




Hike a section of the Gotaleden, visit our unique old-growth forest and/or bake Swedish cinnamon buns with Anna
The Gotaleden is a beautiful hiking trail stretching between Gothenburg and Alingsås. It follows the rail route, which makes it easy to hop on the train if you only want to walk part of the trail.
One particularly scenic section is the stretch between Norsesund and Västra Bodarna – if you know which path to take. I’ll show you a route only a local would know, taking us through Solveden Forest – one of the area’s most beautiful and untouched old-growth forests. It’s a much more scenic path than the one marked by the official signs.
We’ll start our walk in Norsesund and finish in Västra Bodarna. From there, you can either continue on foot or take the train back to the starting point. I’ll bring coffee and cinnamon buns for the hike, which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
or
Welcome to our home for a classic Swedish fika – but first, we make the dough! Together, we’ll bake traditional Swedish cinnamon buns.
While the dough rises, we’ll take a short walk through our unique old-growth forest – an unusual and ecologically valuable woodland with century-old trees, rich bird and wildlife, and a sense of tranquility that’s hard to find in today’s managed forests. It’s a forest we live close to every day, and we look forward to sharing its magic with you.
When we return, we’ll bake the buns and set up fika either in our winter garden or outside in the garden with a view of the lake. Our home is a former sanatorium, now converted into a modern co-housing community with eight apartments – a place where community and closeness to nature are central.
The full experience, including baking, the walk, and fika, takes about two hours.
About Your Host, Anna
I am a happy and open-minded woman in my 40s who loves nature and meeting new people. In my spare time I practice beach volleyball. Aside from my dog Ronja, I share my life with my two children and an amazing husband.
Who this is for
All ages and anyone who likes dogs.
When?
During the week and weekends.
Where?
From Gothenburg you can take the train to Norsesund, it takes 30 minutes.
Price
50 SEK per person for baking and 200 SEK per person for the Gotaleden walk
Languages Spoken
Spanish, English and Swedish.
Reviews
Meeting Anna was a highlight of our trip! She is kind, friendly & welcoming. Anna met us at the train station. We went on a nice walk and discussed Sweden’s culture. Anna provided a lovely fika in the garden after our walk. We highly recommend meeting Anna! Karen
Lakebay, WA , United StatesRead more
Anna is a wonderful, inspiring person to meet! She's a very warm, friendly and passionate person. I really enjoyed my visit with her and learning how to bake cinnamon buns, a Swedish Fika staple. I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity with Anna. Miriam
Birmingham , United States
My boyfriend and I met Anna and Mikael together for the hike, as Anna mentioned she and Mikael were neighbors and they were happy to join up. It was an easy train ride from the city, and so much fun to speak with them about their experiences living in beautiful Norsesund. One thing that may be surprising to North American visitors is that they have giant, decades-old anthills as tall as people sometimes - aside from the beautiful wild berry bushes growing everywhere along the trail. The hike was a little hilly, but mostly flat offering gorgeous views of the lake from many sides. After sitting down halfway through for fika, Anna shared delicious homemade buns and Mikael brought the (strong!) coffee and introduced us to the original KitKat - Norwegian Kvik Lunsj, commonly brought on hikes there. Mikael also brought a map and pointed out different recreational routes, such as how some people can use canoes or kayaks to complete a full circle through the region's waters. We also were able to walk by both of their homes, and they shared what it's been like to live there and what they grow in their gardens. Upon leaving, they recommended we stop in Alingsås, Anna in particular recommended a stellar cafe (Nygren's) that had incredible coffee and treats. While the vistas on the hike were beautiful, the company was even better. I would return any day to enjoy the forest around Norsesund - and feel to have truly made new friends. Thanks so much for sharing your time, stories, and smiles with us! Sam
Worcester, MA , United StatesRead more
It has been a great experience! We have loved meeting Anna, her house and cooking kanelbullar with her. We have learned a lot about Sweden by talking to her. Thank you very much! Xavier
Barcelona , Spain
I had a lovely walk & talk with Anna in the beautiful surroundings of Norsesund, ending with a Fika. Highlight of my trip to Sweden. Kiara
Leuven , Belgium
Through this initiative of Meet The Locals i got the opportunity to meet the lovely Anna, who showed me the nice area around where she lives. I could conveniently meet her at Norsesund train station and then we came to the lake Mjörn. It was a nice walk and a nice time sitting by the lake having a fika over some nice conversations. I absolutely recommend Anna as a very wonderful and kind local to meet and it was a pleasure to meet her and her wonderful dog 🙂 -Shashi Shashi
Gothenburg , SwedenRead more
Without a doubt meeting Anna was the highlight of my two weeks in Sweden. We baked the most delicious Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Rolls) together and walked through the forest she lives in. Communication was extremely easy and Anna and her dog picked me up and dropped me off from the train station. But the best part of the entire experience was getting to spend quality time with Anna, as meaningful connections are sometimes rare when backpacking solo. Thank you so much for you exceptionally warm hospitality, you really are an incredible woman Anna. All the best, and you are always welcome in Australia! Josephine
Brisbane , AustraliaRead more
Deciding to contact one of the Locals has been one of the best things I've done since moving to Sweden. My meeting with Anna was brief but lovely. She picked me up from the train station and had a nice walk to her place where we then made the most delicious cinnamon rolls I have tried yet. Anna was warm, helpful and welcoming. I am so happy I had the opportunity to share some time with her and her lovely dog. I would recommend this experience to anyone looking to see first-hand how the Locals live. I am already looking forward to meet the next one. Haydee Haydee
, MexicoRead more