Halmstad, chief town of the Swedish county and province of Halland, lies near the mouth of the river Nissan in Laholm Bay, on the Kattegat. This situation promoted its rapid development into an important port and trading town, which received its municipal charter in 1307. The town was rebuilt after a fire in 1609, and has preserved much of the appearance of that period.
Sports are an important part of Halmstad's culture, they have teams in ice hockey, football, golf, swimming, gymnastics, table tennis and handball. In 2007, Halmstad hosted the Solheim Cup, an event for professional women golfers.
To the east of Halmstad on Road 25, at Tolarp (on the road to Simlångsdalen), is the largest passage grave in Halland. Tolarp lies in a beautiful setting amid deciduous forest (marked footpaths), with excellent restaurants. Wild berries and mushrooms are abundant in this area.
From Halmstad an attractive side trip can be made to Eldsberga (Road 117 to a side road on the left), which has a 12th century Romanesque church with old wall paintings. In this area there are numerous stone tombs of the Bronze Age, often situated on hills with extensive views.
Tourism is becoming increasingly important on the coast of southern Halland. The resort of Tylösand (9km/6mi west of Halmstad), with its long sandy beaches, is one of the most attractive in Sweden.
To the north of Halmstad is the wooded Galgenberg, with a lookout tower and an open-air museum, Hallands Gården (old houses, School Museum). The Martin Luther Church in Långgatan (1970) was Scandinavia's first steel church; it has excellent acoustics.
Beyond the Halmstad Town Hall is the old Castle (early 17th C.), now the governor's residence. On its seaward side is moored "Najaden", a sailing vessel (built 1897) now used as a training ship.
Tips: Official residence; interior not open to the public.
16km/10minorth of Halmstad on the coast road lies the Haverdalsstrand nature reserve (ca. 350 hectares/875 acres), with a 4.5km/3-mi-long sandy beach and dunes - a feature rarely found in Sweden.
On the edge of the Hallandsås, near Hassjöv church, can be seen the imposing Bronze Age burial mound of Lugnarohögen. The Hallandsås is a ridge of hills, 40km/25mi long and between 5km/3mi and 10km/6mi across, which was left standing up when the surrounding land sank. Attractive footpaths through beech and pine forest; skiing in winter.
The road from Halmstad to Tylösand runs past the Miniland leisure park, with scale models (1:25) of some 80 of Sweden's tourist sights, in a beautiful setting.
From the Halmstad market square, Storgatan runs north to the Norre Port (1605), at the south end of the Norre Katt Park. This is the only surviving town gate belonging to the old fortifications, most of which were pulled down in 1734 by order of the town council.
On the banks of the Nissan can be seen a 14m/45ft-high piece of sculpture in reinforced concrete, "Woman's Head" (1971), created by a Norwegian sculptor on the model of a figure by Picasso.
South of Mellbystrand is Skottorp Castle, built about 1660 by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and remodeled in neo-classical style at the beginning of the 19th century.
This annual festival is one of many paying tribute to Swedish-American ties. The festival includes fireworks and other traditional events held in the United States on Independence Day.
Lars Israel Wahlman and Blanche Dickson designed the manor house and garden, which were completed in 1904. The visitor can tour the manor, workers' houses, church and farm wagon museum, and walk through the garden.
The exterior of the manor is a blend of Tudor and Elizabethan styles and the interior is decorated in Art Noveau style.
Address: Tjolöholms, Tjolöholms Slott, S-43974 Fjärås, Sweden
Hours:
June 15 to August 31: 11am-4pm
September 1 to September 30: 12pm-4pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
October 1 to October 31: 12pm-3pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
Tips: Group tours available year round. Call for information: (300) 544200
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Eldsberga, Sweden
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