New discoveries indicate that a church stood on the site of Skara Cathedral as early as the 11th century. The first known cathedral was consecrated around 1150, and its well-preserved crypt dates from the 12th century. Skara brings together traces of the Middle Ages, museums, themed walks and the landscapes of the Valle area. You can focus your trip on cultural history or on trails through nature.
Cathedrals, museums and monastic history
The Västergötland Museum presents more than 10,000 years of the region’s history. Its roots lie in the Västergötland Antiquities Association, founded in 1863; its collections include well-preserved Bronze Age shields. Right next to the museum is Fornbyn, with around twenty 19th-century buildings. Here, you can encounter different aspects of the past, from archaeological finds to historic buildings.
Varnhem Abbey Church has a history stretching back almost a thousand years. It is the final resting place of four Swedish medieval kings and Birger Jarl, the founder of Stockholm. Kata Gård also preserves archaeological traces: the ruins of a private farm church from the Viking Age remain there. Its crypt may be Sweden’s oldest surviving room. Veterinärmuseet offers a different historical focus, presenting the development of the veterinary profession over 250 years.
Walks and hiking trails
Skara has ten themed walks through the thousand-year-old city. Routes may be updated, so check the current route before setting out. Klostersjön runt is a shorter hiking trail around the lake near Varnhem. Its first half follows a paved gravel path and is well suited to strollers, wheelchairs and walkers. Trail conditions may vary by season, so check them before your outing.
Flämsjön runt is about nine kilometres long and follows trails, forest paths and gravel roads through varied scenery, with grazing animals in some places. In the Eahagen-Öglunda ängar Nature Reserve, large oaks, hazel thickets and sparkling forest lakes line the section of the hiking trail. Eahagen was designated as Valle’s first nature reserve and one of the country’s first in 1935.
Valle: glacial landscape and nature reserves
The Valle area lies at the foot of the western side of the Billingen table mountain, in the municipalities of Skara and Skövde. The inland ice age left behind a distinctive hilly kame landscape. The area has about 60 kilometres of marked, interconnected trails. Varnhem and Valle are in Platåbergens Geopark, Sweden’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. The Kulturvägen runs from Karleby through Varnhem and the Valle area to Tidan. Along the way, it passes prehistoric sites, monastery ruins and Lake Hornborgasjön, known for its rich birdlife.
The Vingängen Nature Reserve lies south of the village of Axvall in Skara Municipality. Its grazed pastures include areas characterised by oaks and birches, with eight so-called giant oaks. There are also several parking and information areas. The Valle area thus brings together historic sites, marked trails and landscapes shaped by the Ice Age and by land management.
More experiences around Skara
Flämsjön has a large beach and a nature trail; rowing boats and canoes are also available to rent. At the organic farm Alekärr outside Varnhem, you can pick your own fruit. The farm shop sells processed products such as apple juice, chutneys and beeswax candles; there is also an organic café.
Bokäventyret is Sweden’s first playful, educational exhibition about the history of books and writing. Its stations range from runestones and printing to children’s and young adult literature. Admission arrangements may change, so check before your visit. Skara Sommarland combines a large water park with an amusement park and a go-kart track. The attraction is seasonal, and opening arrangements may vary.
The Skara-Lundsbrunn Museum Railway offers journeys on a narrow-gauge railway, with an old steam locomotive and carriages from the first half of the 20th century. Services are seasonal; check the dates before your trip. There are also various options for cycling: thirteen cycling routes around the city are offered for Skara, and Skara Municipality has 85 kilometres of cycle paths. Route information and infrastructure may change, so check the latest guidance before setting out.
Visitor information
Skara Contact Centre is a tourist information centre authorised by Visita. As accreditation may change, check it before relying on it. The InfoPoints in Skara offer brochures and maps of the surrounding area, as well as help from knowledgeable staff with simple visitor questions. Check whether this visitor service is available before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Axvall, Skara, Hjo, Tvärred, Gråbo, Essunga, Dals Rostock, Härryda.
Back to the regional travel guide: Västra Götaland.
