Cycling Vänerleden with the kids - Kristinehamn

Certainly, children can also join in and cycle along Vänerleden. Take a leisurely day trip and stop at family-friendly attractions where there are fun things to do. A good stretch for younger cyclists is through Kristinehamn.

About 5 km north of Kristinehamn's center lies the beloved Stadsbondgården at Östervik. Here, children can pet animals, in example pigs and goats, watch rabbits and alpacas, ride ponies, and jump into the hay from the hayloft. The farm is always open and free to visit. If you'd like to have a snack, there's a small café (check opening hours), and you're welcome to bring your own picnic and use the barbecue area.

From Stadsbondgården, it's only 3 km to Kristinehamn Art Museum. There, you'll find “the Art Box”, which is a creative workshop where everyone is welcome to craft, paint, and make their own artworks to take home. A tip is to borrow the art kit outside the workshop, which contains fun items for children to explore the current art exhibition in an exciting way.

Then, continue cycling south along the water and turn off to Kristinehamns Arena. Here, all the little ones can have fun in the inflatable playland, Lek & Luft, which is open during school holidays. Next door is the “Sannabadet” swimming pool, and in the cafeteria, there's often a pancake buffet while the playland is open.

And a visit to Kristinehamn isn't complete without seeing the Picasso sculpture at Strandudden. It's located about 6 km south of the center, and the bike ride follows Vålösundsvägen with a view of the water. Along the way is Kristinehamns Herrgårdscamping with adventure mini-golf, playgrounds, and the opportunity to rent canoes and rowboats.

About 3 km south of the campsite stands the blue crane Kapurja – a well-known landmark. Here, there's a Kayakomat with unmanned rental of SUP boards and kayaks. Paddle, spray skirt, and life jacket are always included, and on-site, there are suggestions for paddling tours regardless of wind and weather.

At Kapurja, you'll find the Archipelago Playground with a playboat for the children, and here also begins the digital game "Quest Pirate Adventure." It's a fun mission where the archipelago is explored through the world of pirates in the quest to retrieve the stolen pirate ship.

Is it time for a swim? Then you have two really nice bathing spots along the route. One is Skymningen, which is close to the campsite, and the other is the shallow Jutviken, located beyond Strandudden. Between these, you can stop to enjoy delicious ice cream, shrimp sandwiches, archipelago menus, waffles, and coffee. There are several different restaurants and cafes to choose from, two of which are open year-round and the rest operate during the summer.

And if you want to park your bikes for a while for some fresh sea air and archipelago visits, just turn into “Vålösundsbryggan”. From here, during the summer, boat trips go out to islands with shallow sandy beaches, hiking trails, and nice spots with views of the Väner-horizon. Enjoy your bike ride!

More tips and inspiration

Here you can read more about cycling in Kristinehamn

Tips on excursions and visitor guides