Flottarleden, etapp 1 Kaserna-Tegen

From the Kaserna starting point on Lake Vassbotten in Munkedal, you can follow beautiful waterways, partly in the wilderness, far up into Dalsland. A lake system composed of Vassbottensjön, Munkedalsälven, Viksjön, Valboån, Ellenösjön, Östersjön, Bläcketjärn, Kuserudssjön, Rådanesjön and finally Långhalmen, offers together a waterway about 4 miles long. The nature is very beautiful and varied. You pass the Strömmarna nature reserve, which is very hilly. Here on both sides of the Munkedals River you can walk on the Bohus Trail towards Modalenstugan. Two suspension bridges make it possible to walk around the area. The mountainsides along the trail rise high where the western part reaches the height of 75 m above sea level. Further up you will find Viksjöleden.

The canoe trip goes through old mill country, friendly farmland and rugged wilderness. The river used to be used to float timber to the Arctic Paper mill (Munkedals AB) until the 1960s, but the watercourse is now regulated. During this time, Lake Vassbotten was a timber reservoir and was usually completely covered with logs. Several places along the shores are still reminiscent of the activity that was once carried out here, not least by the sinking logs that here and there stick out of the water.

Near Modalenstugan you will find Fingal's caves, which are actually giant pots formed during the last ice age. At Vågsäter there is an ice edge deposit with a shell bank. Here you will also find the family grave of the Koch family, who ran a mill at Vågsäter, in the oak forest. On December 13, 1659, early morning in fog, an event took place at Strömsäter that contributed to Bohuslän remaining Swedish. This was after a small Swedish force surprised a much larger Norwegian/Danish force. Panic broke out and a large number of soldiers drowned in their flight across the frozen Viksjön lake.

At Modalen it is possible to go ashore on a reed bank, below a waterfall. Along a path you can walk to Modalenstugan where there is a barbecue area, shelter and an overnight cabin that can be rented and booked through Friluftsfrämjandet Munkedal.