Dalsland, a slim strip of forest and lake country wedged between Norway and Lake Vänern, is having a quiet moment. Intrepid Travel has named the region to its Not Hot List of hidden gems for 2027 — a pick aimed at places where visitor money helps rather than overwhelms. Locals have a simpler pitch: Dalsland packs Sweden's lakes, woodland, traditions and lake-island scenery into one small region, hence the nickname 'Sweden in miniature'.
For walkers, the headline act is the Pilgrim Trail, a roughly 62-mile (100 km) route through forests, valleys and lakeshores that takes about five days end to end. The toughest stretch runs from Upperud to Hogelund, all hills and remote wilderness. Beginners can start easier with the 11 miles from Vänersborg to Sikhalls Camping — mostly flat valley terrain, with a coffee and supplies stop at the finish. Beyond the Pilgrim Trail there are 29 marked hiking routes in the region, plus roadless Tresticklan National Park on the Norwegian border.
Cyclists get their own playground along the Dalsland Canal, one of Europe's more scenic gravel-riding areas. Head north for well-maintained gravel with views over Lake Östra Silen, and expect to cross the canal at the Krokfors double lock — a popular rest stop in its own right.
Where you sleep is half the experience here. Upperud 9:9 is a hotel built inside a century-old restored grain silo with Scandi-style wooden interiors, overlooking forest and Lake Vänern; guests can borrow canoes or book cycling and sauna packages. In summer you can go further: glass cabins in the forest, Lappish huts, or a floating cabin on Lake Lelång — essentially a houseboat on a small motorboat you pilot yourself and anchor wherever the evening takes you. It all reflects the Swedish 'Allemansrätten', the constitutional right of public access to nature.
Logistics are easy. Gothenburg Landvetter (GOT) is the closest international airport, or it's about a two-and-a-half-hour, 116-mile drive from Oslo. For travellers who love Iceland or Finland's outdoors but not their crowds, Dalsland offers the same Nordic mix of water, forest and heritage — with the trails largely to yourself.
