore reaches significantly further back than the historic surroundings of Gustafsberg from the late 18th century.

Other places in the surrounding area

For further orientation within the same broader region, you can also find Hogstorp, Stan, Herrestad, Dramsvik, Lane-Ryr, Kamperöd and Högås.

To the broader travel overview: Uddevalla.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Uddevalla-Trollhättan.