In summer, you can combine hikes across sun-warmed pine heathland in Tiveden National Park with a swim in Lake Trehörningen, from the long sandy beach at Vitsand. The park is located in the municipalities of Laxå and Karlsborg and covers 2,030 hectares, of which 1,800 hectares are land. Parts of the park belong to the Natura 2000 network of protected natural areas, designation SE0240001. Check current bathing conditions before your trip.

Hiking Trails and Park Entrances

Tiveden National Park has three entrances. At the main entrance in the centre of the park, there is a car park, information, toilets and an exhibition. The Vitsandsrundan starts at the Vitsand entrance and is the shortest hiking trail in the park. It leads from the impressive boulder formation at Vitsandsgrottorna through an old, open pine forest on barren rocky ground. The route is currently not marked in the usual way.

There are several ways to get there: the national park can be reached by public transport, on foot or by bicycle. It is signposted from the E20 at Finnerödja and Laxå. This lets you consider choosing a trail and getting there as separate planning steps, without assuming a particular connection.

Wetlands, Rocks and the Sounds of Nature

Vargavidderna Nature Reserve is located in the municipalities of Laxå and Degerfors. Its landscape includes extensive wetlands, boulder-rich natural forests and the nutrient-poor Lake Gryten. The sounds of nature described over the course of the year also differ: on an early spring morning, you can hear the bubbling calls of black grouse; on a summer’s day, the calls of cranes.

Two marked trails start at the car park in the nature reserve. One leads to a lookout tower and a rest area. Vargavidderna thus combines the wetlands and forest landscapes described with a specific point of orientation on site; the two trails should not be confused with one another.

Trails Through Laxå and Tiveden

Sections of the Bergslagsleden trail run through the entire municipality of Laxå. Tiveden also has more than 30 Swedish miles of riding trails in the municipalities of Laxå, Gullspång, Töreboda and Karlsborg. This figure refers to trails spanning several municipalities. A walking and cycling route runs along the Ålands Canal through the forest between the railway station and the Bergslagsleden.

The routes offer different ways to experience the landscape: hiking stages through the municipality, riding trails crossing municipal boundaries, and a walking and cycling route along the canal. Which one suits your trip depends on whether you want to travel on foot, by bicycle or on horseback; no walking or travel times for these routes are provided here.

Getting Around and Local History

Laxå Travel Centre is served by several train operators. The on-demand bus service in Laxå connects an on-demand bus stop with selected destinations, including Tiveden National Park. Check the booking rules and operating days for the on-demand bus, as well as current timetables, before travelling. Laxå Tourist Information offers two digital tourist maps with information about accommodation, attractions, activities, restaurants and cafés.

The Ramundeboda monastery ruins are a protected archaeological site and an area of national interest for cultural heritage conservation. The site still contains a cemetery, a funerary chapel dating from 1722 for the Rosenholm family, and a bell tower. These surviving buildings and the site’s historical use give the place a different character from the natural areas.

Local industrial and everyday history also has tangible points of interest: Hasselfors bruksmuseum preserves almost 400 years of the area’s industrial history. Finnerödja hembygdsgård preserves numerous buildings from the surrounding area; one of them houses a school museum. The strawberry is Finnerödja’s symbol.

Many of the old spa buildings at Porla Brunn have been preserved and are now open to tourists. You can still drink spring water beneath the spa pavilion. Check the conditions on site before planning your visit.

Discover more destinations: Laxå, Hasselfors, Finnerödja, Kungsbacken, Karlskoga, Askersund, Kumla, Hällefors.

For the main travel overview: Örebro.