Hallå! Welcome to Sweden’s south-west coast, and the start of the country’s first national cycle path; the Kattegattleden. You’ll spend your first night of the tour in Helsingborg. Your hotel is well-located in the centre of town, allowing you ample opportunity to explore this beautiful, medieval town by the ocean.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 213 Metres Approx.

After a welcome briefing with a member of the local team at 9:00am and ensuring you‘re happy with your rental bikes, you’ll be ready to set off on your Swedish adventure.

This part of the Kattegattleden offers a lovely coastal tour with staggering views of Öresund and out to Danish Zealand.

You’ll start your journey in Helsingborg, passing Sofiero Castle one of Sweden’s most beautiful castles, situated just north of the town. The route continues up towards Höganäs and out to the gorgeous, rocky landscape of the Kullahalvön peninsula. Kullaberg Nature Reserve can be found on the furthest tip of Kullahalvön, and if you have time for a detour from the path, it’s well worth a visit.

As you continue, you will soon reach Höganäs, where farm shops and tasty food are distinguishing features. Some of Skåne’s finest vineyards are also located here. If the weather allows, we’d recommend picking up some treats and enjoying a picnic along the way.

The tour continues around the beautiful, dramatic Kullahalvön peninsula, towards the 500-year-old town of Ängelholm, your destination for the day. Home to six kilometers of sandy beaches and glittering ocean, you’ll find Ängelholm perfectly located between two peninsulas, it’s a lovely natural setting for your overnight stay.

(It’s possible to shorten today’s ride to 29 Miles / 46 Kms / 140 Metres. To do this you have to leave the path, and ride approximately 6 Miles / 10 Kms on a minor road with little traffic between Höganäs and Jonstorp.)

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 322 Metres Approx.

From Ängelholm, the Kattegattleden continues along the coast before it cuts across the peninsula, into the heart of Bjäre. The climb will be gentle at first, but soon becomes steeper. You are now proceeding into a modern agricultural setting, and will gradually reach the small-scale agricultural countryside that has been breeding livestock since prehistoric times and is typical of Bjärehalvön.

After a thrilling ride down the ridge, the stretch concludes in the entertainment metropolis of Båstad. A few Kms after Båstad, you and your bikes can jump on the train to Halmstad. (Price for the train (incl. bike) approx 10-20 Euros – bike spaces on the train are limited so you may need to wait for a space.)

The standard ride to Båstad train station is 60 Kms / 322 Metres, however you can shorten the ride by skipping the Bjäre pensinsula (41 Kms / 265 Metres). If you’d like some extra miles in your wheels, you‘re welcome to ride the entire way from Ängelholm to Halmstad – Total stretch 94 Kms / 386 Metres (or 76 Kms / 329 Metres if you skip the Bjäre peninsula.)

If riding from Båstad, the route continues along one of the longest sandy beaches in Sweden and then makes a turn inland towards the nature reserves of Gullbränna and and Tönnersa. Shortly after this you will reach Halmstad and the route will take you through the city centre. A port and university town bustling with life, the town centre’s stone streets are lined with cafes and taverns, popular with locals and tourists alike. A great spot to have a cold Sofiero and a Kladdkaka (a Swedish sticky chocolate cake)

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 207 Metres Approx.

From Halmstad, you will continue riding west, towards one of the most beloved beaches of the west coast, Tylösand. The blue-flag designated Tylösand is Halmstad’s most popular beach area, and always has a great atmosphere, especially around the section of beach directly adjacent to the holiday village Tylösand. Tylösand is followed by the beaches of Frösakull, Ringenäs and Vilshärad, and after this the path turns eastwards and connects to Kustvägen, the coast road.

Along the way you’ll pass several beautiful nature reserves with unique beach meadows both before and after the charming village of Steninge. Right around Steninge beach the landscape will change from barren and stony into a lush agricultural setting, guiding you to your overnight stop of the day: Falkenberg. Falkenberg is really charming, with lovely crooked houses dotting its cobbled streets, a great setting for an evening stroll.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 89 Metres Approx.

The route today continues through the town of Falkenberg, one of the oldest of Hallands’ medieval towns.

You’ll pass several fishing villages along the way like Lövstaviken and Glommen, and in Träslövsläge you can feast on freshly cooked seafood and delicious ice cream from the local ice cream parlour.

As you are getting closer to Varberg, the final destination of the day, you’ll pass Apelviken, a beach that attracts windsurfers from all over Europe. A short ride away the Varberg Fortress will tower before you, well worth a visit. You can bike all the way up to the fortress if you are up for a challenge. Or, make a visit to Societetsparken instead and take a well-deserved rest in the shade of the leafy trees.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 358 Metres Approx.

North of Varberg, the scenery changes – sandy beaches become rocky cliffs and the first islands begin to appear, like Getterön, Balgö and Vendelsö. Further on you will get to a quiet stretch along the ocean and the beautiful beaches of Åsa.

Further up the route we recommend a small detour to visit Tjolöholm Castle, Sweden’s only Tudor castle, before continuing to Kungsbacka, the final stop for today and one of the largest trade centres in western Sweden.

(It’s possible today to shorten the ride to 31 Miles / 50 Kms / 207 Metres, by biking from Varberg to Åsa and then catching the train to Kungsbacka.)

Alternatively, a nice detour, away from the official Kattegattleden path is the ride out to Fjärås Bräcka, famous for its 100 standing stones at the Li grave field. The route takes you on small roads alongside fields and horse pastures until you reach Kungsbacka, This route is not sign posted so you’ll be reading an old fashioned map for this section!

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 299 Metres Approx.

This last stretch of the route runs along the Kungsbacka fjord, back towards the ocean. You’ll pass the small seaside village of Särö, where royalty and Gothenburg society used to meet for their amusement in the early twentieth century. The trail continues along cliffs, lush forests, bays and small harbours, offering plenty of places to swim or just relax.

As you approach central Gothenburg, you will pass Nya Varvet and the Klippan Culture Reserve and continue along Göta älv until you reach your final destination: the Göteborg Opera and the Lilla Bommen harbour.

Welcome to Gothenburg. Time for a celebratory Schnapps – Skål (cheers)!

If you want to get to that Schnapps a little quicker, you can shorten the ride to 25 Miles / 41 Kms / 217 Metres by skipping the Onsala peninsula.

• Meals: Breakfast

Time to say goodbye to the coast, and head off for onward journeys. Let us know if we can help organise any extra nights to extend your stay in this lovely part of the world.

There are some beautiful archipelagos off the coast of Gothenburg and we’d love to help you organise some riding here if you’d like to extend your stay. Please contact us for details!