So, you’ve hiked into the falls, enjoyed the trails and the views. What do you do now? It’s too cold for the coast. Do you just pack up and drive back to Copenhagen? No. Simlångsdalen is an absolute gem of a location with a lot to see and do more than our famous falls.
Today you are going to rent a gravel bike from us, and take a tour of some fantastic nature. After picking up your bikes, head to Badplatsen where this route starts and finishes. You can have a lovely picnic lunch, or you can visit Vargslätten, the third largest private gardens in southern Sweden only a hundred meters from the swimming beach. After a beautiful and relaxing tour, a yummy waffle and some SIA glass ice cream, you head up the hill to Paulsson Paleo where you can also finish the trip with a private yoga class and a sauna before staying the night.
It’s a tough climb up to Paulsson’s, but it’s also the only long climb on this route. After Paulsson’s you are heading out on your gravel adventure, you’ll ride through the small community of Fägrilt, hanging a right and heading past Simlångstugan on your way past Attavara lake. You’ll come out on a big gravel road where you hang a left until you come to the highway.
Crossing the highway you need to look for the small farmroad, almost directly across from where you exited. From here follow the route under the boom, and enjoy a long push through the rolling, car free back country. There is a good chance you’ll see some wildlife through this section. You can take a rough gravel connector, or you will come out onto a paved road and hang a left for about 500m. Great time to refill your tummy.
From here you will hit the roughest gravel for about 4km, faster is better if you ask me. Again, you are starting after a boom, so there are no cars to been seen. This will spit you out just before the small area of Håralt where you need to take another left as you head past a small self-pick raspberry farm just before the big downhill of Svaliltbacken, which is featured as a climbed in the Gravel, Grit’n’Grind race.
Here you come out to another paved road, cross the bridge and then look for a connecting trail between houses that will put you on the Banvallsleden, and old gravel train line that runs across the country. Make sure that you are going to the left, or in 220 km you will end up very hungry in Karlshamn.
The Banvalsleden will take you down Simlången, our biggest lake, and most fantastic views, before back to Badplatsen. You can pop up into the village from here if you want to get a meal at the Pizzeria, the Kiosk or the Hotel.