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The runes are located all over the place around Tanumshede, but Vitlycke Museum is a good starting point. Located around a kilometer outside the actual village it shows the history behind the carvings.
The best reason to go there though is the huge carving site just around the corner. Vitlyckehällen is the biggest site in the area, and stretches over a 22 meter long hill.
The museum closes at 18, and as we arrived quite late we only had about an hour to go through it. More than enough though I must say, as it's quite boring. It might be a bit unfair, but it felt like they had built up the museum there just so they could sell more souvenirs to tourists who came there to see the runes.
There are two rooms with copies of the runes and signs that explains the history behind them, in both swedish and english.
Then there is a quite huge souvenir shop where you can buy almost anything connected to the runes, but they have made sure to gain as much as possible from the fact that it's a famous site. 24 euros for a t-shirt, with two runes persons playing tennis...? It looked more like a tourist trap shop than actually something for persons who are actually interested in the runes.
There is also a café. Entrance is free, which is a big plus.
Visit the museum, but most important is to get the map from the shop which shows all the sites of the real runes.
Updated Sep 19, 2011
Website: www.vitlyckemuseum.se
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In the Bohuslän area on the west side coast of Sweden there are more than 1500 runes/rock carvings. The best and biggest part of them are situated in Tanum, 1,5 hour drive north of Gothenburg.
In 1994 the area was taken onto the Unesco's list of World Heritage, and is now protected. Over 450 different sites in the area show the runes, that were made during the Bronze age, 1800-500 BC.
At that time they were located just next to the water line, but during the many years that have passed the water has sunk, and today they are instead a few kilometers away from the coast, 25-30 meter over the water line.
There are so many different figures, everything from single persons out hunting to big ships or animals.
I went here with my girlfriend on a stormy autumn day in September 2011, and I didn't get disappointed. The runes are fantastic, even if you probably need a special interest for them to go around and see them all. After a while it gets a bit like "have you seen one you've seen them all".
The runes in Tanum are unique compared to the rest of the world, but they are also threatened by pollution. There are things done to protect them, but one doesn't know how long they will actually last.
To make the runes more easy to see they have been painted in red during a later stage. It's not known if they also were painted originally.
Written Sep 19, 2011
Address: Tanumshede area
Website: http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=557
Picture here shows an example of the carvings you can find here. The stones are so big that i couldnt catch them properly with my camera.
Anyways, if you enlarge this picture, you will see at the top a big boat. Somewhat down the bottom is a man waving his axe or scythe and what more to the left you can see animals either dears or ordinary cows. Depends what you think the men is holding in his hands
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Phone: 46-(0) 525-209 50
Closeby the Vitlycke carvings a museum has been built featuring the aspects of this world heritage site. The museum also refers to other carving sites on the globe.
The exhibition devides into two areas. An inside area where you find information about the different locations where the carvings were found, the research about them and attempts to find their meaning. An outside area where you will find a small reconstructed settlement along a loop path which tries to give an idea of the life of those people who made the carvings.
The museum is currently free of charge (think the years 2009, 2010, 2011) and certainly an interesting place.
Written Dec 28, 2009
Address: At Vitlycke carving site.
Website: http://www.vitlyckemuseum.se/kulturvast_templates/Kultur_ArticlePageWide.aspx?id=47921
Some minutes walking up the hill above the carvings of Vitlycke, you can have a look at two cairns (gravehills). The path is partly slightly rough and if it rains you should take care not to fall, but if you haven't seen these kind of graves, it is worth the effort.
There are signs leading to the graves.
Written Dec 28, 2009
Like at the other sites also here at Aspeberget you will find beautiful and well preserved rock carvings. Most of them have been colored to make them more visible to the visitor, but if you keep your eyes open you will find some in the original form. These are hard to see (photo3), but some ar signposted for you.
Written Dec 28, 2009
Address: At Aspeberget
Website: http://www.vastsverige.com/templates/product____2375.aspx?prodId=43865
The carvings at Vitlycke are easy to be found from the Vitlycke museum. Just follow the footpath towards the street and cross it. Now you are already there. You can now follow a round path to the different rocks. There are many signposts explaining what you see and about the meaning of the carvings. On top of the hill you will find two cairns from where you will have a great view.
Updated Dec 28, 2009
Address: Vitlycke site
Website: http://www.vastsverige.com/templates/product____2375.aspx?prodId=49992
The carvings in Litsleby have many objects looking like boats. But the main carving is a warrior holding a spear which is in a pretty good condition. This figure is assumed to be the largest carving of a person in Europe! Like Vitlycke here in Litsleby carvings are the main attraction (beside the landscape) and connected by wooden trails making up a loop walk.
Written Dec 28, 2009
Address: Tanumshede, Litsleby
Website: http://www.vastsverige.com/templates/product____2375.aspx?prodId=47080
The different locations of Tanums world heritage sites are slightly spread in the beautiful Bohuslän landscape. Being there you will find an overview map at Vitlyckes museum, but to help you planning your trip in advance, have a look at the photo.
Written Dec 28, 2009
Address: Tanums World Heritage
Website: http://www.vitlyckemuseum.se/Kultur_Default.aspx?id=47469
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The Bronze Age rock carvings make this area a most interesting archeological site.
The pictures are rather well hidden in the forest but look out for roadsigns "Hällristningar"
SEE THE TRAVELOGUE!
Updated May 10, 2006
Tanumshede is a small village on the west side coast of Sweden, in an area called Bohuslän. It's world famous for its runes, or rock carvings, which are on Unesco's World Heritage list. The whole......
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