'''Mariestad''' is a town with about 15,000 inhabitants in the province Vastergotland in Sweden. It is situated by the lake Vanern.
Get in
By train
There's a train that goes to Mariestad. See [http://www.sj.se SJ] for more information.
By bus
[http://www.safflebussen.se Safflebussen] (in Swedish and Norwegian only) stops at the Mariestad bus station with the lines 201 and 203 (Uddevalla-Vanersborg-Trollhattan-Lidkoping-Mariestad-Orebro).
[http://www.swebusexpress.se/ Swebus Express] makes a stop in Mariestad with the buses 801 (Gothenburg-Mariestad-Orebro-Stockholm) and 839 (Karlstad-Mariestad-Jonkoping).
By car
The E20 highway between Stockholm and Gothenburg passes through Mariestad.
Get around
Walk.
See
'''Vanern''' - the biggest freshwater lake in Europe. Nice boats, and supposedly a lot of Swedish tourists in summer.
'''Mariestad Cathedral'''
Do
Go swimming, rent a bike, or have some other fun. On Saturdays, there's a market at the main square.
Buy
Eat
There's a fine coffeeshop with great blueberry-vanilla sauce cakes, right at the main street.
The Pizzeria can not really be recommended, but it's cheap and ok food.
Drink
Sleep
Budget
'''STF Vandrarhem Mariestad''' [http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.se/templates/hostel.aspx?id=1428], Hamngatan 20, ''+46'' 501-104 48. Definitely sleep at the youth hostel. It's cheap, it's fun, and it has a truly nice setting close to the lake. Moreover, it's several great old wooden houses grouped together in a nice courtyard! If you don't stay there, have a look at it!
Mid-Range
'''Stadshotellet Mariestad''', Nygatan 10, ''+46'' 501-138 00 (''fax: +46 501-776 40'').
Splurge
Get out