Bare granite, wooded islands and villages gathered around the water. From Gothenburg, the archipelago continues through Bohuslän and Koster into Hvaler, with little change at the border. Oslofjord opens north towards the city, while Norway’s southern shore turns west through island sounds and white wooden harbour towns. Swimming rocks, waterfront cafés and paths beyond the quay give these connected waters much of their summer character.
Smögen’s boathouses in the long summer evening.Photo: Thomas Fabian
The Swedish islands form the eastern shore of this coastal world. At Hvaler the water opens into Oslofjord; beyond its western shore, the Norwegian coast leads towards Sørlandet and Lindesnes. The changing views come from the islands, fjord mouths and settlements around the same sea.
Bohuslän and Hvaler, the inland reach of Oslofjord and Norway’s south coast face the connected waters of Skagerrak.
A · Bohuslän and the border islands
The Swedish west coast and Hvaler
Outside Gothenburg, the coast becomes a world of islands and sounds. Bohuslän’s villages, bare granite and natural harbours lead towards the greener Koster islands and Hvaler, where the same archipelago landscape continues into Norway. Northern Denmark remains just across the open water, with a very different shore of sand and low dunes.
Gothenburg’s islands, Bohuslän and Hvaler form a connected coastal world along the eastern side of Skagerrak.
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Gothenburg–Smögen
The islands outside Gothenburg combine ferry-linked communities with beaches, walking paths and small harbours. Farther north, Marstrand’s fortress rises above a town shaped by sailing. Around Orust and towards Smögen, fishing villages and narrow sounds sit among the islands, with Käringön and Gullholmen offering compact waterfront settlements to explore on foot. The character comes from the closeness of village life and the surrounding rocks, bays and swimming places.
Sotekanalen passes inside Ramsvikslandet towards Hunnebostrand, opening into a coast of granite islands and close-set channels. Fjällbacka and Grebbestad bring restaurants, fishing traditions and harbour life alongside an archipelago rich in natural stops. Smooth rock, low islands and open views give the outer coast its particular beauty. Around Tjurpannan, the skerries leave a more exposed opening before the shelter of Havstenssund.
The islands become greener around Resö and Tjärnö before Kosterfjorden opens between the mainland and Koster. Strömstad offers a town waterfront, shops and transport connections; across the water, Nordkoster and Sydkoster invite walks and cycling among small settlements, woodland and beaches. Kosterhavet’s marine landscape gives the area another dimension beneath the surface. The contrast between the mainland town and the quieter island shores is central to a visit here.
The border brings little interruption to the island landscape. Hvaler gathers wooded islands, smooth rocks and small settlements around the eastern entrance to Oslofjord. Skjærhalden offers a village harbour, while the surrounding islands bring beaches, coastal paths and quieter places beside the water. Channels lead towards Fredrikstad; farther outside, the islands face the wider Skagerrak. It is a natural continuation of the Swedish archipelago, with Norwegian harbour communities and a broad fjord opening beyond.
Beyond Hvaler and the islands of the western entrance, Oslofjord reaches north between wooded shores and harbour towns. The outer water has a broad, open scale; farther inland, islands and narrower passages lead towards Drøbak and the city waterfront in Oslo. Beaches, small settlements and the capital’s island shores give the fjord several different settings.
Area guide not yet available.
C · The island coast towards Lindesnes
Southern Norway
West of Oslofjord, the coast turns towards Kragerø, Risør, Arendal and the island waters of Sørlandet. White wooden towns face small harbours, with outlying islands and old outports beyond them. Kristiansand brings a city waterfront into this landscape before Mandal’s beaches and the rocky headland at Lindesnes.
Area guide not yet available.
Across the sea and around the coast
Denmark, the Baltic and Western Norway
South of Gothenburg, Kattegat opens towards the Danish islands and straits. West around Lindesnes, the Norwegian coast changes towards Jæren, Stavanger and the coastal waterway to Bergen.
