I visited this WHS in July 2016. Having visited quite a number of WH rock art sites, I must say that the scale, variety and condition of these rock art carvings in Tanumshede or Bohuslan/West Sweden make them one of the best I've seen so far. Although the rock art at Alta is much older and the environmental setting is more breathtaking, the rock art itself lacks the variety and detail of its Swedish counterpart. I drove to Tanum after visiting the Grimeton radio station and just before exiting the highway I saw the first UNESCO road signs pointing to what seemed to be a small flyover leading to a resting spot. I stopped by and it was indeed a resting spot which had been converted into a huge metal and wood structure with various information boards, a panoramic lookout point over the Tanum landscape and an enormous UNESCO symbol. Having read about the Underslos Museum exhibition managed by the Rock Art Research centre I headed there first to get a better overall understanding of the recurring motifs and interpretations. If you decide to stay longer in Tanumshede, the Rock Art Research Centre organises very interesting 'tours': one named Rock Art Experience which can be booked ahead and will give you the opportunity to rub grass on a carbon paper placed over some of the unpainted carvings; the other named Night Excursion which takes place every Wednesday night in July and August (except on the 24th of July) to be accompanied by an expert to minor sites such as Balken or Varlos (near Fossum) who will literally shed artificial light on some of the unpainted carvings which would be quite difficult to appreciate otherwise (even in the suggested afternoon light). After that I drove stright to the Vitlycke Museum and the car park there gave me a clear indication that most people visited the Vitlycke Museum and the Vitlycke Panel just opposite, probably as a worthwhile stop to/from Norway. The museum proudly displays a bronze coloured UNESCO symbol on a red background and gives a general overview of what to expect and what to look out for when visiting the rock carvings nearby. For a change, there is no entrance fee and no fence or controlled access when visiting most of the carvings. The highlight of the museum for me was a reconstruction of a Bronze Age lur, which I later spotted in several carvings, especially in Fossum. When the museum closed, the car park was almost empty which was quite surprising considering that the best light (highlighted by the museum itself) is the late afternoon light. The large Vitlycke panel is reached by crossing the main road just next to the museum. Similar to Alta, there are wooden trails to the main panel and some stairs to be able to view the panel from a higher viewpoint. There are very good information boards next to most of the major panels pointing out what to look out for (in Swedish, English, French and German). I will try to describe some of the recurring motifs I noticed here: there are several boats (around 10000 in total in Bohuslan) most of which with oarsmen on board, warriors with axes, hunters with spears and different types of shields, different types of animals (deer, reindeer, horses, dogs, whales, bulls, etc.), different types of birds (supposedly cranes, swans and ducks) and cup marks (over 30000 in Bohuslan) in which offerings to the gods were placed. I particularly liked the carving of a man wearing a horned helmet on a 2 wheeled cart drawn by a horse which is believed to be linked to Norse mythology. It was during the Bronze Age that horned helmets were fashionable and not during the Viking era. The most famous carving of the panel is the bridal couple carving although it is quite difficult to appreciate as it is found at the upper part of the panel. Away from the wooden trail are more panels which can be accessed by following a number of wooden poles over very slippery rocks. Without the poles I would have been at a loss especially to be able to spot the unpainted carvings. One of my favourite carvings here one with 6 figures crouched on a ship; 1 blowing a lurhorn and 1 waving an axe raised in greeting, while the others lift oars towards the sky. This is believed to symbolise the journey towards death as a voyage by boat. There are also a few depictions of women which are easily recognisable with a hair plait behind their neck. The Rock Art Research Centre believes that the rock surfaces are eroding much more quickly in the recent years due to sulphur and nitrogen pollutants from anthropological activities together with natural processes and weathering. That is why they decided to document the carvings, deviate the rainwater and fill some of the carvings with non-permanent red paint. The initial undercoat is white (which I saw on some of the carvings) which is then painted red. Having visited the rock carvings of Valcamonica in Italy which are unpainted, I'm still undecided which option is the best although I really enjoyed both sites. After Vitlycke I drove around 700 metres up the road to a smaller parking lot to Aspeberget. These carvings were my favourite as the rock surface is much more vertical so they are much more easy to view. My favourite carving was the sun symbol, a circular disc with forked outgrowths held by 2 female figures. Next to it are two large deeply carved bulls representing fertility, bravery and strength. Another important carving is that of a man plowing with a wooden ard, the forerunner of the plow. There are also warriors carrying axes and spears in what is interpreted as a burial ceremony. Some of the oldest carvings are those of footmarks which are believed to represent a god too exhalted to depict or whose carving was forbidden. There are some stairs to climb to the not so distant rock surfaces with unpainted carvings of hunting scenes with warriors carrying spiral shields and of lots of boats. Another carving which struck me here was that of a procession or dance with 10 men and 1 woman. After Aspeberget, I drove to Litsleby which further on up the road and immediately to the right towards a narrow road with high trees. Litsleby is in fact surrounded by trees and is the best site to be able to appreciate the carvings in a more natural environment not literally off the road. The highlight here is what is described as perhaps the largest rock carving in the world, a 2.3 metre long figure of a spear god, believed to depict Odin (picture). This carving is surrounded by many other carvings of peculiar boats and stone circles used in boat-shaped burials (similar to those which can still be seen in Southern Oland). This marked a change in religion, a shift from burial to cremation, dated around 1200-1000 BC. If you follow the forest trail you'll get to a place named Tegneby where there is a very clear mounted combat scene with 8 horsemen which are believed to have been carved by the same person at the same time which is quite unique. Moreover the horsemen depicted carry Celtic type shields which were used in 300 BC, so most probably this carving is one of the last ones to be carved at Tanum. Next, I drove all the way back past Vitlycke and Tanumshede to visit Fossum which is really hidden by the roadside. The most important figure here is that of a woman with a raised arm and a cup mark between her thighs which has been interpreted as the egg of life or the birth of a child. There are the usual boats and hunting scenes with lurblowers, several stags with antlers, archers, mirrored images in pairs and a cute depiction of 2 men with 3 dogs. Since it was starting to get dark but I was really enjoying myself I went back near Aspeberget and followed the direction towards Kville and took the first turn to the left to reach the minor sites of Lovasen, Gerum and Sotetorp. Lovasen is easily accessible and there are stairs to reach the upper part of the rock surface with clear unpainted carvings. Pointing a torch to some of the carvings at an angle revealed them better but a tripod is necessary if you'd like to take photos instead of a series of blurry pixels! The highlight here is a carving of two deeply carved ships with a horned man bigger than the rest, probably to create perspective. A few steps away is another interesting carving of a shaman with what appears to be a big nose. The elongated face has been interpreted as probably a type of bird mask which was worn with a beak. Like the rest of the carved men in Bohuslan, he is depicted with an erect penis. A short loop hike further on will get you to Gerum. Here a torch proved to be essential, especially to see the maypole or hanging rope carving. Its condition is quite similar to the carvings at Valcamonica in Italy. My last stop for the day was Sotetorp, where I could clearly see (with a torch) the carving of man doing a backward somersault over a ship. Parallels have been drawn between the Scandinavian acrobats and the depictions of bull leapers from the contemporary Minoan culture of Crete. I was happy I made the extra effort to view this carving, even though it got pretty spooky to be walking alone here after sunset. The road to Vaxjo where I had my hotel was in great condition even though I was worried I'd run over an elk or a deer when it got really dark. Luckily I made it to my hotel safely after what turned out to be quite an adventure and a very enjoyable WHS.