Green Holidays in West Sweden | Greentraveller Eco Breaks

Weather Islands. Photo: Richard Hammond. Below: Getting to and around and Gothenburg both photos: Goran Assner

Västra Götaland (West Sweden) is the second largest county in Sweden and a fantastic place to go on holiday. It is internationally renowned for its fabulous fresh seafood and is a great destination for enjoying the great outdoors, from the wonderful islands off the west coast to Dalsland's abundance of tranquil lakes and ancient forests in the north.

This Guide to Green Holidays in West Sweden will give you all the information you'll need to make the most of a holiday to this fabulous region. We've done the hard work for you by picking out all the green and gorgeous hotels and B&Bs, as well as the best places to find sumptuous local food, top attractions for the whole families, and a range of outdoor activities, from sea kayaking in the Fjällbacka and Koster Archipelago to a day hunting for fresh lobster on the Skagerrak strait.

We also provide detailed information on how to reach West Sweden by train and ferry from the UK, as well as how to travel around using the region's excellent network of buses, trains, bikes and trams. Less carbon more fun!

>> Rhiannon Batten's guide to the Highlights of West Sweden

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Places to stay go

Villa Sjotorp, West Sweden. Photo: Jonas Ingman

Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts and Treehouses

From a luxurious floating hotel to the ultimate in treetop accommodation, pick from our list of top places to stay.

Places to eat go

Restaurants in West Sweden

The freshest fish, succulent lobster and every type of shellfish imaginable - West Sweden is foodie heaven.

Local Attractions go

Islands, Canals and Historic Sites

Scenic canals, clusters of rugged islands and miles of stunning vistas - West Sweden is a haven for nature lovers.

Activities go

Kayaking, Hiking and other activities

Hike, camp, kayak and maybe even try your hand at catching fresh lobster and oysters on the surrounding waters.

Features

Gothenburg's comprehensive tram system. Photo: Goran Assner

Getting to and around West Sweden

Gothenburg's bustling streets. Photo: Goran Assner

Greentraveller's Guide to Gothenburg

Map of West Sweden

Green Holidays in West Sweden

If you want to enjoy an exciting destination in a sustainable way we welcome you to explore West Sweden - the green way.

West Sweden Tourist Board is working on numerous projects with the tourist industry to create more sustainable businesses. One project, for example, is our leading role in the National Strategy to increase the income from tourism in a sustainable way. We are creating a new system where tour companies will be graded both in quality and sustainability.

We believe that together with the industry and travelers we can reach the goal of having a unique sustainable destination and we're delighted to be working with greentraveller to launch this online guide to sustainable tourism in West Sweden.

As our guest we want to inspire you to explore our amazing companies that have taken that extra mile to make their business more sustainable. There is a great variety of companies to choose from, ranging from hotels and restaurants to a world of activities. For all these areas you can find different environmental certifications and diploma systems.

When you are about to book your accommodation there are two symbols you can look for, The Green Key and the Nordic Swan. When you want to explore our amazing nature experiences have a look at the Swedish Ecotourism certified eco-activities called Nature's Best. Then, when you’re ready to savor the best local food find your restaurant among “Taste of West Sweden”. All restaurants that are members of this scheme is working with the best local products. If you want to get the local products directly you can visit our charmy farm shops that also are part of Taste of West Sweden. To travel throughout the whole of West Sweden you can plan your trip at Västtrafik (train, bus and tram).

We hope to see you soon exploring West Sweden – the green way.

Welcome!

Anna Martinez
West Sweden Tourist Board

Did you know?

Visitors have complete freedom to West Sweden’s countryside, archipelago and lakes because there’s unique “right of public access” to these areas in Sweden.
Gothenburg has been crowned the Culinary Capital of Sweden 2012 in recognition of its top quality natural produce and use of local food suppliers across West Sweden.
Centred around the car-free Koster Islands, Sweden’s first Marine National Park, Kosterhavet, contains the country’s highest marine biodiversity.
Lake Hornborga is a bird-spotting paradise. Each Spring more than 10,000 crane dance by the lake, flying in from Spain to their traditional breeding ground.
Lake Vänern is Sweden’s largest lake and the third biggest in Europe. Sweden’s lake district, Dalsland, boasts more lakes than any other province in Sweden.