Peace and Tranquility in Sweden
If it wasn’t for my brother moving to Falkenberg, I probably never would have known it existed. Charming seaside town on the western coast of Sweden, it offers a varied landscape of outstanding natural beauty. Here you can find a beautiful coastline with miles of beaches, a fertile agricultural landscape, a mountainous landscape and beautiful, rich green forests.
When I first visited in January 2002, it was during the quieter time of the year. My first impression was that it was a nice quiet town with few inhabitants, and since it was quite foggy and dark, I couldn’t see the town in all its splendor. However, everyone I met told me to come back in the summer because that’s when the city comes alive. And guess what, they were right, and I’ve been coming back ever since.
This summer I visited in mid-July, during the height of the tourist season. The weather was quite beautiful with lots of blue skies, warm temperatures (although sometimes a bit too much), and bright sunshine.
To get to Falkenberg I had to fly into Gothenburg City Airport with Ryanair from Stansted. I then took a train to Falkenberg from Gothenburg Central Station (which took about an hour). My brother met me at the station and after a warm hug (he couldn’t believe how much I had missed him), we headed down the road to his apartment, as that is where he would be staying. It felt great to be back, and as I looked at the familiar wooden houses, all painted in their own unique fairy tale style, with bright shades of yellow, red and blue, I felt as if I had never been outside. Here there is no garbage in the streets and everything is very clean and tidy. It’s great to see people taking pride in where they live and taking good care of it. This is definitely one of the things I love about Sweden. Another thing is that I couldn’t smell any pollution. Not in this city anyway.
Falkenberg means ‘Hawk Mountain’ and the town got its name from the hawks that were once hunted here. It has a history dating back to medieval times. Surrounding the town are acres of countryside and woodland, as well as plenty of farmland. The city itself has a population of around 30,000, with the nearest surroundings home to another 15,000 people or so. The neighborhood of Falkenberg has been inhabited for some time and has been recognized as a town since around 1432.
In the early 19th century, Sir Humphrey Davy, the inventor of the miners’ safety lamp, visited the town after learning of the excellent fly-fishing. A succession of wealthy English compatriots then followed and this is why many Falkenbergers speak excellent English. A London lawyer named William Wilkinson later wrote a book about the experience, Days In Falkenberg (1894). The English influence still exists today, as there is a classic red British phone box located in the center of town.
In the afternoon we took a walk through the town. Walking here is a delight, especially through picturesque Gamla Stan (the old town), where the cobbled streets, 12th-century St Laurentii Kyrka (church) and well-preserved cottages made me feel like I had stepped back in time. . This area is so calm and serene with the church graveyard giving it a spooky feeling.
We made our way to the river and then walked along the 18th century Tullbron (toll bridge), passing many tourists and cyclists on the way. In Sweden there are bicycles everywhere, so it is advisable to be very careful when walking on the sidewalk. Just make sure you stay out of the bike lanes.
The Ätran River is one of the best in Sweden for salmon fishing and has beautiful paths along both banks, on one side flanked by more trees. Below, next to the bridge, is the Falkenberg Museum, which shows the development of the region over the centuries. It is located in an old cereal warehouse. There are also other interesting museums in the city, such as a local museum on St Lars Kyrkogatan, which has collections tracing the history of the city back to 1900 and the Falkenberg Photomuseum on Sandgatan, which covers the history of photography with a unique collection of cameras and photos.
Falkenberg is also well known for its long sandy beaches, particularly Skea Strand. Completely clean, it is about a fifteen minute walk from the town and attracts thousands of tourists every summer. There are also numerous restaurants and bars along the promenade and colorful beach huts.
There is a wide variety of shops in the city where you can buy nice bargains, gifts and souvenirs. And when you want to take a break from all that shopping, there are plenty of cozy continental-style cafes to sit and enjoy a coffee in this beautiful sleepy town.
Surprisingly for such a laid back town Falkenberg has a lively nightlife with some very good restaurants and pubs having live music and events most nights. Every time I visit it, it’s amazing how I always discover something new. On Saturday night, as we were walking through the city, we heard loud music from across the river. Walking across the bridge I was delighted to see that it was ‘Falkenbergs Jazzdagar’, a jazz and blues festival, held in mid-July every year since 1989 and organized by ‘Falkenbergs Jazz-och Bluesförening’ (the Falkenberg Jazz and Blues society ) .
The festival takes place in the courtyard of the Hotel Hvitan ‘Värdshuset Hwitan’, next to the bank of the Ätran river. As I listened to the sound of the electric guitar echoing across the courtyard and the river, watching the seagulls fly overhead on a warm afternoon, the thought that I would soon be back in the hustle and bustle of London made my heart sink. But there’s always next year, I told myself. Then again, why don’t I move here too?
Falkenberg offers a fantastic alternative to the usual crowded holiday spots in Europe. I recommend that you visit it at least once in your life. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, it is the perfect vacation destination. Try it and you will see.