Rock carving sites, a Bronze Age farmstead and a hiking trail through several named areas give Tanum a clear focus on culture and hiking. You can structure your trip around cultural heritage in the landscape, the museum and the municipality of Tanum’s other leisure activities.
Rock Carvings and Trails in the World Heritage Area
The Tanum rock carvings offer insight into the lives and beliefs of people in the Bronze Age. Vitlyckehällen features almost 500 different rock carvings. In the Tanum area, there is also a human figure over two metres tall with a raised spear, nicknamed Spjutguden (the Spear God).
The trails to the Vitlycke rock carvings have information boards and are equipped with steps to improve accessibility. The large Litsleby panel is accessible by wheelchair. This information refers to specific locations and trails and should not be assumed to apply to the entire World Heritage area.
The World Heritage walks trail in the Tanum area is six kilometres long and runs through the rock carving sites of Lövåsen, Gerum and Sotetorp. It can be divided into a northern and a southern section, each approximately three kilometres long. This means you can include either the full route or one of the shorter sections in your plans. The trail also has three rest areas and a viewpoint, offering views across the Tanum plain and over central parts of the World Heritage area.
The Bronze Age at Vitlycke Museum
Vitlycke Museum is the visitor centre for the Tanum Rock Carvings World Heritage Site and offers exhibitions and a Bronze Age farmstead. The farmstead includes reconstructed 3,000-year-old longhouses built at a 1:1 scale. It illustrates how Bronze Age people lived in their houses and fields with their domestic animals. This complements the rock carvings with a vivid glimpse of homes, farming and livestock.
The museum offers drop-in guided tours that do not require advance booking, as well as tours that can be booked; availability may vary by season. If you would like to include a guided tour in your plans, check before your visit which dates fit your trip.
Tanumshede and Historic Traces
In nearby Tanumshede, the surrounding World Heritage area and its rock carvings are easy to explore: the village is considered a natural starting point. At the same time, the entire old village centre is protected as a historic site, and Tanums Gestgiveri is a listed building. Sockenmagasinet was built in 1869 after several years of crop failures. The historic Kungsvägen also passes through Tanumshede on its route between Norway, Kungahälla and Copenhagen. The area’s cultural history thus extends beyond the Bronze Age to include protected townscapes, buildings and historic routes.
Landscape and Leisure in the Municipality of Tanum
At the municipal level, the landscape ranges from deep waters and rugged coastal stretches to forests and small-scale agricultural landscapes. The municipality of Tanum offers hiking, swimming and cycling experiences, with cycling maps available. Alongside cultural attractions, these varied landscapes and activities provide more options for planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Flötenmarksen, Grebbestad, Rabbalshede, Tanumshede, Fjällbacka, Lur, Hamburgsund, Havstenssund
Go to the main travel overview: Tanum.
