If you start Unionsleden in Karlstad, you’ll begin with flat cycling out of the city through the Klarälven delta, on towards Borgvik and Säffle, before Dalsland leads you on into Østfold, Norway.
Along the whole route the scenery is striking, often beside lakes and canals.
As one of Sweden’s national cycle routes, Unionsleden must be safe for traffic and lead past sights worth seeing, and it’s divided into seven day stages – though the pace, of course, is up to you.
1. Sandgrundsudden, Karlstad
The route begins on the headland where the Klarälven flows out through Karlstad. Here you’ll find the Sandgrund art gallery with Lars Lerin’s watercolours, and across the park, Värmland Museum. A short stretch along the river, then the route turns west.
2. Skutberget, Karlstad
Just west of the centre lies Skutberget on Lake Vänern, a recreation area with shallow, gently shelving swimming spots, rocks and two campsites nearby – Bomstadbaden Camping and First Camp Skutberget – with forest running right down to the water. Time for a dip before the kilometres begin, or afterwards.
3. Borgvik
At one of Lake Vänern’s innermost bays lies Borgvik, one of Värmland’s best-preserved ironworks settlements. By the Borgviksälven river stand the ruins of the blast furnace from the old ironworks, whose steel went, among other things, into the building of the Eiffel Tower. Today there’s a hotel and restaurant in the 200-year-old Kungskvarnen, an art gallery and fine dining in Sliperiet from 1903, and a restaurant, café, gallery and farm shop at Borgviks Gård.
4. Von Echstedt Manor
Just north of Säffle lies von Echstedt Manor. From the outside it’s a strict Carolean manor from the 1760s, but inside the rooms are painted in rococo. On the grounds there’s a well-known outdoor privy with ceiling paintings, an herb garden with varieties of heirloom apples from Värmland, and a café. It’s run by Värmland Museum and open during the summer season.
5. Baldersnäs Manor
Here the route enters Dalsland, sometimes called “Sweden in miniature”. On a headland out in the lake stands Baldersnäs Manor, with an English park around it – a place to stay overnight midway along the route, with a restaurant and somewhere to lock your bike.
6. Not Quite, Fengersfors
In a defunct paper mill in Fengersfors, artists and craftspeople run the cultural centre Not Quite, with exhibitions, a shop, a café and a bistro.
7. The glass cabins in Dalsland i Dalsland
At Dalslands Aktiviteter stand the glass cabins that became known through the 72 Hour Cabin project. They sit on a headland by Lake Iväg, with glass walls facing the water, a wood-fired sauna at the shore and a rowing boat. Next to them is an activity centre, with a moose park among other things.
8. Høytorp Fort, Norge
After the border into Norway lies Høytorp Fort near Mysen, built between 1912 and 1918 as the main fort in a line of defence and drawn into the fighting against German forces in April 1940. Today it’s an outdoor recreation area with some forty buildings.
9. Solbergfoss power station, Norway
By the Glomma river stands the Solbergfoss power plant station, from 1913. The huge buildings and the volumes of water, at their greatest in spring, make it a popular spot for photographers.
10. Spydeberg Prestegård, Norge
Near Moss lies Spydeberg Prestegård, where King Christian Frederik held a council of state on 8 August 1814. That meeting, the Spydeberg Council, led to the Convention of Moss shortly afterwards. The estate also has a large garden. Here the route ends, at the place where the union once took shape.
Build your own journey
You don’t have to cycle the whole route in one go. A cycle bus with a trailer makes it possible to put together your own journey: on Tuesdays it runs from Karlstad to Moss and on Thursdays back, with several stops along the way. You can set out from one town, take the bus out and cycle back, or cycle a stretch and take the bus on.
The timetable is at unionsleden.com, where you can also piece together your own route. It’s often easier to park the car for a few days in a smaller town along the way than at the end points.
More on two wheels
There are more national cycle routes to discover in proximity to Unionsleden.