Lake Vänern is the largest lake in Sweden and the third-largest in Europe, and Vänersborg sits right at its southernmost point where the Göta river drains out of the lake toward Gothenburg. The waterfront is easily reached on foot from the town centre and has a relaxed, unhurried character — this is not a resort town with crowds and souvenir shops, just a working lakeside city with good access to open water.
Swimming is popular at several points along the shore in summer. The lake water is clean and, in calm weather, remarkably clear. Boat hire is available in the summer months, and kayaking out onto the open lake is a genuinely impressive experience given how vast Vänern feels from water level. The sunsets over the lake, visible from the Nabbensberg park above the town centre, can be spectacular.