Simlångsdalen is a small village located in a beautiful valley 15km from the coastal city of Halmstad, connected to Aarhus, Denmark by ferry, and only 2 hrs from Copenhagen.
Simlångsdalen is home to the UCI Gravel World Series Gravel, Grit’n’Grind. This year we are also proud to host the first ever Swedish Gravel Championships during the GGG event. We invite everyone to come and participate, either as a racer, a casual rider or as a fan! We are hosting a Cycle Fest during the GGG event, where companies will be showcasing their cycling related products.
Simlångsdalen is a quiet village situated at the entrance to a long valley that has 4 lakes. The valley is a mix of small farms, picturesque houses and many lanes and trails. Home to the famous hiking destination of Danska Fallen (please note, no mountain biking within the nature reserve except the gravel road up to the falls) and hundreds of other streams and brooks that meander through the valley. Less than 800 m from the village lies the beautiful 35m high Klövaberget cliffs.
The valley is home to 50 km of marked all-purpose trails, as well as limitless gravel roads and old farm paths to explore. I’ve ridden thousands of kilometers in the valley, and yet on almost every ride I find something new to explore, most recently a kilometer loop less than 2 km from my house that I’d never noticed before! The tarmac roads are also a wonder, a lot of great long climbs on quieter roads than you’ve ever ridden! It’s not uncommon to average 1 car per 10 kms ridden.
There are limitless picnic spots that don’t appear on any map. Some with properly established firepits, or, if you are really lucky, the occasional picnic table tucked away in the wilderness.
There are more than 10 nature reserves in the valley, some with their own trails, others with a simple sign. But each has something unique to explore, and usually it is possible by bike.
The valley is dotted with history, two of my favourite places are old mills hidden away, only accessible by foot or bike.
There is a wide range of nature to explore, from the sunny lakeside paths to magnificent beech forests, heavy pine woods or wind blasted heather heaths that make you think of Scotland. We’re also only 18 km by paved trail from the wide sandy beaches that Halmstad is famous for (3 days a year).
We host an annual gravel biking event, this year on July 9th. The Gravel Epic Simlångsdalen. This is a great training event for the UCI/SM event in August, as the long route shares the same route as the big race. There is a more friendly 65 km route as well!
Though the majority of visitors drive into the valley, walk up to Dansk Falls, and then drive away, there are so many more reasons to stay. We have three lovely accommodations, Tallhöjden Hotel and cabins with restaurant, bar, pool and sauna, Paulssons Paleo BnB, a fully functional farm, perfect for family visits, and Vinnalt Cabins tucked in real wilderness, as well as a few great AirBnB options that are all locally owned and operated.
If you stay for the weekend, and your bum is getting a bit sore of the bike seat there is also fly fishing at Vinnalt, Canoe and Kayak rentals available by Nicolas at flyta.nu, guided running from Simon at Paulssons, yoga with Cat at Paulssons or fermentation courses with Cecilia, massages from Johanna, horseback riding, beer and whiskey tasting at the hotel, rent a fishing boat, forest bathing at Vinnalt, pottery courses with Johanna and more!
For food we have the always magnificent lunches and dinners at Tallhöjden, there is the kiosk at the shop with burgers and sausages, and the valley’s Pizzeria which also serves alcohol.
Between Simlångsdalen and Halmstad there is Skedala, home to another 50km of multi-use trails owned by the city, and more excitingly, the ever-developing Skedala Trails, an area of the park that is being developed as a Mountain Bike destination by Halmstad MTB Klub. There are 3 different routes with jumps, berms and obstacles for the more adventurous rider. Riding there is free, but we strongly encourage everyone to join the club to help develop the area.
For more information visit www.destinationsimlangsdalen.com.