Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the rocky headland, Stångehuvud, made of the local pink granite,
Bohusgraniten
, where
it's also possible to sunbathe and swim; maps are available at the tourist office. The
villas en route to Havets Hus, with their intricately carved eaves, porticoes and
windows, are worth a look, too. Lysekil was a popular bathing resort in the nineteenth
century, and these ornate houses are a reminder of the time when the rich and neurotic
came to take the waters. The bizarre, castellated, rough granite house on the inland side
of the main road was built as home for a Herr Laurin, then Lysekil's wealthiest man; it
now plays host to the offices of the local newspaper. A better-known local figure of the
past is
Carl Curman
, a self-styled health guru. Of the town's ornate, mustard-and-
chocolate-brown Hansel-and-Gretel houses on the waterside of the main road, his was
the fanciest (a bronze bust of him stands behind it, at the water's edge). In his day in
the late nineteenth century, Curman managed to convince his patients that sunbathing
on the exposed rock was dangerous, as “the amount of air must be regulated”, and
persuaded them that it was in the interests of their health to pay to use the bathhouses,
which he conveniently owned. Today, the classic old bathhouses are a popular place for
segregated
nude bathing
(free).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
LYSEKIL
By bus
Express buses #840 and #841 come here from
Gothenburg (hourly; 1hr 50min).
By ferry
From Fiskebäckskil, an hourly passenger ferry
runs all day (15min; 32kr) and sails to Lysekil from the end
of Kaptensgatan.
By car
From Fiskebäckskil drive towards Bökenäs for
10km, then take Route 161 and the regular all-day free
car ferry between Finssbo and Skår (10min) across to the
town.
Tourist o
ce
Södra Hamngatan 6, the main road along
the waterfront (late June to early Aug Mon-Fri 11am-5pm,
Sat & Sun 11am-3pm;
T
0523 130 50,
W
lysekilsturist.se).
4
ACCOMMODATION
Ì
Havshotellet
Turistgatan 13
T
0523 797 50,
W
strandflickorna.se.
This hotel is set in an archetypal
red-and-white house from 1905 with a cosy interior full of
period furnishings. Also has two luxury waterfront rooms,
built on s
tilts over the sea
, which are perfect for a special
occasion.
1239kr/1596kr
Stadshotellet
Kungstorget
T
0523 140 30,
W
stadshotellet-lysekil.se.
An attractive place, facing the
town's appealing park, this grand old double-fronted hotel
dates from 1880 and is full of period charm. It also enjoys
an enviable centr
al locat
ion, just a stone's throw from the
Gullmarsfjorden.
1190kr
Strand Vandrarhem
Strandvägen 1
T
0523 797 51,
W
strandflickorna.se.
A rather upmarket hostel pleasingly
placed on the waterfront next to Havets Hus, whose rooms
all have private facilities, free broadband access and
television. Breakfast is not inclu
ded and
you mu
st make
up
your own bed on arrival. Dorms
300kr,
doubles
850kr
EATING
Café Kungsgatan
Kungsgatan 32
T
0523 160 01.
Located up in the town centre, this is the best option for
light meals such as quiche, potato salad with
accompaniments, various other salads and a good variety
of sandwiches. Also serves excellent
kanelbullar
.
Mon-Fri
10.30am-6pm, Sat 10.30am-3pm.
Pråmen
T
0523 134 52.
For a good-value fish supper and
a beer, this pontoon restaurant-bar floating in Södra
Hamnen, is a pleasant spot, with views back towards
Fiskebäckskil and dishes around 189kr; the fish and seafood
stew with parmesan and aioli is especially delicious.
Daily
noon till late.
Rosvik
Rosviksgatan 6
T
0523 100 54.
Set just back
from the waterfront this pleasant restaurant is run by
mother and daughters and serves up a good array of
frequently changing local produce with an emphasis on
freshly caught fish dishes for around
200kr.
Mon-Fri
11.30am till late, Sat & Sun noon till late.
Nordens Ark
Åby Säteri 5 • Daily: mid-April to mid-June & mid-Aug to Sept 10am-5pm; mid-June to mid-Aug 10am-7pm; Oct to mid-April
10am-4pm • 190kr •
W
nordensark.se
From Lysekil, head back along Route 162 and turn left (west) for
Nordens Ark
, a
wildlife sanctuary on the Åby fjord. It's a twenty-minute drive north from Lysekil, and
on the way you'll pass a couple of notable churches, in particular the one at
Brastad
, an
