Our little boat has found new owners
When we took over the house, we also inherited two boats: a canoe and a small, battery-powered boat. Our ‘Yota’, the motorboat, joined us later. Sometimes it’s good to part with things. As it happened, our previous owners asked if we’d be willing to sell the little boat, as their son would love to have it for his children. So they all travelled down from Gothenburg and we had a lovely reunion. They were delighted that they’d handed the house over to us and pleased to see how we’d developed it further. In the afternoon, we loaded the boat onto the trailer and they drove back to Gothenburg. It was lovely to see them all again. As they also read our newsletter regularly, they all feel part of Dalslands Studio. Warm regards to everyone in Gothenburg!
Langbron: the ferry, the railway and the ice cream parlour have reopened for the season
The dream of a permanent rail link to Mellerud is still alive!
How can you tell that the holiday season has begun in Dals Langed? That’s right, the ice cream parlour at the Langbron lock is open again, the ferry between Bengtsfors and Håverud is running once more, welcoming visitors to Langbron, and the train between Bengtsfors and Mellerud is also running again – and here too, you can board from Langbron.
Ah, if only the train service from Bengtsfors to Mellerud were available regularly even outside the tourist season, Dals Langed would be much better connected to the wider Gothenburg region. For what is now operated solely as a summer tourist attraction was once a vital lifeline for the region: the railway line was built at the end of the 19th century to connect the remote villages in Dalsland to the national rail network. Via Mellerud, there was a fast connection to Gothenburg, whilst Bengtsfors and the surrounding villages grew closer together economically and socially.
However, with the decline in freight traffic and increasing competition from road transport, regular passenger services were gradually phased out in the second half of the 20th century. Ultimately, all that remained was the nostalgic summer service, which today delights tourists in particular.
Yet the idea of reviving the line has never completely disappeared. Time and again over the past decades, there have been local initiatives, political discussions and studies aimed at exploring the possibility of year-round operation. Particularly against the backdrop of climate action, sustainable tourism and the revitalisation of rural areas, the call for the line’s reactivation is gaining fresh relevance. A regular rail service could not only make Dals Langed more accessible, but also provide fresh impetus for housing, employment and the economy in the region.
So perhaps it is more than just a lovely summer’s dream that one day the train will once again run through Dals Langed all year round.
The light just before the ‘HELLWACH – Fully Awake’ seminar
The upcoming Hellwach seminar makes the most of precisely what summer at Dalsland Studio has to offer: light – plenty of light, long days, and almost constant daylight around Midsummer.
Hellwach is a five-day seminar retreat in July, where nothing goes as it usually does: In the mornings, philosophical reflections that really make you think; during the day, time for nature, conversations and, in between, very consciously experienced breaks. The special quality of these days lies in the fact that the daylight seems almost endless – the light carries you through the day, into the evening and sometimes well into the night, and this is precisely what Hellwach is designed for: becoming aware of what really matters in your own life when routine and darkness take a break.
Instead of enclosed seminar rooms, there is the space surrounding the studio, lakes and forests, shared cooking sessions and a small group coming together in the long Swedish summer light. When you book ‘Hellwach’, you’re not just booking a programme, but five days in which brightness and open spaces can help you see inner questions more clearly – and perhaps return to everyday life with a fresh perspective.
