Simlångsdalen’s Best Gravel Routes

The quiet village of Simlångsdalen lies 15 km outside of Halmstad, off E6. The village has all you need to be the hub of your wilderness gravel adventures. Full service bike shop and rentals, grocery store, hotel, bar and restaurant, Paulsson bed and breakfast, Pizzeria and a fastfood kiosk. Lots of parking, public swimming beaches and more.

The endless network of gravel roads gives you the freedom to go as short or as far as you want. Start your ride early or finish late and you have a very good chance of seeing deer, moose, fox, lynx, wolf, wild boar or even a car or two!

Route 1 – 34.5km 575m SLD GRVL Central 2 Route – Intermediate Download

A short but extremely hill route that circles the valley of Simlångsdalen. Some beginner single track, some sharp climbs. It’s a good workout, but don’t expect a high overall speed. Real wilderness only a few kilometers away from a pizzeria, the entire time!

Route 2 – 35km 370m Grinders RT3 – Beginner Download

A real wilderness route where you are car-free for half the ride. Small, occasionally rough gravel, isolated and quiet. Make sure to take a spare tube with you on this one, it’s a beautiful ride without any major climbs, but it’s a long walk home.

Route 3 – 39.5 km 480m Grinders RT2 – Intermediate Download

Do this route clockwise and you will start with a number of short, punchy climbs on some lovely seemingly remote gravel, and the last 10 km are slightly downhill on the lovely lakeside.

Route 4 – 40.7km 511m Cykelvasan 2021 – Intermediate Download

This is a great summer day ride with some different forestscapes to explore. Be ready for some seemingly endless climbs early on, but the route will keep you smiling the whole way around. It’s not as tough as it seems, and the last half is a lot easier than you’ll expect.

Route 5 – 52.5km 675m Tourist Route 3.0 – Intermediate Download

This route is designed for you to see the valley, and be able to leave it when you need. It’s divided in two halves. It’s the longer version of Route 1.

Route 6 – 65.9km 843m – Long way to Oskarström – Advanced Download

This is a tough ride for a purpose. It’s hardcore backcountry will lots of climbs over some incredibly beautiful terrain. This route ends at Feldt’s Skolberget Bakery and Restaurant in Oskarström. You’ll be hungry when you get there, and you’ll be happy for the appetite! Take the paved road home, it’s still 20km and 350m climbing.

Route 7 – 75.7km 900m SLD GRV North – Intermediate Download

This route starts relatively easily with a few climbs, and through the village of Oskarström where you can stop at Feldt’s for an amazing fika before heading deeper into the wilderness for a real gravel cycling adventure looping back to Simlångsdalen.

Route 8 – 94km 820m My Secret Vrå – Intermediate Download

If you are looking for a quiet day on the bike without any climbs after you leave Simlångsdalen (it wouldn’t really be gravel if it was flat, would it?). This takes you east into Kronoberg Län, on some of the quietest gravel roads that exist. After the tiny village of Mästocka you will have some tarmac home, but you’ll be happy for it.

Route 9 – 96.1km 1150m Gravel Grit’n Grind Day 3 (2023) – Advanced Download

You want to race against world class riders but you are too cheap to buy a ticket? Here’s your chance to try out one of the shorter routes for the UCI World Championships. It’s a hilly route, shorter, sharp climbs, narrow gravel routes with the occasional tarmac section to refuel before heading back into the forest.

Route 10 – 104 km 2000m Around Simlångsdalen – Extreme Download

This route is designed to hurt. It hits almost every climb in the area without backtracking. 16 climbs of 60 meters or more, lots of gravel. The good news is that if you need to quit you are never very far from the village centre. It’s a real challenge, and shows the beauty and challenge of our lovely village.

Route 11 – 117 km 1450m Epic Gravel 117 – Advanced Download

This is another gravel test piece. It’s a brilliant tour, but it’s hard. You will be in the backcountry on challenging gravel. This is not a route for beginners.

Route 12 – 125 km 1500m UCI 2023 – Advanced Download

Another UCI World Gravel Tour route. It’s designed for pros. Expect hard climbs, long challenging sections of wilderness gravel. The nice thing about this route is that it takes you to the villages of Torup and Lidhult, two places you can stop and get a coffee or a meal. The bakery in Torup is certainly worth the stop, but check their opening hours!

Route 13 – 131 km 2050m – Gravel Sadistic – Extreme Download

It’s gravel. It’s sadistic. It’s too hard for the UCI. It starts on some very small roads and trails, keep your eyes open and your GPS zoomed in. Lots of climbing, lots of small roads. It’s an adventure, but it’s extremely challenging.

Route 14 – 133 km 1800m – Simlångsdalen UCI 2023 – Advanced Download

Now we are getting serious. This is a long hard race route. You can take a lunch stop in Torup, good pizzeria on the main street, or the cyclist friendly cafe by the church. This route saw Marianne Vos win her first official gravel race. Do you have what it takes? Try and take some of Nikki Terpstra’s KOMs. His average speed was 37.8km/h. I’m betting you can’t do that on this route in your rental car.

Route 15 – 146 km 2000m – GGnG Stage 2 2025 – Extreme Download

This one doesn’t start in Simlångsdalen, but it’s a great route to try out. It starts at Wapnö in Halmstad. Make sure to pack a lunch, you are going to be out there all day. At about three quarters of the route there is a great stop at Storaberget, a strawberry farm with restaurants. This is hilly, this is technical, and this is fast. There are some longer stretches of tarmac, it’s another chance to test yourself against the pros.

Route 16 – 181km 1300m – Hylteleden – Beginner Download

180km beginner route? Well, this is a tourist route, so 75% tarmac on quiet roads. It’s a lovely route, but you’ll want a gravel bike as there are gravel sections. There are a number of places to stop if you want to take a couple of days to do the route. It is certianly do-able in one day, and it passes a number of restaurants, though they are spaced out. Top Tip? Hit Tiraholm for fish!