Kulturista - Cultural Experiences in West Sweden

C U LT U R E E X P E R I E N C E S I N W E S T S W E D E N 32 Time to plan your next holiday? Here are three tips for holiday-makers who enjoy taking in a nice mix of cultural heritage sites and picturesque views from the saddle of their bike. Discover works by international artists along the coast, ride through the Sjuhäradsbygden region’s historic Textile Country, or watch leisurely canal boats cruise the waters of one of Sweden’s all-time greatest building projects. Three inspiring cultural- heritage bike trails “ T H E W O R L D ’ S S W E AT I E S T A R T T R A I L” Despite its modest size, Bohuslän Province’s Tjörn Island boasts world-class cultural experiences. Among these is the chance to cycle what has been dubbed “the world’s sweatiest art trail”. The first stop along the route is the Nordic Watercolour Museum, where the magnificence of the panoramic views out over the local ar- chipelago is equalled by the creativity displayed in the artwork. Next you will cycle from Skärhamn’s quay onward through the streets of this charming seaside hamlet. As town gives way to countryside, one of Sweden’s most beautiful cultural landscapes will open up before your eyes. The tour continues on towards the “promised land” of the coastal wet meadows along winding trails and past windblown pine forests. A good ten kilometres more in the saddle will take you to the sculpture park Sculpture in Pilane, which was recognised by the Guardian newspaper in 2016 as one of Europe’s most beautiful sculpture parks. Here, you are free to park your bike and spend the afternoon outdoors in a landscape dotted with seaside cliffs, Stone-age burial sites, free-roaming sheep and enchanting sculp- tures by world-leading artists. S J U H Ä R A D ’ S T E X T I L E C O U N T R Y Following narrow, meandering roads, the Textile Merchants’ Estate Trail weaves its way like a curling thread through Sjuhä- rad’s charming and historic Textile Country. Textile manufacturing organised by local merchants first took T E X T J O H A N T Ö R N R O T H