Greby near Grebbestad - strange burial ground, hike in varied landscapes, picturesque café

One kilometer north of the coastal town of Grebbestad on Sweden's west coast lies a burial ground from the Late Iron Age covered in beautiful heather and flower meadows. From here you can take a four-kilometer round trip through varied landscapes. Along the way, you can take a detour to the picturesque café at Falkeröds Hembygdsgård for a cup of coffee or lunch.

Greby burial ground is located just north of the coastal town of Grebbestad in Norra Bohuslän on the west coast of Sweden. Here, approximately 200 graves from the Late Iron Age (between 200-600 AD) are gathered in a small area. Forty of the graves are marked with a standing stone up to 4.5 meters high, while the rest are just round and oval stone mounds. The graves are today covered by a beautiful flower meadow that attracts many types of butterflies. In late summer and into autumn, a colorful heather grows there.

The burial ground itself is an interesting place to wander. It was probably used by the inhabitants of a larger trading post nearby. Ten of the graves have been excavated and clay jars with burnt bones and simple personal belongings such as combs and beads have been found, indicating that the population believed in an afterlife and that the buried person might have needed such items. Some of the findings may indicate that the site had connections to Norway, England and Germany. The word Gre comes from the Old Norse word "Grjot" which means rocky ground. It has given its name to both Greby and Grebbestad.

Parts of the area are managed as a flower meadow, where the grass is cut and removed in mid-August to give an advantage to the native plants that thrive on nutrient-poor soil. Other parts are managed as a heather plain.

In one place, four standing stones have been set up next to each other. It is not known why they are placed that way.

Greby cemetery is located near Grebbestad. The church spire is clearly visible from the field.

At the back of the burial ground at the edge of the forest there is a marked path that is part of the so-called Falkerödsslyngen, a 3.6 kilometer round trip that can be extended to 4.4 kilometers if you take a detour to the café at Falkeröds Hembygdsgård. Follow the path in the direction of the coast where you can see the spire of Grebbestad Church on the horizon. At the end of the burial ground the path enters the forest.

At the first signposted crossroads, a path goes to the right. Follow this for approx. Four hundred meters until you reach a small red house. Here you will find a pleasant café in Falkeröds Hembygdsgård, which was built in Grebbestad in the early 18th century. After visiting the café, go back the same way until you reach the signposted crossroads. Here you now turn right and follow the marked path until you return to Greby cemetery. On the route you will be able to see both plants, birds, and animals.

Falkeröds garden café is in the old Falkeröds Hembygdsgård from the beginning of the 18th century

Falkeröds hagekafé har bord både inne og ute

At Falkeröds Hembygdsgård you will find a map of the route. You return to point 1 and follow the yellow loop until you return to point 3, Greby cemetery.

On the route you will find a shelter from the rain, benches, and an outdoor grill.

More excursions: www.turideer.com

This week's excursion: Greby cemetery with a hike in varied landscapes and a visit to Falkeröd's garden café.

Length: Approximately 4.4 km

Suitable for: Anyone who can move on a trail. Not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. This is an easy hike that is mostly on flat ground.

Get there: Enter Greby gravfelt in Google Maps. Alternatively: Drive out of Grebbestad in a northerly direction. After about one km there is a sign on the right to Greby gravfelt Fornminne.

#Sweden #English #Graveyard #AncientMonument #Café #IronAge #Landscape