Biking challenge in Fjällbacka

Fjällbacka is an old fishing village on the west coast of Sweden that with time prospered into an excellent summer tourist resort.

It has a nice long grass airstrip approx. 5 km from the town. Niklas and I landed there on a lovely sunny morning in August, looking very much forward to spend some time in Fjällbacka.

The huge cliff behind the flying club’s house is so dramatic. It is one of the nicest small aiports in Sweden:

We took the bikes, and … we didn’t race. Or Niklas did – he could easily bike up all those steep hills! I had to drag my bike up, and then I’d happily take the ride down 🙂 It was tough sometimes!

The town of Fjällbacka welcomed us in with its charming houses:,

Fjällbacka is a well-known place in Sweden. At first, it was a small settlement that expanded during the great herring period in the 1750s. By the middle1800s, Fjällbacka was Sweden’s busiest fishing village and a regional trading center.

In the late 1800s a new period of great herring took place. Fishing business contributed to the development of salting, herring oil industry and canneries. It was in Fjällbacka the name “anchovies” originated from: a canning factory owner invented the name when producing spicy canned sprat. Herring oil from Fjällbacka was sold to cities such as Paris, where it was used as fuel for streetlights.

Mining and processing of stone had great significance for the town from 1890s till 1940s. Today, Fjällbacka is mostly known as a sea-side resort with its breathtaking views:

On a tiny island in front of Fjällbacka’s old town there is a hostel – Badholmens vandrarhem – accessible by a wooden bridge. Niklas and I went there to have a look. They had their own concrete beach with diving platforms, and it was also possible to get into water without jumping off. Nice green area in the middle, and splendid views.

High above Fjällbacka rises Vetteberget. The rock is divided into two parts by the unusual Kungsklyftan, a cliff that has huge stone blocks wedged in like a roof. That cliff was previously called Ramneklovan, but following a visit by King Oscar II in 1887, when he placed his signature on the wall of the northern entrance, the cliff got its present name. There was a marked path for those who wanted to reach the top – and many people were up there.

The old Fjällbacka turns beneath the mountain to the sea, while the newer buildings located on the fields towards land and on the mountains. By the sea, there were many stilt houses, so that one could arrive directly in a boat, and have it right by the entrance or terrace.

During our walks through the town, we noticed that some of the older houses had been adorned with small yellow information signs. Those signs told unique stories about each house and about people who lived in them.

The house on the photo above was from 1732. It is one of the oldest preserved houses in Fjällbacka. The front door section is typical for the area, and called “Fjällbacka-portal”.

We biked back to the airfield via a different route that Niklas proposed. It was much easier, and I almost didn’t have to drag my bike up the hills.

Before taking off, Niklas pulled out a map, and we did flight planning:

We decided to fly back by the coastline, so that we could see something new:

In the evening sun, everything looked so marvellous:

Niklas and I were tired, but very happy:

Flying by the Swedish coast is always spectacular. Hundreds of islands, small and big towns, cruise ships, sailing boats:

It was such a great tour! Even several days later I was still under the impressions of Fjällbacka, the unbelievable beauty of that town and its surroundings.

Many thanks to Niklas for giving me those experiences!