Slow travel among the archipelago's 8,000 islands

The Bohuslän coastline is a labyrinth of beauty stretching 280 km. Many of its islands are entirely pedestrianised: an explicit invitation to slow down. To take a ferry to Käringön or stroll through the alleys of Marstrand is to enter a timeless dimension. Here, one walks among cliffs shaped by millennia, observes local handicrafts and regenerates oneself away from the traffic. If July is the month of liveliness, spring and autumn bring an almost mystical peace. Western Sweden is a mecca for gourmets. In Gothenburg, the Signum restaurant (two Michelin stars and a Green Star) is the epitome of sustainable cuisine. But the experience would not be complete without a stop at Feskekörka, the 'fish church', a covered market where the sacredness of the sea is served at the table. Along the coast, restaurants such as Salt & Sill offer the opportunity to eat the freshest fish literally suspended over the water.