Exploring Sweden's Vänern Lake on a new 640km bicycle route

The baroque castle of Läckö is picturesquely situated on the island of Kallandsö in Lake Vänern.

The colourful wooden houses and the sailing ships are just a few minutes behind, when the first cyclist comes from the other direction, a young woman with a heavily-packed touring bike.

An unusual sight in Sweden, according to Johan Odh, who says that people here tend to prefer racing bikes and mountain biking. The wiry man in his mid-40s, a guide and bicycle dealer, is accompanying me as we leave Mariestad, a town on the southern shore of Vänern Lake about 200km south-west of Stockholm. Travelling with touring bikes is less in demand, he says.