Day 3: High Coast day trip

Click on the panorama and drag to look around, press Shift to zoom in, Command (Mac) or Control (PC) to zoom out. Click here to enlarge this panorama or see an ultra high-resolution version.

I took it easy today, using my hotel at the High Coast Bridge as a base for exploration. This part of the Swedish coast is unique in that it has cliffs right by the sea — most of the rest of Sweden is an inclined plane, higher near Norway and gently rolling into the sea.

So what happened? During the last ice age 10,000 years ago, Sweden lay under 3 kilometers of ice, just like Greenland's interior today. When that great mass melted as the ice age ended, the ground was relieved of its burden and began to rise, at the rate of almost a meter per century. This process has been strongest right here, and its unique nature is now recognized with a World Heritage listing.

The result is splendid views of Swedish villages from high up. The panorama above was the result of a 15 minute climb from Mannaminne, near Häggvik. A cool breeze rewarded the effort of the climb, and I had fun waiting for just the right cloud pattern before taking the shots.