Brastad can be explored through several distinct themes: the Backa rock carvings, the old village path Via Sacra, Brastad Church and the agricultural landscape of the Kvarnebäcken valley system. For a stay, it is worth considering these separately: the rock carvings and path represent cultural history, the church represents architecture and building history, and the valley offers an open, grazed landscape.
Backa rock carvings: time and scale
There are more than 30 rock carvings at Backa in Brastad. They date from the Bronze Age and the earliest Iron Age, approximately from 1000 to 500 BC. The best-known carving is Skomakaren, a human figure almost two metres long. Together, these details offer two different measures of Backa’s cultural heritage: a long span of prehistoric time and the size of a single well-known motif. This makes it possible to consider both the carvings’ historical period and the figure’s distinctive character, without reducing the many carvings to a single image.
Via Sacra and the old village path
Via Sacra follows the old village path between Backa and Immestad. The name means “holy path of the rock carvings” and refers to the high concentration of carvings. The name explains why this path is regarded as a distinct part of the cultural heritage: it refers not just to a single figure, but to the concentration of rock carvings. Those interested in historic paths will find a different way to explore Backa here than through Skomakaren or the carvings’ historical period.
Brastad Church: Neo-Gothic design and older reliefs
Brastad Church was built in 1876–1877 to designs by Gustaf Dahl. Its medieval-inspired design has a strongly Neo-Gothic character, complemented by exposed granite façades and a patterned slate roof. The church can therefore be understood in terms of its construction date and design: it dates from the 19th century but is inspired by medieval architecture. Two relief panels from Brastad’s older medieval church were moved to the base of the tower of the new church. These panels make the different building phases tangible through a specific detail. Lysekil Parish invites visitors to the church. If you plan a visit, check current visiting arrangements in advance.
The Kvarnebäcken valley system and its grazing landscape
In and around Brastad, the Kvarnebäcken valley system includes an open, species-rich grazed valley landscape. North of Backa farm is an open grazing landscape with undisturbed, species-rich vegetation. Well-maintained pastures and species-rich dry slopes are found in places, with farmland surrounding these areas. The character of the landscape is therefore evident not only in the open valley, but also in the combination of pastures, dry slopes and the surrounding agricultural land. If you would also like to take landscape features into account when choosing where to stay, you can consider them as a separate focus alongside the cultural sites.
Planning information
From the Stångenäsvallen bus stop, it is 1.3 kilometres to the smaller Backa rock-carving area and a further 800 metres to the larger area. These distances distinguish between two destinations and offer practical guidance if you are planning to visit both. Brastad also has an outdoor fitness area at Brastad Arena, Sågvägen 15; parking is nearby. If you would like to include exercise alongside culture and landscape, you can add this facility as a separate activity.
Discover more destinations: Bro, Fiskebäckskil, Skalhamn, Brodalen, Grundsund, Lysekil, Torpet.
Go to the main travel overview: Lysekil.
