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