The Kattegattleden was opened in June 2015 as Sweden's first national long-distance cycle route. It runs for 370 kilometres along the south-west coast between Helsingborg and Gothenburg, close to the coast and with little traffic. The surface is mostly tarmac and easy to cycle on. The route is signposted throughout. Detours are taken to avoid busy roads. The terrain is undulating, with almost no long climbs.
Arrival
Travelling from northern Germany by train or car is easy: only a ferry route (from Heiligenhafen) interrupts the journey. From Hamburg it is 430 kilometres to Helsingborg.
From further afield, a flight to Copenhagen is a good option. The Öresund train runs every hour from the airport to Helsingborg and on to Gothenburg (return journey from there). Bicycles can be taken on the train at the children's rate.
Accommodation
The coast is very well developed for tourism, but the hotels are often upmarket. Bed and breakfasts are cheaper (from 50 to 60 euros). The STF associations often offer well-equipped youth hostels,
www.svenskaturistforeningen.se and SVIF, www.svif.se
Food
Sweden's restaurant prices are significantly higher than those in Germany, with 30 to 40 euros for a starter and main course being the norm in better restaurants. When shopping in the supermarket, the differences are much smaller.
A chance hit with a good price-performance ratio: the Indian restaurant Prashad in Falkenberg, Holgersgatan 27b; www.prashad.se
Info
A separate website has been set up for the Kattegattleden www.kattegattleden.se/de/
Two very helpful official free brochures are published in German: "Erlebe die Kattegatt-Route" contains tourist information and contact addresses, while the accompanying booklet "Kattegattleden" depicts the route in sections on very precise maps.
Further information is available from Visit Sweden, tel. 069-2222 3496; www.visitsweden.com
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 3/2016. You can read the entire issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or order the issue in the DK shop.
You can download the individual articles as PDF files here.
