The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Färgensjöarnas Naturreservat

The Nolhaga nature reserve in Alingsås is 26 hectares in size and has been protected since 2010. It consists of two wooded mountains separated by a ravine called Klämma. Jonas Alströmer bought the land in 1725 and planted a beech forest, which has now developed into an old forest with large trees and dead wood. Dead wood is an important habitat for fungi, insects and larvae. The area near the city has been a popular hiking area since the late 19th century. In 1921, the city of Alingsås bought Nolhaga to make it accessible to the public. To the west, on the banks of the Mjörn, lies the Nolhagaviken nature reserve.

The creator of Nolhaga is the entrepreneur Jonas Alströmer, one of the six founders of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He expanded the central building of his estate into a manor house in 1725 and surrounded it with a remarkable garden. Plants from all over the world were brought to Nolhaga and grown under Alströmer's care. After his death, the estate went into slow decline. The railway contractor Claes Adelsköld, who had acquired the estate in 1877, had the dilapidated main building demolished in 1879-1880 and a new one built, a patrician villa in the Italian neo-Renaissance style, designed by the architect Adrian C. Peterson. Adelsköld's villa is now popularly known as Nolhaga Castle. The current park is largely due to Adelsköld's efforts. The area became open to the public when the city of Alingsås acquired the castle and park in 1921. Nolhaga Castle, which has recently been renovated, houses a restaurant.

At the end of the 19th century, allotment gardens also appeared in Sweden, offering the urban working class a place where they could grow their own food and escape the city to find fresh air, peace and relaxation. The idea of "allotment gardens", named after the Leipzig orthopedist Moritz Schreiber, originated in Germany and spread through Denmark to Sweden. A large area of this type has been created in Nolhaga Park.

The 289-meter-long footbridge through the Congo swamp is part of the Nolhagaviken nature reserve. It allows for safe crossing and at the same time protects the special alder bog habitat. The swamp forest area has been called Congo since the 1960s and is a recognized EU Natura 2000 area due to its high natural value. The vegetation consists mainly of birch, alder, hornbeam and ash trees. Many bird species nest here.

Pedestrians and cyclists can use the Mjörnvallsbron to cross the Säveån just before it flows into Lake Mjörn. The bridge connects the Nolhaga recreation area with the "Playa Mjörn" beach. The bridge is curved so high that the yachts in the river port of Alingsås and even the excursion steamer "Herbert" can pass under it. The side walls of the Mjörnvallbron are decorated with graffiti with nature motifs, including the work of art "Avem Organicum".

The bathing area Playa Mjörn offers a flat and wide sandy beach, particularly suitable for families with small children. There is no jetty or diving tower here, but there is a kiosk and a toilet. Playa Mjörn is located next to the Mjörnvallen football stadium.

With its 55 square kilometres of water surface, Mjörn is the second largest lake in Västergötland (after Unden). It contains around sixty islands and islets. Some of them are inhabited, while some were used for agriculture until the mid-1950s. Ancient judge's rings and stone coffins, among other things, are evidence that people have lived here for almost 9,000 years. Mjörn has a rich flora and fauna. Around the lake, which is up to 48 metres deep, there are several large manor houses with park-like beech and oak forests alternating with pastures. Around a third of Mjörn is in the municipality of Alingsås.

A very modern playground with the theme of silk production. With atmospheric lighting since the Lights in Alingsås 2023 event