Vitlycke Rock Carvings and Museum

Vitlycke is the central site of the UNESCO-listed Tanum rock carvings. The panel here is one of the largest in northern Europe, a sloping rock face covered with hundreds of figures — long-boats, sun symbols, hunters, the famous 'bridal couple' embracing, and a tall warrior with a raised axe.

The accompanying Vitlycke Museum sits at the foot of the rock and gives the carvings their archaeological context, with a reconstructed Bronze Age farm in the grounds. The museum is open daily April to October; the rocks themselves are accessible year-round. Allow two hours for the panel and the museum together.

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A story
When archaeologists rediscovered the Vitlycke panel in the 19th century, the carvings were almost invisible against the grey granite. Modern visitors see them painted red — a controversial tourist enhancement that has angered purists for decades, but which makes the 3,000-year-old figures readable to the eye.