Åmål

Built in the 17th Century under Sweden's original project to expand and incorporate cities, Åmål changed hands many times over the centuries as it is indefensible, located on the shores of Lake Vänern and close to the border of Norway (which at the time of its founding was actually a part of Denmark). Nowadays the town is one of the larger ones in area and boasts a lovely old town composed entirely of quaint wooden buildings in the traditional Swedish style, its nearly twenty year-old Blues Festival, and access to the gorgeous lake for watersports and fishing.