Lugnås Church was built from sandstone blocks in the early Middle Ages; millstone production took place on Lugnåsberget from 1147 to 1918. Lugnås therefore centres on architectural history, a mine with guided tours and hiking options of varying lengths. You can choose cultural history, geology or nature as the focus of your stay: from the Qvarnstensgruvan car park, it is 700 metres on foot to the mine, while the Kvarnstensvandringen is ten kilometres long.
Millstone history and the mine
Guided tours inside the mine are offered at Qvarnstensgruvan. The site also includes a museum and a small café. Small exhibitions in the museum cover working life, geology and bats. The café serves homemade cinnamon buns, waffles, coffee and local ice cream. This brings together the industrial history of Lugnåsberget and various exhibition topics with a place to stop for refreshments. Qvarnstensgruvan opened to visitors and tourists in 1933; guided tours are offered there today.
The footpath from the car park to the mine passes through a leafy sheep pasture. If you are interested in geology, you can also include the Lugnås Geologiska Vandring: three geological information points can be visited from the Lugnås Church car park.
Hikes with different focuses
The Stenhuggarstigen is about six kilometres long and passes through varied natural and cultural landscapes. Signs along the trail provide information about old quarries, village squares and geology, as well as plant and animal life. The trail therefore combines cultural history and nature, while the Lugnås Geologiska Vandring highlights three geological information points.
A longer option is the Kvarnstensvandringen: every year in May, it takes the form of a ten-kilometre hike across Lugnåsberget. The 700 metres to the mine, the Stenhuggarstigen at about six kilometres, and the May hike at ten kilometres represent different walking distances and options, not one combined route. If you plan to join the Kvarnstensvandringen, check the dates for the year in question.
The Biosfärleden also runs up Lugnåsberget. After the ascent, its seventh stage ends at Lugnås Church; check current trail conditions before setting out. The Pilgrimsleden also crosses Lugnåsberget on its route between Mariestad and Kinnekulle. These route connections help put the hikes in context without suggesting that the individual trails are the same.
Views and protected areas
Lugnåsberget offers far-reaching views of Kinnekulle, Billingen and Lake Vänern. The mountain is Västergötland’s smallest table mountain and is part of Platåbergens Geopark, Sweden’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. In Västergötland, 14 other table mountains have been designated alongside it. The Pilgrimsleden also connects the mountain, as part of its route between Mariestad and Kinnekulle, to a wider network of hiking trails.
Two nature reserves add to the landscape: Lugnås gamla byäng lies near the summit of Lugnåsberget and just southwest of Lugnås Church. The area is covered by species-rich deciduous and coniferous forest with high conservation value. Klosterängen is on the western side of Lugnåsberget, about one kilometre north of the church, and is part of the EU’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Oak is the most common tree species there; maple, lime and ash are also found.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Sjötorp, Torsö, Ekby, Mariestad, Lyrestad
Go to the main travel overview: Mariestad.
