If it wasn’t for my brother moving to Falkenberg, I probably would never have known it existed. A charming seaside town on the western coast of Sweden, it offers a varied landscape of outstanding natural beauty. Here you can find a beautiful coast with miles of beaches, fertile farming landscape, hilly countryside and beautiful rich green forests.

When I first visited back in January 2002, it was during the quietest time of the year. My first impression was that it was a nice little sleepy town with not many inhabitants, and as it was quite misty and dark, I was unable to see the town in all its glory. However, everyone I met kept telling me to return in the summer because that’s when the town comes to life. And guess what, they were right, and I’ve been going back ever since.

This summer I visitied in the middle of July, during the height of the tourist season. The weather was quite beautiful with lots of blue skies, warm temperatures (though at times, a little too hot) and bright sunshine.

To get to Falkenberg I had to fly to Gothenburg City Airport with Ryanair from Stansted. I then caught a train to Falkenberg from Gothenburg Central Station (which took about an hour). My brother met me at the station and after a warm hug (I couldn’t believe how much I’d missed him), we headed off down the road to his apartment as this is where I would be staying. It felt great to be back, and as I looked at the familiar wooden houses, all painted in their own unique fairytale style, with bright shades of yellow, red and blue, it felt as if I’d never been away. There is no litter on the streets here and everything is so clean and tidy. It’s great to see people having pride for where they live and taking good care of it. This is definitely one of the things I love about Sweden. Another thing is, I couldn’t smell any pollution. Not in this town anyway.

Falkenberg means ‘Falcon Mountain’ and the town got its name from the falcons which were once hunted here. It has a history going back to medieval times. Surrounding the town is acres of countryside and woodland as well as many farmlands. The town itself has a population of about 30,000, and the nearest surroundings hold another 15,000 or so people. The vicinity of Falkenberg has been inhabited for some time, and has been recognized as a city since around 1432.

During the early 19th century, Sir Humphrey Davy, the inventor of the miner’s safety lamp, visited the town after hearing of the excellent fly-fishing. A succession of wealthy English countrymen then followed and it’s because of this that many Falkenbergers speak excellent English. A London lawyer named William Wilkinson then wrote a book about the experience, Days In Falkenberg (1894). The English influence still exists today as there is a classic red British telephone box located in the centre of town.

In the evening we went for a stroll around the town. Walking here is such a pleasure, especially through the picturesque Gamla Stan (the Old Town) where the cobbled lanes, twelfth-century St Laurentii Kyrka (church) and well preserved cottages made me feel as if I’d stepped back in time. This area is so quiet and serene, with the church graveyard giving it an eerie feel.

We made our way towards the river and then walked along the eighteenth-century Tullbron (toll bridge), passing many tourists and cyclists along the way. In Sweden there are bikes everywhere, so it’s wise to take extra care when walking along the pavement. Just make sure you keep out of the cycle lanes.

The Ätran River is one of the best in Sweden for salmon fishing and has beautiful footpaths along both banks, on one side lined with yet more trees. Down by the bridge is the Falkenberg Museum,which shows the region’s development through the ages. It is housed in an old grain warehouse. There are also some other interesting museums around town, such as a local museum on St Lars Kyrkogatan, which has collections tracing the town’s history until 1900 and the Falkenberg Fotomuseum on Sandgatan which covers the history of photography with a unique collection of cameras and photos.

Falkenberg is also well known for its long sandy beaches, particularly Skea Strand. Thoroughly clean, it’s about fifteen minutes’ walk from town and attracts thousands of tourists each summer. There are also numerous restaurants and bars all along the waterfront and colourful little beach huts.

There’s a variety of shops in town where you can pick up some lovely bargains, gifts and souvenirs. And when you want to take a break from all that shopping there are lots of cosy continental style cafés to sit back and enjoy a coffee in this pretty laid back town.

Surprisingly, for such a quiet town, Falkenberg has a lively nightlife with some very fine restaurants and pubs which have live music and events most nights. Each time I visit, it’s amazing how I always discover something new. On Saturday evening while walking around town we heard music blaring out from across the river. Walking over the bridge I was delighted to see that it was the ‘Falkenbergs Jazzdagar’ a jazz and blues festival, held in mid-July each year since 1989 and organized by ‘Falkenbergs Jazz-och Bluesförening’ (the Falkenberg Jazz and Blues society).

The festival takes place in the courtyard of Hotel Hvitan ‘Värdshuset Hwitan’, just down by the riverside of Ätran. As I sat listening to the sound of electric guitar echoing over the courtyard and river, watching the seagulls flying overhead on a warm evening, the thought that I would soon be returning to the hustle and bustle of London made my heart sink. But there’s always next year I told myself. Then again, why don’t I move here too?

Falkenberg offers a fantastic alternative to Europe’s usual overcrowded holiday spots. I recommend that you visit at least once in your life. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, it’s the perfect holiday destination. Try it and see.