What do Ingrid Bergman and Camilla Läckberg have in common? Fjällbacka! This is a beautiful town on the west coast of Sweden about two hours north from Gothenburg. Ingrid Bergman spent every summer here with her third husband and Camilla Läckberg was not only born in Fjällbacka but also set nine of her hugely successful novels in the town. It is one of my favourite places to visit with spectacular views from the huge rocks of Vetteberget. Below it are nestled the houses, shops and restaurants. It has over 100 steps to the top and en route courage is required to traverse under Kungsklyftan – the three gigantic rocks trapped in the chasm above ones head.
It was renamed the ‘King’s Cleft’ following a visit by King Oscar II in 1887.
After the long walk a relax by the harbour front cafe is a must – even on a chilly sunny Spring day! Ah…perfect serenity.
Forests! Years ago travelling by car across Sweden I felt the landscape was mainly the green corridors of forests.
Only later did I discover I was not far off the mark with nearly 70% of the land being forested.
Where we live is no exception; forest views all around as well as stunning walks amongst the trees; birches and firs growing side by side as well as the odd hunting tower!
Believe it or not, this photo is the genuine article. Sunset on a glorious evening as seen in reality. No photoshopping required!
Mystery is embedded in the very heart of all forests and this one is no different. During one walk we came across this unusual stone built rectangular wall. Low in height, with no obvious entry point. We are still musing over its possible usage / meaning. Any ideas would be very welcome.
This is view of the nearest lake to where we stay whilst in Sweden and this particular lake is one of over 95,000 lakes across the whole of the country.
I hope you have enjoyed my snippets of information and photographs from my latest trip to Sweden this Easter – posted by popular demand!! Thank you for all your interest.
PS. This is my 100th post – Yippee!!
Annika Perry 
Congratulations on reaching 100! Thank you for the delightful photos. My fav is the bench on the rocks.
Thank you very much! 😃 So glad you enjoyed the photos. It is an amazing location for a bench and I’m always impressed with the people who secured it there!
Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner.
Many thanks for the reblog. 😀
Congratulations on 100! 🎉🎉
Thank you so much, Jessica. 😃 😀
You’re welcome!
Oh my gosh, I’m sooooo behind!! THANK YOU for giving me a front row seat to your place you go. Extraordinary photos!! That lake, oh my. I want to go! And, 95,000 lakes? Wow.
That’s kind of funny about the low wall, because sometimes we see them in old homesteads in the woods around here. In this area, there were early settlers that built either log or stone houses and sometimes there are stone walls like that remaining, away from the house foundation.
I know, it is staggering to think of so many lakes but believable flying over the country as they are clearly visible from the air. Absolutely stunning views. Some lakes are like seas and crossing them can take hours and be very rough.
Interesting how you have seen such foundations on early settler homesteads – a couple of people have suggested that same so at the moment this theory is odds on winning! All will be revealed in an update after the summer holidays (or so I hope…I’ll be off investigating).
Interesting post. And nice photos. I will always think of crime when I hear about that place.
I know, Maja that’s what so sad! It is one of the most beautiful places I know and people are thinking of murder, abuse etc. Hopefully this post will rectify this image somewhat. Hope you’re having a good Monday.😃
I’m enjoying a nice day off work ☺
Congratulations on your 100th post. I doubt I’m brave enough to walk under the Kunsklyftan, even for a beer. I might be persuaded for a doughnut. I’m not sure what the mysterious wall was for. My guess is that it was to prevent the trees escaping, but I could be wrong. 🙂
Oh no, Sweden can do better than a doughnut. They are famous for their pastries and there is a great selection at the restaurant by the harbour front. The thought of these at the end of the walk keep me braving Kungsklyftan. Instead of beer, you could try the strong coffee? You have me laughing at your suggestion about the wall – looking around the forest I think it’s failed spectacularly on that score! 😃
Pastries and coffee would be a strong incentive too! I love both of them. 😀
Fabulous! I don’t have much time this morning so I’m so glad I hit on your picture postcard post. How could I not? 🙂 🙂
Thank you, Jo and so happy you had time to peruse this post. 😀 Hope you have a lovely day.
Congrats to the 100! Great post with pics from the west coast. I’m at the east coast south of Stockholm. We have almost as beautiful views as the ones you show in this post 🙂
Thank you so much, Anna! I’ve been to the east coast and went to Stockholm on my honeymoon and I can attest to the fact that the views are JUST as beautiful – a fantastic part of Sweden too. Many thanks for your lovely comment. Hope the warm weather stays for you – there were photos on the news from Stockholm of people out on the rocks by the sea.
The sunny days warms us, but the recent nights and mornings has been about 5-6 C. That’s cold, but ok. It means not too warm days and evenings indoors.
I certainly did enjoy this tour through your beautiful Sweden dear Annika! I just looked through your gorgeous pics with my daughter and she said how much she loves Swedish forests and lakes. I agree! I really need to get that girl over there, lol 😀 As for that mysterious wall, she wonders if it could be something to do with a Viking or pagan burial ground? Or is it too modern? Hard to know. Just a thought. And the sunset pic is just glorious. Thank you so much for sharing these with us. Have a wonderful weekend my friend 🙂 xxxx
Sherri, you really must go! 😀 You and your daughter would adore Sweden and its fantastic to hear a young person so in love with Sweden and its nature. I do like your suggestion of the mysterious wall – hmm…close by there are a couple of famous (for the area!) burial grounds from the Bronze Age and Iron Age. These however are grassy mounds which were excavated in the mid 1800s. This looks very different from this wall but I am going to investigate further – the journalist in me will not let this rest! Wishing you a great weekend, may it be full of peace and joy. Hugs
I look forward to hearing what you find out Annika! And yes, we must, we must! On the ever-growing list, ha! Thank you Annika, I hope you are having a good week so far. I’ll be in touch very soon 🙂 Love & hugs ❤ xx
Sweden has always been on my bucket list too. I’ve one been to Göteburg once for two days and loved it. Gorgeous photos!
Göteborg is a fantastic city to visit as you well know. Fjällbacka is about two hours north from there so if you ever get a chance to go again I do hope you have a chance to explore this area. Thank you so much for your comment.
Okay, now I’ve added Sweden to my bucket list. What a gorgeous area you’ve shown us. As far as the stone-built rectangular wall, could it have been the border around a small house? I can’t tell how small the space is, but long ago, they lived in tiny cottages…?
Yeah, Pamela! Another potential visitor for Sweden! Thank you so much for your lovely comment – it is a wonderful country in so many ways and not just the scenery so well worth a visit if you ever get the chance. I like your suggestion about the border but don’t think the area is big enough to contain a house…I really will find out the background to this mystery in July when I next visit and update the post. Keep your eyes peeled.
Will do. I live in NE where there are stone walls left over from a century ago when they were used to distinguish property lines. Hmmm, maybe an elf cottage…? 🙂
Lovely photos Annika. I love them all. I have been catching up with your posts. Interesting and informative as usual. Congrats on your 100 and thanks for sharing. Still in Malta. Kram Marion
Marion, so lovely to see you on here again! 😀 Still on Malta!!! Are you planning on moving there? Many thanks for your warm comment – we celebrated the 100th post in style – Bucks Fizz, strawberries and ice-cream out in the garden, surrounded by birds and flowers. Absolutely perfect! Warmest wishes to you both, Kram xx
Sweden is BEAUTIFUL. I recall sunny days there and sparkling blue lake waters. It seems I need to visit again. The forests and mountains attract me like the pull of a magnet. Thank you for sharing such gorgeous images. Now I really do have Wanderlust. Congratulations on post #100. I believe I am close as well. Will have to check that out. Celebrate the milestone. I enjoy your posts so very much, Annika. You are a talented writer. 🙂
Mary Ann, thank you so much for your warm kind words; so lovely and my heart is now smiling! I love your descriptions of Sweden and feel your affection for the country; do you think you will ever get a chance to return? A long way for you I realise. You’ll have to let us know when it’s your 100th post – we had a small garden party on a beautiful sunny day to mark the occasion. How will you celebrate? Warmest wishes to you.
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. Who knows when I shall next return to Sweden? It is so nice that you had a garden party to celebrate your 100th post. Perhaps a walk in the park by the lake and a nice meal in a restaurant would be just the way to celebrate mine. Thanks as always for your wishes which mean much to me. 🙂
Great bunch of photos Annika, not sure I’d sit on that bench though, it looks a bit precariously perched!
Marje, I agree the bench doesn’t look too safe. Knowing Sweden though it will be very secure – I’ll try it in the summer and report back! (Or post photo as I fall into the sea…)
Oh… don’t say that!!!!
This is a wonderful post with excellent photographs. I may have been a little late arriving at it, though.
Thank you so much, Rod and lovely to see your comment. As always when coming back from a holiday I had hundreds of photographs – but what a wonderful chore to trawl through them and try to find the best ones! Never too late to visit or comment!😀
Amazing photographs. Lovely tour. En-joyful read. Cheers! – Cezane
Thank you, Cezane and so glad you enjoyed the virtual tour!
Well this is not Sweden as I imagined it. Where is the snow and ice?? Summers are obviously much different – sun, blue skies and the views! And where are all the people? This has sold it to me – I now intend to go to Sweden either this year or next. Oh yes, and the fourth picture is my favourite, and not just because of the lake in the background!
Thanks Annika
(Do you by any chance work for the Swedish Tourist Board?)
There is a common pre-misconception that Sweden is cold and icy – true particularly for the Northern part in winter – however summers are warm to hot! Yesterday for instance they had their hottest day in the mid 20s degrees centigrade. From Spring to Autumn life is spent outdoors as much as possible – all meals, swimming, boating, on the sea…pure bliss.
Oh, so you fancy a glass of Mariestad do you? Very tasty I’m assured, not a beer drinker myself. By the way that is the North Sea in the photo not a lake!
I wouldn’t mind working for the Swedish Tourist Board! Alas, they haven’t come knocking on my door just yet!😀
Beautiful country, Annika. Great photos too. I adore Ingrid Bergman, and love old movies!
Ingrid Bergman was a classic and I can only imagine how much good the summer holidays were for her here out on the island just off Fjällbacka. The main square is named after her and there is also a bust of her as well. So glad you enjoyed the post. 😀
A wonderful collection of photos. I would feel very much at home in Sweden’s terrain. That walkway with the rocks stuck above does look daunting. And I was about to say I had no ideas about the rock rectangle and then I thought if that is the remains of the foundation below floor level, the entrance would be higher up…so it could be the remains of a small home….?
What about a little house for trolls?! Walking in the forest I can see where the troll stories came from – often I will spy something that looks real, but smaller, stouter…spooky. Oh, I’m still daunted and filled with trepidation every time I walk – or rather dash – under the rocks. My reasoning is that they must fall down sometime!!
Yes a house for trolls or maybe one of those witches who were supposed to eat children (although as I write I don’t like that line of thought about witches)…à magical cottage anyway !
Love the pics! I’m a sucker for landscape photos, and these just prove I’m right in adding Sweden to my “I want to go there before I die” list. Glad you enjoyed your vacation there, and thank you so much for sharing these tidbits from your trip!
Yeah to Sweden making it to your list of places to visit! I hope you get a chance and let me know if you’re ever going – seriously. Julie, I have hundreds of landscape photos – most stunning and I loved having the excuse to go through them and try to choose the best ones to show. One tidbit I didn’t mention is that the Vetteberget is gradually moving – towards the sea and the town beneath it. There is now a big effort to try and stop it after years of procrastination. Scary!
Wow, that stone wall is really interesting. I can’t begin to imagine why is was built. Do you think it’s the base of a house from long ago? The trees growing in the middle of it are a puzzle!
It is indeed a puzzle! I’ve been coming back to the picture non-stop now since posting this. You have a good idea here and it’s a definite possibility. The trees could have grown up afterwards – what confounds me is the pile of stones in the middle – they look the same age as the wall…the mystery deepens!
I love thinking about stuff like that!
The photos look beautiful and I can imagine myself being there enjoying the surroundings! Also well done on writing 100 posts Annika😃
Thank you for your lovely comment, Sammy! 😀 I must admit when I started my blog last January I never imagined I’d be posting my 100th post just over a year later – it was nerve-wrecking just writing the first one. It is an amazing place and I never tire of being there – whatever the weather!
i’m feeling traveled
and relaxed now
sitting right here 🙂
So happy
You could join us there
Feel the warmth of the sun
Taste the salt on the sea air.😀
I have never been to Sweden, but your pictures have made me curious. To be quite honest, it is too cold there for me. I prefer going farther south to Southern Italy.
Shalom Aleichem,
Patricia
Patricia, I’m so glad you liked the photos – as always pictures never do full justice to a place but these come close. Although it can be cold in the winter, particularly up Northern Sweden, during the summer it is beautiful and warm, sometimes too hot. Often between 20 degrees centigrade to 38! I love Italy, Greece and Spain but in the summer it is just TOO hot and once in Easter in Greece I was so cold I caught pneumonia! Thank you so much for commenting!😀
What a beautiful, peaceful place. Looking at your photos, especially the lake, calmed me and so I can only imagine how serene one must feel being there. 🙂
Carol, it is so peaceful and calming! After only a few days I feel totally refreshed, as if my mind has been cleansed and my soul rejuvenated. Honestly! Many times we’ve sat and had picnics overlooking the lake, spending a couple of hours just absorbing the quiet.
Oh, Annika, I am so envious of you! I really can understand how your mind can be cleansed as only Nature is capable of doing so and that your soul refreshed. They say that a photo is worth a thousand words the real thing surely must be immeasurable. 🙂
The whole post is so beautiful and inspiring. Inspiring to travel.:) doesn’t that beer by the sea side look delicious, who was the giant throwing those huge rocks, when did Fir trees become golden……so much to enjoy and ponder.
Not to forget the stone square with a central stone creation. Another guess. Could it have been a place for gathering together; roasting food and such. Definitely some research needed.
Seems a follow up will be needed.
Mirja, thank you so much for you lovely warm comment. I know, the golden fir trees were astonishing and had me rushing for my camera. I’d never seen anything like it! The first time I saw the rocks in the cleft – which are huge and this might not come across in the photos – I thought they had been placed there deliberately! I love the idea of the stone square as a meeting place – ‘grill’ or barbecues are very popular in Sweden on the beach etc so maybe this was an earlier version on a larger scale. I’ll definitely post an update when I discover its true history!
Beautiful pictures. I would definitely enjoy this land and its history.
Thank you, JC. It’s tricky choosing which photos to use as I always return with hundreds (the delight of digital cameras!). It is a beautiful country and I must admit it’s only recently I’ve started to be interested in its varied and fascinating history. So much to learn…
Wow, just WOW. Amazing photos. Brilliant post.
Thank you so much, Gulara and so happy you enjoyed the post. 😀
Lovely photos, Annika. What beautiful spring skies. I’m a little jealous of the beer by the harbor even if it was brisk 😀 Those rocks and forests are inspiring…stories swirl all around there. And that wall is so interesting! I wonder if it was for livestock and perhaps steps at one time for the humans? I have no idea 🙂
Thank you, Diana. I just love taking photos on holiday and then reliving the moments repeatedly! The beer is actually my mother’s – she does enjoy a bottle out there by the sea!😀 She can highly recommend this local brew. Oh, now my mind is buzzing with story ideas…the forests slightly frighten me I must admit, I ‘see’ shapes and folk in the shadows and tree trunks, so this unexpected structure only heightened my sense of eeriness. At first I thought of livestock but it is the lack of an opening that makes this seem impossible – I walked all around it a few times to look for an entrance. We kept going back to it, drawn by its mysticism…
I like those eerie forests. We have lots of fog out here, so I know what you mean 🙂 And Happy Mother’s Day!
I think I should be wishing you Happy Mother’s Day, Diana! Unfortunately we celebrate ours much earlier in the cold grey month of March…many thanks for the thought.
I just learned that this morning, Annika. Belated Happy Mother’s Day…although I think it can work any day of the year 😀
I’ve read a couple of Camilla Läckberg’s books so it’s nice to see the setting for them. I’d love to go to Sweden someday. We were all set to once, but we got called back from our European vacation early due to a family emergency and never got there. I hope to make it back there in the future.
Carrie, I must admit that as yet I haven’t read her books but do intend to do so. What are they like? I have read about them a bit and just can’t imagine all these gruesome events in such an idyllic sunny place – it’s just so heavenly! Oh, I do hope you manage to visit sometime and if you ever get to Fjällbacka there are Camilla Läckberg’s tours around the town, as well as Ingrid Bergman ones.
Her books are good. A little more introspection than I care for in thrillers, but she’s a great storyteller.
What a beautiful country. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Al, it definitely is a stunning country with such varied nature which is why I tried to focus on the coastal elements and then the inland forest side. Thank you so much for commenting. Happy weekend!😀
It’s on my bucket list 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Oh, Annika! The photographs are lovely and the history lesson superb. I feel so much more part of my maternal ancestors’ experience in beautiful Sweden. As for the stone encloser, here in USA we have so many of them here on the eastern coast where colonists first settled. Their original purpose was two-fold–remove rocks to create tillable land for gardens; use stone to build enclosers for livestock. Thanks so much for taking us along on your journey. Hugs & love, Bette
Bette, I’m over the moon I could share a bit of Sweden’s nature and history; it is wonderful that this is part of you and your family history. Your suggestion is a new one and I like that idea – a small walled garden perhaps that has been cleared of rocks. Hmmm…a possibility…I now really want to know the history behind this enclosure and will endeavour to find the answer this summer! So happy you enjoyed the journey; a joy to share. Warmest wishes and hugs to you. ♥️
Beautiful pics, Annika. I love looking at series of photos from trips like this because it makes me feel as if I got to visit, too. I’m so intrigued by this peaceful town. The stuck boulders were scary! Did you walk under them?
I’m curious about that low wall, too. It’s obviously very old. It reminds me of a ruins of a Spanish church that I saw in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, but those ruins were more uneven. The wall in your picture seems to have been built specifically to that height all the way around, plus there’s another pile of rubble at the heart of it. My first thought was that it was built before all the trees because why wouldn’t someone clear the trees before starting to build a square structure like that? Then I have to think maybe there was something sacred babout atree at the center, but maybe now it’s gone? Or maybe someone is buried there, and this is an elaborate memorial.
Eve, oh yes, I’ve walked under the rocks many times – but every time with the same rapid trepidation! It just doesn’t look safe!!
I love your ideas about the low wall. An elaborate memorial sounds feasible…I like that one. The pile of stones in the centre did intrigue me as well, they had collapsed so maybe they were a ‘monument’ style. How wonderful to see the church ruins in Mexico. This just isn’t big enough nor are there any signs of collapsed stones. One thought we had was for an area for burning debris safely in the forest – but then the trees are still there. Thank you for your musings!
The low wall could make for perfect seating. Maybe this an open-air church or town hall of some kind. Okay, I’m going to try to stop musing now (but it’s hard!)
After all these musings I now HAVE to know the answer! I’ll ask around and do research during the summer break! It’s the lack of an opening that is confounding! Thank you so much for your comments and wishing you a lovely weekend, Eve.
Congratulations on 100 and thanks for sharing all the beauty.
Thank you! 😀 It is beautiful and I never tire at looking at the photographs from my time there, surrounded by nature.
How gorgeous. I love rocks, have read a lot about their history and meaning. Rocks stuck in crevices–now there’s a story for the eons. Thanks for sharing these.
Jacqui, you would love this place then, granite rocks all along the coast and amazing geological history. As for these rocks in the crevices – I still pause before dashing under them as quick as I can! My family laugh at me, saying they’ve been there for thousands for years. I know, I know but still…