Virestad lake tour

This trail takes you on a tour around the beautiful lake of Virestadssjön, with plenty of opportunities to rest and enjoy the lovely views.

Route description: The tour around Virestadssjön lake runs mostly through farmland. The lake’s water level was lowered in the late 19th century to create more agricultural land, which means that the lake now has a north and a south section. Some people are grateful, as it means they can cut through the middle if they run out of energy halfway round. The road through Buhult is gravel, but the rest of the route is on asphalt. Pehr Hörberg was born in Virestad in the 18th cen-tury. He became a renowned artist, known particularly for his altarpieces, which can still be found in many Swedish churches. You can see one of his altarpieces, the largest in the Nordic region, in Virestad church. Virestad also has a rural heritage museum featuring several old buildings from the parish. Stop by Langes clothing store to correct your morning’s choice of outfit on a chillier than expected day. Just south of Virestad lies Välje beach and campsite. Cycle towards Degersnäs or continue south towards Brudgummestenen, one of the area’s many places of myth and legend. From here you need to cycle back about 2 km to rejoin the trail. In Bråthult, cycle over the river Helge Å on an old arched stone bridge before continuing north. In Valid take a detour to Galgahallarna, a roundtrip of just over 1 km. Translating as “the Gallow Cliffs”, legend has it that this was a site for executions. You’ll have to do the final bit on foot.