The famous Ericsson brothers

Brothers John and Nils Ericsson were involved in the Swedish railways, Slussen in Stockholm and the invention of the propeller. Welcome to their hometown Filipstad. Text: Fridah Jönsson

If you have ever gone through the main entrance to Stockholm Central Station or taken a bus from Gothenburg bus station, you’ve come across “the wermlander” Nils Ericsson. There is a statue of him outside the Central Station and the bus station is named after him.

NILS ERICSSON IS, together with his one-year younger brother Johan Ericsson, one of Värmlands greatest historical figures in innovation and engineering. The brothers, born 1802 and 1803 respectively, grew up and worked in Filipstad where they were creators of both new ideas and things.

Nils Ericsson became head of the hydrolic works in both Säffle and Karlstad. He had considerable passion for his work in water transport, and when the railways began to be built in Sweden from the mid 1800s onwards, he also began to be involved with transport on land. Nils soon had a leading role in the planning of the country’s railroads. Even Stockholm was pleased to have his knowledge of infrastructure, when he was involved in the reconstruction of both Slussen and the quay Skeppsbrokajen.

JUST A SINGLE glance at his brother John’s CV would be enough to see that a fascination with technology and physics ran in the family. There, amongst other things, are distinctions such as inventor of the hot air machine, and the world famous armed frigate USS Monitor, which played a decisive role in the American Civil War. Perhaps his biggest distinction is as inventor of the propeller. When the American screw-propelled steam-frigate Princeton used John Ericson’s propellers in a competition against a steamer, the propeller was heralded the world over. There is a statue of John Ericsson in New York, and there is a monument in his honour in Philadelphia.

THE ERICSSON BROTHERS have been of considerable significance for Filipstad, Värmland and Sweden. Each year a scholarship is awarded in the brothers’ name by Filipstad municipality, and each summer a reconstruction of the Battle of Hampton Roads is performed in Filipstad, where spectators can, amongst other things, watch as boats fire canons at each other. This is just one of the many ways in which they are honoured in their home region.

Långbans gruv-och kulturby (mining and culture village), where you can follow John Ericson’s work building the world’s first armoured plane with a moving gun tower. Eat at Anna Karolina’s kitchen in John Ericsson’s garden. And hey, don’t miss the charming cinema from the 1950s.

varmlandsmuseum. se/langban

The city by the big lake - Vänern. A city that’s not too big and not too small and where the people are friendly and helpful. The place where the sun always shines. Or “Sola” as we should call genial inn hostess Eva-Lisa Holtz who spread joy and happiness back in the 18th Century. Karlstad can certainly merit various different descriptions but the simplest would be to describe it as a place where people feel good and feel at home. A warm welcome!

It can sound clichéd to say everything is within easy reach. But that is the honest truth in Karlstad. There are 11 hotels within a 14-minute walk of the railway station. And some are even within a short three minute walk.

After checking into your hotel, you’ll find most things to discover in Karlstad are within strolling distance. You will also be amazed at how beautiful the city is. The Klarälven delta where the river runs into Lake Vänern means you are almost always surrounded by water and places to swim right in the city centre.

Geographically, Karlstad is in the centre of a triangle between three big cities. It is 220km from Oslo, 250km from Gothenburg and 300km from Stockholm. Getting here couldn’t be easier.

If you want to lean back and simply relax, you can take the popular water buses that complement the regular bus services from June to August. Take a ride on the Klarälven river in central Karlstad or a longer trip out into the Vänern archipelago with its sun drenched rocks. For the price of a standard bus ticket.

You’ll be surprised by both local and international artists and photographers in delightfully creative symbiosis.

Artist and author Lars Lerin is considered to be one of the most prominent watercolour artists in the Nordic countries. He exhibits his works in his own art gallery in Sandgrund, a former dance hall.

This is one of the most popular regional museums in Sweden that hosts international exhibitions and tells the story of Värmland cultural history.

A modern culture centre in a beautiful old industrial building where art and crafts by both famous and upcoming names are exhibited. Beautifully situated in Borgvik 40km from Karlstad.

The Old Power Station has been transformed into a culture arena with a unique art gallery that also hosts exclusive concerts and creative activities for young people. Located in Deje 35km from Karlstad.

Calling Värmland an important node on the Swedish culture map is by no means an understatement. Both new and old sit side by side here.

Experience opera and musicals of high artistic quality in one of Sweden’s six opera houses that has hosted everything from Wagner’s Ring Cycle to Shrek the Musical.

In 2017, a street art festival was arranged in Värmland consisting of large scale murals on building façades. You can see 7 of the 25 artworks here in Karlstad. The artists came from Portugal, Australia, Argentina, Sweden and elsewhere.

Alsters herrgård, birthplace of poet Gustaf Fröding, tells the story of the poet’s life and exhibits local art and crafts. There is also a café and crafts store here.

This experience centre offers a journey back in time from 1945- 1991 where you can feel, listen, read and see how the Cold War influenced Sweden, both militarily and politically.

Beautiful Mariebergsskogen, Karlstad City Park, is very popular among families with children. You can pet animals in Lillskogen, take a ride on the Conrad Höök train, swim, play miniature golf and have a coffee break.

A 3,800 square metre play centre that offers fun and mischief with a pirate ship that fires foam cannonballs, seductive tower slide and an exciting volcano climb.

Launch yourself down the water slide or simply relax in the warm lagoons. There is also a special children’s area for very young children.

Here, you can rent kayaks, paddleboards and pedal carts. There’s also a volleyball court. You can also play mini golf, frisbee golf and beach volleyball.

This campsite 8km west of Karlstad offers windsurfing, beach volleyball, kayaking, pedaloes and mini golf.

In Karlstad, you can have a comfortable stay and eat well and also enjoy delightful outings in the local countryside.

On Västra Långholmen and Segerstadshalvön peninsula, there are disability friendly walking trails so you can also discover the beautiful nature if you are a wheelchair user or pushing a pram or buggie.

If you fancy exploring the water close up, you can rent a kayak or canoe. A shorter trip on the Klarälven river or a more adventurous outing in Lake Vänern, the choice is yours.

Skutberget, I2-skogen and Sörmon are ideal for a mountain bike outing, and only 20 minutes away.

Along Klarälven, in the inner harbour or on Drottninggatan in the city centre. You can eat really excellent food in several different places in Karlstad. In 2018, Almars Krog, Blå Kök & Bar, Br Olssons Elektriska and Olssons Bazar were all listed in the White Guide (the 2019 guide is published in March).

Coffee has a special place in the heart of Karlstad and Värmland. It is home to Löfbergs, one of the largest coffee companies in Scandinavia and you can often inhale the aromas from its roastery pretty much anywhere in the city. Its café Rosteriet, is listed in the White Guide 2018, as are Artisan Bread, Swenströmskas Stenugnsbageri and Carli Choklad (the 2019 café guide is published in May).

8/6 Karlstad Stadslopp. 10km run in central Karlstad with 5,000 entrants. 8/6 Sola Springmeet, Norra fältet. Värmland’s largest vehicle show. 3/7 Karlstad Grand Prix, Tingvalla IP. World class athletics. 4-6/7 Putte i Parken, Norra fältet. Music festival with free entry. 5-7/7 Baltic Sea Youth Games 2019. Large youth event with 13 sports. 31/7 Gyllene Tider - Goodbye tour, Mariebergsskogen 30/8-1/9 Athletics-SM 2019 5-7/9 Abundance - international dance festival. Dancers from round the world. 14/9 Tjurruset. The muddiest run of the year.

To read more about what to do and experience in Karlstad, please visit our web page visitkarlstad.se/en for information in English.

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