Inlandsvägen or the European Route E45, the longest road in Sweden
Make a road trip E45 Sweden! Inlandsvägen or the Inland Road takes you from the west coast of Sweden, starting in Halmstad (Halland), to Karesuando in the very north of Lapland. The route is about 19894 km in total.
Along the Inland Road you will find plenty of places to stay and park your camper or motorhome, eat, and explore the local history and culture.
This text will mainly focus on nature sites (mainly nature reserves, lakes, rivers and waterfalls), motorhome overnight parking, and some localities of interest. As we rent motorhomes from Gothenburg, this is where the story starts.
The roads, detours, and places with a view
There are several stunning road stops where you can stop. As it is a long road, the text will be divided into two parts. We start with from Gothenburg to Liilehärdal in Härjedalen. Click on map to see the southern part of the road trip.
The main roads you follow is the E45. In addition, there are several smaller roads you can take and several detours you can make. Some of the detours are more adventurous than others, but definitely worth the extra kilometers.
For example, when you reach northern Dalarna and Jämtland (two Swedish counties) and leave the E45 going towards the Norwegian border, you will reach the beautiful Swedish mountain landscape. Further up in north, in Lapland, you can spend several days in and around the town of Jokkmokk. From there you can explore national parks and the Sami culture. I will write more about this in coming texts.
From Gothenburg to Lillhärdal in Härjedalen
Day 1 to 4, from Gothenburg through the county of Västra Götaland to Dalsland
The route takes you to the great lake Vänern where you can make several stops to hike and enjoy nature. Your first stop, if you want to get to know an important part of the Scandinavian and Swedish history, is Alafors in the municipality of Ale.
It is about 36km from Gothenburg. In this part of Sweden, you can find remains from the Viking era and a local association of history aficionados has built a Viking homestead. They re-enact Viking life and offer outdoor markets, guided tours, and you can even participate in a Viking style fitness activities, such as fighting with swords and shield.
Nature sites to visit
1. Yttre Bodane Nature reserve in Åmål, Dalsland
2. Ramslökedalen Nature reserve in Håverud, Dalsland
3. Sörknatten Nature reserve, country of Västra Götland
Overnight motorhome parking, the first nights
If you are on your way to the Lake Vänern, you can stay the first night in the Trollhättan “lock area”, right by the water. The campsite (with motorhome pitches) is only 2km from the center of the city. The address is Åkersjövägen 50. You pay for the stay on a parking machine in the area. Coordinates: 58.26532190, 12.26588250. Coordinates: 58°15’55.16″N, 12°15’57.18″E
Another lake side overnight parking is in Vänersborg at Vänersborgs Gästhamn and Marina.
Address is Vänerparken 12 and contact is info@vanersborgsgasthamn.se.
Coordinates: 58.37743120, 12.31639080, coordinates: 58°22’38.75″N, 12°18’59.01″E
If you want to drive a but further next to the Lake Vänern coastline to Åmål, you can find motorhome parking for overnight stay in the town center by the water. It is not possible to pre-book.
Day 5 to 10, from Lake Vänern through Värmland to Dalarna
Värmland
Värmland is a historical province that borders, among other regions, Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna and in the west, Norway. Apart from stunning nature, you can find historic manors and homesteads, museums, and old silver mines. It is the home of the Swedish author and Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf. A much loved writer in Sweden.
Nature sites to visit
- Hovfjället, a mountain plateau and nature reserve, in Torsby. Great outdoor activities in the province of Värmland
- Brattforsheden, nature area (not far from Filipstad) is a great area to explore geological formations (pebble ridges, dead pits, dunes, ravines and marshes) in Värmland
Overnight camp sites in Värmland
In the center of Torsby, by the old train station, you can find 10 pitches to park overnight.
Address: Bangårdsgatan 10. Coordinates: 60.136345, 13.002869. In the center of Filipstad, you can also find 6 lakeside pitches in the Marina at the bay “Kyrkviken”.
Dalarna
One of the truly culturally rich and historical regions in Sweden is Dalarna. I have written many text about Dalarna, its forests, geological sites, the lakes, and nature sites. Some of the places you can find close to E45 and others you would need to do some detours. It is worthwhile to stay several days in this beautiful region.
A feature of this part of Sweden is the railway track called Inlandsbanan. It used to go through Swedish regions including several villages in Dalarna and connected Kristinehamn with Mora, as well as Mora and Gällivare. It was constructed as the inland Sweden, which was rich in natural resources, had the important forestry but poor connections. In addition, it was considered an important defense feature for Sweden if being invaded from the east.
The railway is now closed, but local aficionados have made a model railway showcasing some of the local railway tracks. Check out the group called Utby Rallare. In addition, Inlandsbanan AB has a passenger service that runs some periods of the year and is primarily for tourists.
Nature sites to visit
1. Nature reserve Jugen in Mora, Dalarna
2. Sandängarna Nature reserve
3. Furudal and the Ore Lake, a village and lake in the municipality of Rättvik
4. Siljan lake
5. Great view and summer grazing farm at Fryksås, Dalarna
6. Waterfall “Storstupet” and “Helvetetsfallet”
7. Hamra National park, Municpality of Ljusdal with an old growth forest track
8. Fågelsjö Gammelgård, an old homestead
Motorhome camp sites
Hamra National Park have some motorhome pitches where you can stay maximum 2 nights. In Furudal you have several cozy campings.
4 days in Lillhärdal
In the southern part of Härjedalen, you will come to the small village of Lillhärdal. You have now crossed several Swedish regions and counties. It is time to make a little longer stop in this one locality.
I have picked the village of Lillhärdal in Härjedalen. Here you will find vast wilderness, untouched forests, mountains, and great waters for fishing and water activities. There is also a camping here (website in Swedish) where you can read more about activities and life in Lillhärdal.
