What to do on Orust - 15 tips for a beautiful island on the west coast

What to see and do on Orust? This beautiful west coast island offers a wonderful environment with cliffs, islets and skerries. Here you will find tips on sights, experiences and activities for your holiday.

Orust in Bohuslän

Orust is Sweden's fourth largest island, after Gotland, Öland and Södertörn. We visited the island by motorhome, and had time to look around properly.

Orust is located on the west coast of Bohuslän, just south of Skaftö and just north of Tjörn. The island is located about 3.5 kilometres southwest of Uddevalla and about 7.5 kilometres northwest of Gothenburg.

What can you see and do in Orust?

So what can you see and do on Orust? In addition to being able to relax and enjoy the wonderful environment, there is a lot to do. We have collected our best tips here in a list.

1. holidaying in charming Mollösund

One thing you won't want to miss doing on Orust is visiting charming Mollösund. This community has a long history of herring fishing and was long one of Bohuslän's largest fishing villages, where daily labour was hard work. Today this is a picturesque tourist resort with winding alleys, cute wooden villas, a lively little harbour and plenty of restaurants and cafés.

It is nice to stroll along the cobbled streets among the houses surrounded by beautiful hollyhocks. There is also a local farm and a house where "Sigurd Olsson's Speceri- och Diversehandel" once stood. The shop closed for good in 1966, but the interior and fixtures have been preserved intact, and the premises now serve as a museum shop.

Despite the charming houses, it is perhaps the harbour, the boats and all the restaurants and cafés that are most attractive. Among other things, we were told that there is a very good fish soup at the restaurant Brygghuset.

It is also popular to climb the rocks on Gallebergsudden, where you will also find the Mollösund lighthouse. It's nice here during the day, and it's also supposed to be nice to watch the sunset from this spot.

2. Meet the fisherman's wife at Klockareberget in Mollösund.

When you are in Mollösund, you can also take the opportunity to take the stairs up to Klockareberget. From here you have a nice view of the houses and the water, and you can also meet the "fisherman's wife" who stands here and looks out over the sea.

The statue is a reminder of the time when many people waited, sometimes agonisingly, to see their loved ones who had been out at sea fishing. If you saw them, you could sing the happy song, for which there are lyrics and sheet music, next to the fisherman's wife.

3. See the church and the "Think about death" sign in Mollösund.

Just below the viewpoint in Mollösund is Mollösund Church, which was inaugurated in 1866.

Across the road from the church is the cemetery, the entrance to which is adorned with the somewhat startling text "Think about death", which can be seen as a reminder to make the most of life while you can. This is perhaps one of the most photographed cemetery gates in the country, and we also managed to capture the gate on film.

4. Relax in cosy Hälleviks beach

The cosy community of Hälleviksstrand is located in western Orust, between Mollösund and Ellös. Here, both the wooden villas and the boathouses are close together and offer picturesque views. Those who want to can swim or kayak. There is also the Strana hotel and restaurant, as well as a few simple food and ice cream parlours.

5. Admire Hälleviksstrand church

Not far from Hälleviksstrand you will find Hälleviksstrand Church, which is beautiful and worth a short stop on the way. The church was built in 1903-1904 by master builder Johan Larsson from Tjörn, to designs by Adrian Crispin Peterson. The special design mixes pre-Nordic, Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic styles.

6. Take a boat trip to Gullholmen and Härmanö.

Gullholmen and Härmanö are two beautiful islands that can be reached by ferry from Tuvesvik on Orust. On Gullholmen, the charming houses are very close together, and there are also a few restaurants and cafés.

On Härmanö you will find one of Bohuslän's largest nature reserves. There are several hiking trails and excellent places for bird watching.

7. Discover the picturesque island of Käringön.

The same ferry that takes you to Gullholmen and Härmanö can also take you to the idyllic island of Käringön. On this island you can sunbathe and swim, stroll in picturesque alleys and hang out in cosy restaurants in the harbour. An excursion here is a really nice thing to do on Orust!

8. Hanging out in Ellös

Ellös is one of the towns on Orust, where you can experience closeness to the sea, as well as shops and restaurants. Here you will also find Sörkilen's bathing area, which is a child-friendly bathing area with a jetty for crab fishing, a trampoline and a jumping tower. Once a year, at the end of August, a sailboat fair is also organised here with Open Yard.

9. Walk Husebyleden in Ellös

Not far from Ellös on Orust you will find Husebyleden. This is a hiking trail that takes you through beautiful nature, where you also pass a number of historical sights. The trail, which is about 3.5 kilometres long, starts at a car park by road 178 (map here).

In the beginning, the terrain was quite "bushy", but here we quickly found an ancient castle with a view for miles. Later we walked through areas with lots of birds, and finally we entered an incredibly beautiful beech forest.

Along the way, we could learn about how people worked to excavate peat on bogs. We could also see inscriptions in trees, which date back to a time when young people on their way to Ellös Folkets Park passed here. All in all, this was a nice and varied hike!

10. Take the ferry to Malö

Malö is an island located just northwest of the main island of Orust, which can be reached by a short car ferry crossing. On the island is Malö Camping, where you can camp with your own caravan or in a cabin. At the campsite you can also rent a kayak and experience the beautiful surroundings from the water.

11. Visit Taubes Flatön

The island of Malö is connected to the island of Flatön by a short bridge. Flatön is perhaps best known because Evert Taube once lived here. Taube was advised by his doctor to rest in a quiet place because of his asthma. He ended up on "Ängön", which was once a separate island, but is now part of Flatön.

He came off a roaring sea. Evert Taube visited Flatön 1942-1945.

On the island, he got to know the trader Gustaf Johansson, whom he called "Handelsman Flink" in his songs. Today, Handelsman Flink is a restaurant, and there is also Flink's shop, where we each bought an ice cream. Just outside, in the water, you can spot the Taube stone that reminds us of Taube with the text "He came from a roaring sea. Evert Taube visited Flatön 1942-1945".

From Flatön it is then possible to continue, by cable ferry, to Dragsmark, from where you can go on to Skaftö.

12. Take an art tour to see the MUMA murals.

MUMA Muralmålningar (Mural Modern Art) is an art project highlighting women in the rural areas of eastern Orust. The project started in 2017 and has resulted in a series of murals on barn walls around the island. Each painting tells the story of a woman who lived on the island in the past, and each painting is made by a female artist. Delicious!

13. Discover Henån

Henån is the centre of Orust, and here you will find a large marina and a variety of shops. If you're travelling with a motorhome, you'll quickly discover that there is a large and good parking space here.

On the harbour square in Henån you will find the seafood shop Henåns Fisk & Skaldjur. This is a nice little shop, and here we made several good finds.

14. Living the holiday life at the Slussen guesthouse

Slussen is a small but pleasant place in north-eastern Orust. Here you will find Slussen's guesthouse (top small picture on the left, among the pictures below), with a hotel, restaurant and a music scene that attracts big and famous artists.

There are also bathing facilities and a small caravan park. Here you will find one of the murals of the "MUMA" art project.

15. See ancient remains at Brattås ancient remains area

People have lived on Orust ever since the ice age ended 11,000 years ago. Therefore, there are also a lot of ancient remains in the form of ancient graves. We checked out the Brattås archaeological site where you can see a hut and a passageway from the Neolithic period. Fascinating!

If you're into this kind of historical sights, there are a few more sites on Orust, including Hagadösen, Lunneslätt gånggrift and Torebo Altare.

More things to do in Orust for culture and history lovers

There is of course more to see and do on Orust, in addition to what we have described above. Here are some more tips for those who like culture and history:

• Orust tourist information centre is located in Kulturhuset Kajutan in Henån. Here you can get tips and information (Kulturhuset Kajutan, Henån).
• Sestervik art gallery & café is a permanent exhibition of glass and watercolours at the studio in Svanesund (Svanesund).
• Tegneby local history museum is a furnished farmhouse with a barn and parish storehouse. (Ellös)

More to do in Orust for those who like food and shopping

Do you like food, drink and shopping? For you, there are also additional suggestions for things to do on Orust. Here are some tips:

• Orust recycling centre is a second-hand shop with recycled products (Brattorp 430, Svanesund).
• Tavlebord's honey farm has a café and farm shop with organic coffee and self-produced honey. (Tavlebord 127, Henån)ubrik
• Farm shop table is a market hall with products from local producers in an old farm shop environment (Tavlebord 110, Henån).
• Tollös sheep farm has a summer café and farm shop in a quiet environment (Tollös, Henån).

More things to do on Orust for nature lovers

Do you like nature best? Then you will find even more tips on things to see and do in Orust here, which may be suitable for you.

• Cycling you can do on country roads in Orust. For example, you can start in Henån, where you can find cycle maps at the tourist information centre.
• Fishing for sea trout can be done between 1 April and 30 September. There are many good fishing spots in the fjords around Orust.
• Kayak you can paddle in several places. For example, you can hire a kayak or paddleboard at Orust Kajak in Stocken.
• Cultivated harbour is a 4 km long cultural-historical hiking trail through natural environments on Orust.
• The Orust coastal path is a 44-kilometre long nature and culture trail from coast to coast, part of the Kuststigen trail that runs throughout Bohuslän.
• Orust Golf Club in Ellös is a seaside course with sea views on almost every hole. (Morlandavägen 135, Ellös)
• Pilgrimage trail OrustSt Olofsleden, is a walk between eight beautiful churches on Orust.
• Sven's altar is a 6 km nature and culture trail that takes you to Sven's altar, 106 metres above sea level.

More things to do in Orust for those who like events

Do you like events and happenings? For you there are also things to do in Orust. Keep an eye out for the following events.

• Taste of Orust is a project to promote locally produced food, and in 2022 a tasting day will be organised at Orust återbruk.
• Orust Sailboat Show is an open yard fair, always held the weekend after the Tjörn Runt sailing race at the end of August.
• Maritime Week the North Sea, including the topsail schooner Kvartsita travelling along the coast with beach cleaners and researchers.

Where can you stay in Orust, or park your campervan?

On Orust there are many different types of accommodation to choose from. If you want to stay in a hotel, you can, for example, choose to stay in charming Mollösund. Or why not stay a few nights on the island of Käringön? There are many places to choose from!

We are travelling by motorhome and have stayed at, or checked out, the following places to stay. Keep in mind that campsites often also have cabins, where you can stay even if you don't have a motorhome, caravan or tent.

RV parks in Mollösund

In Mollösund there is a small car park in the harbour, with a few spaces. It's not so easy to get a space there during the high season, but luckily there is also a car park a little higher up, where you can park your motorhome. You pay by app (EasyPark) and there is no service, but it is close to the centre of Mollösund.

Camping in Stocken

Stockens camping is located in western Orust and is a large campsite where you can camp with a motorhome, caravan or tent, or stay in a cabin. We tried to get a place here one of the days, but it was full.

Camping on Malö

On Malö there is a campsite that is beautifully situated and where you can rent a kayak. We only passed here on our way to Flatön.

RV park in Henån

In Henån there is a large caravan park right by the harbour, with room for lots of motorhomes. Here is all the service you need including electricity, and here we stood most of all the days we spent on Orust. A really good place we thought!

RV park at Slussen

Finally, we should also mention that we saw a small car park at Slussen, but we did not stay there ourselves. As far as we could see, the services you need are there.

Things to do in Orust - on film

Here you can also find a film from Orust that we showed on our Instagram account. @freedomtravelnews. Peter is now also posting these films on Youtube, on the account freedomtravelnews.

More to see and do in Orust - nearby

When you visit Orust, you can of course also take the opportunity to experience... Tjörn, where you will find Skärhamn, the Pilane sculpture park and charming islands such as Åstol and Dyrön. If you are travelling north instead, you can visit Skaftö with Grundsund and Fiskebäckskil, as well as popular Lysekil, where we recommend 15 great experiences. It is also not far to Uddevalla.

More suggestions for things to do in Orust?

Have you been to Orust? How was your experience? Do you have any other good tips on what to see and do in Orust?

Facts about Orust

• Landscape: Bohuslän
• County: Västra Götaland County
• Central location: Henån
• Slogan: The big island in the west
• Other localities: Barrevik, Edshultshall, Ellös, Hälleviksstrand, Kungsviken, Mollösund, Myckleby, Nösund, Slussen, Stillingsön, Stocken, Svanesund, Svanvik, Varekil.
• District: Gullholmen, Käringön, Långelanda, Mollösund, Morlanda, Myckleby, Röra, Stala, Tegneby, Torp
• Municipality: The municipality comprises the island of Orust, where most of the inhabitants live, and several smaller islands, some of which are inhabited.
• Surrounding islands: Flatön, Lyrön, Härmanö, Gullholmen, Käringön, Malö and others.
• Population: More than 15 000 (2022)
• Fjords: The municipality is separated from the mainland by Björnsundsfjorden and Kalvöfjord in the north and Havstensfjorden in the east. In the south, the municipality is separated from the island of Tjörn by Stigfjorden.
• Tunnels: Orust is home to Sweden's first road tunnel.
• Read more: You can find more information West Sweden website.

Travelling to Orust

• Car/caravan: If you're coming from Uddevalla, exit at Torp and cross the Nötesund Bridge to get to Orust. If you are coming from the south, drive via Stenungsund to Tjörn and then over the small island of Mjörn and the Skåpesund Bridge.
• Boat: If you come with your own boat, there are both guest harbours and natural harbours. Ferry lines run between the main island of Orust and several neighbouring smaller islands.
• Public transport: Buses to Orust run from Stenungsund, Uddevalla (Kampenhof) and Gothenburg (Nils Ericson terminal). The nearest railway station is in Stenungsund or Uddevalla.

History of Orust

• Past tense: The first people came to Orust after the Ice Age 11,000 years ago. Their settlements were located by the beach, in places that are now 40-50 metres above sea level.
• Middle Ages: Around the 12th century, churches were built from stone.
• 1658: Orust became Swedish at the Peace of Roskilde.
• 18th century: The availability of herring was very good and this time is known as the 'great herring period'.
• 1808: The availability of herring declined, leading to depopulation and the disappearance of several fishing villages.
• 1950s: Several of the island's shipyards started producing plastic boats and the shipbuilding industry became significant.