Here is the view as you walk to St. Sigfrid’s well. I failed utterly to get a decent shot of the well, but just so you know, we were fascinated to notice that previous Swedish kings have carved their names into the rock surrounding the well. (Too bad you don’t get to see that, too.) In any case, it was difficult not to be inspired by the landscape and history on display.

Somehow, our tour of Västergötland really surprised me. I knew the setting would be lovely, but I’d no idea there were so many important historical sites here. Perhaps best of all, the entire day was blissfully non-touristy. For some reason, this part of Sweden doesn’t get as many visitors as it probably should. That’s OK with me. With no traffic, no crowds, and inviting scenery, the back roads southeast of Lake Vänern offer a relaxing, fascinating, “up close and personal” lesson in Medieval Nordic history.