From the formation of Lake Lygnern following the last great Ice Age came the natural sand on its northeast shore, now known as Sätila Sand.
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| Sätila Sand Shown on a 1761 Map |
In 1889, ISA began offering steamship ferry service from Sätila to the village of Fjärås located on the opposite end of Lake Lygnern. It made for an easy way to transport goods and people to Göteborg, first by boat to Fjärås and then by train to Göteborg. It also made transporting goods back to Sätila's shop owners and traders much easier and more efficient. The long wooden pier where the steamship docked at Sätila Sand is shown on this 1897 map.
Ferry service on Lygnern stopped in 1923 when car travel prevailed, but the pier at the Lygnevi bathing area on Sätila Sand remains a defining icon.
The "oak bridge", a close replica of the original, was replaced in 2002. It extends 170 meters (more than 1/10 of a mile) over the shallow water into the lake and claims the title as the longest oak bridge (pier) in all of Europe. Private companies and individuals purchased engravings on custom planks to help finance the reconstruction. 1,500 names adorn the unique oak bridge.
As of 2010, ISA was back in business on Lygnern (except for 2020 due to the pandemic) and offers short day cruises on an electric and wind-powered, environmentally-friendly, 40 passenger boat.
More about ISA on their website here.
The day we visited Sätila Sand and the oak pier we had it entirely to ourselves.
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