Discover Kungälv through two distinct highlights: the history of the fortress and the old town centre, and the Fontin nature reserve with its hiking and exercise loops. Specific activities and trail lengths can help you plan—from a one-hour historical group tour to loops with clearly stated distances.

Fortress and town history

Bohus Fortress is considered a symbol and landmark of Kungälv. Fästningsparken is located on the remains of the former town of Ny-Kungälv; the 14th-century fortress stands beside the park. A historical group tour at the fortress lasts one hour and is led by a guide dressed in medieval clothing. Its set duration gives you a specific timeframe for this cultural activity.

Kungälv’s old town centre also tells the story of the town’s past: it is a well-preserved wooden town and is of national heritage conservation interest. Kungälv Church offers another glimpse into the town’s architectural history. This Baroque wooden church was begun in 1679. Its vaulted wooden ceiling features paintings by Gothenburg artist Erik Eriksson Grijs from the late 1690s. The gravestones at Västra kyrkogården also offer insight into the town’s history.

Another archaeological landmark is located in Kungälv Municipality: Stora Smällen, an Iron Age burial ground with 160 archaeological monuments, lies at Västra Porten in Ytterby.

Cultural attractions and getting around

Mimers Kulturhus has a library, an art gallery and a theatre. At Mimers café, you can enjoy fika or a light meal; tickets for some events at the Kulturhus are also sold there. From Kungälv Travel Centre, it takes about ten minutes to walk to the Kulturhus.

The approximate walking time to Kastalaparken is also given as about ten minutes, but this route starts from the town centre. It heads west along Kongahällagatan via the Stadspromenaden trail. The two times therefore refer to different starting points and destinations: the travel centre and Mimers Kulturhus for one, and the town centre and Kastalaparken for the other. You can take these separate reference points into account when planning your routes.

Fontin and nature trails

The Fontin nature reserve borders Kungälv’s built-up area and is an important recreational area close to town. It includes coniferous forest, mixed forest, alder carr, beech forest, other deciduous woodland and pasture. The five signposted hiking and exercise loops are 900 metres, 1,250 metres, 2.5 kilometres, 5 kilometres and 10 kilometres long. You can choose according to distance: the shortest loop is less than one kilometre, while the longest is exactly ten kilometres.

Fontin is also a good starting point for the Bohusleden Trail. The long-distance trail runs between Lindome and Strömstad and is 370 kilometres long; two of its 27 stages pass through Kungälv Municipality. In Kungälv, you can therefore choose between individual circular loops of varying lengths and access to a much longer long-distance trail.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kovikshamn, Kärna, Romelanda, Kode, Tjuvkil, Marstrand, Harestad

Back to the main travel overview: Kungälv.