Hamburgö - Hamburgsund - hike along the coast in Bergaleden on Hamburgö - snorkeling over colorful seabed in Hamburgsund archipelago - red Bohus granite
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A hundred meters outside the town of Hamburgsund on Sweden's west coast in Bohuslän lies the five-kilometer-long and three-kilometer-wide island of Hamburgö. Here you can hike the 2.5-kilometer-long Bergaleden circular trail, or relax on the beach on the other side of the island, where there is also an underwater snorkeling trail with ten stations featuring different underwater environments. The shoreline is dotted with red granite rocks, known as Bohusgranitt.
There are only about 100 meters between the settlement of Hamburgsund and the island of Hamburgö. They are crossed by a free ferry that departs every 20 minutes from 05:00 to 24:00 all year round. Hamburgsund had just over 800 permanent residents in 2010. It is unknown how many people live permanently on Hamburgö, but today holidaymakers dominate both the island and the settlement. The area's written history dates back to the 11th century when there was a courthouse just south of Hamburgsund where important decisions were made. But there is also a cemetery from the Iron Age on Hamburgö.
From 1585 there was a customs station on Hamburgsund as part of the Øresund customs. It was important for trade and shipping in the area. Since the harbor in the strait inside Hamburgö was sheltered from waves and wind, it was a suitable place for transporting goods by sea. In the 18th century, there was abundant herring fishing on the west coast of Sweden. This provided the basis for many herring coking plants along the land in the strait. But it was not until the 19th century that the population began to increase seriously. Then the stone industry was started on Hamburgö with the extraction of granite blocks. At the same time, shipping activities were developed with boats that transported wooden goods and bricks from Norway and coal and coke from Gothenburg. In addition, both herring and granite were transported from Hamburgsund.
The Iron Age grave is one of the sights along the so-called Bergaleden trail, which starts right next to the parking lot at the ferry terminal. It is a 2.5-kilometer round trip on a path and gravel road that mostly goes through mixed forest with deciduous and coniferous trees. In some places you get a view of the strait between Hamburgö and Hamburgsund. The name Hamburgsund has no connection with the city of Hamburg. The name comes from the fact that in the 14th century Hamburgö was called Hornbora - "the one who carries horns" - which is probably due to the pointed headlands that protrude on the western and southern sides of the island.
At another location you come to a viewpoint where you can see much of the narrow strait and the town of Hamburgsund on the other side.
In addition to Bergaleden, you should also visit the beach area on the other side of the island - Boviken's bathing area - when visiting Hamburgö. It is located on the northwest side. Here there is both a fine sandy beach and a beautiful area with rocky cliffs where there is also a diving board. If you go left, you will reach the beach, if you go straight ahead, you will reach cliffs and a diving board. Along this path there is also a disused quarry with blocks of red granite. It is the so-called Bohusgranite, which is the youngest granite in Sweden. It is "only" 920 million years old.
Boviken also has an underwater attraction. It is a 200-meter-long underwater trail marked with a line on the water surface. When you snorkel along this line, you will see 10 different underwater environments. At each of the 10 stations there is an underwater information poster that you can dive down to and read. They are located in relatively shallow water.
There is a small kiosk at the ferry pier at Hamburgö, but if you want to eat, it is better to travel back by the regular ferry to Hamburgsund where there are several places to eat. One of the most popular is Hjalmars, which is located by the pier. On the outskirts of Hamburgsund you can see the ruins of Hornborg Castle and Vrångstad Cemetery, but there is not much to see in the town itself. There is a harbor, a few shops and a few older wooden houses with lush gardens, but it is the ferry pier and the places to eat that dominate.
More excursions: www.turideer.com
Excursion of the week: Hamburgö via Hamburgsund - hike along the coast in Bergaleden on Hamburgö. Suitable for those who want a slightly different excursion where you can both go for a short walk, relax on the beach, and at the same time experience the archipelago on the west coast of Sweden.
Suitable for: Everyone, but parts of Bergaleden are not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs
Getting there: Enter Hamburgsund on Google Maps. This will take you straight to the ferry port with the regular ferry over to Hamburgö. It is free and runs every 20 minutes. Take the ferry over to Hamburgö and park in the parking lot on the left immediately after you get off the boat. There is a sign there with a description of the marked trail called Hamburgleden. It starts on a blue marked path that turns off to the right from the road about 100 meters from the parking lot. To get to the beach area, search for "Bovikens badplats" in Google Maps. You will then come to a parking lot right by the beach after driving across to the other side of the island.