Värmland Living Culture English

MANORS, ES TATES AND COUNTRY HOUSES • MEMORIAL ES TATES • MUSEUMS/ART • CULTUR AL SITES, PARKS • OPER A/ THE ATRE • SHOPPING/HANDICR AF TS • MANORS, ES TATES AND COUNTRY HOUSES • MEMORIAL ES TATES

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

LIVING CULTURE S E L E C T E D T O U R I S T D E S T I N AT I O N S I N VÄ R M L A N D

FOR YOUR OWN CULTURAL JOURNEY

HISTORICAL ENCOUNTERS

FRESH NARRATIVES EVERY DAY

Stay comfortably in manors and on estates

CREATIVITY AND ENTHRALLING HISTORY – ADD ZEST TO YOUR NEXT EXPERIENCE

Distance to Karlstad from:

A CULTURAL JOURNEY TO THE LANDSCAPE OF THE STORYTELLER

Stockholm Oslo Göteborg Malmö Airports Karlstad Torsby Hagfors Oslo Stockholm

308 km 230 km 248 km 517 km KsdArprt Torsby Flygplats Hagfors Flygplats Oslo Airport, Gardermoen Arlanda Airport

Trains Tågförbindelser till Värmland: Biljetter och information på sj.se

Oslo

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In this brochure, we have collected selected tourist destinations making it easy to experience our Värmland – a province largely characterised by tradition, history and culture. We go so far as to say that there is something here for everyone.

There are the old manors and estates of cultural-historical importance. Through the great personal commitment of their owners, these have been conserved and, at the same time, transformed into modern hotels and activity centres. With these as a starting point, it is easy to discover tourist destinations in the vicinity.

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Stockholm

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Göteborg

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Köpenhamn

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Hamburg

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Amsterdam London

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Frankfurt

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VÄRMLAND offers every opportunity for accumulating inspiring cultural experiences. Take a look at the maps. The central geographical location makes it easy to get here, and the distances between our selected tourist destinations are small. Get ready for your own cultural journey!

Norge

Sverige

KL AR VE ÄL N

Museums where history is brought to life and help us to understand our present.

Galleries and exhibition halls highlighting Värmland’s celebrated artists together with a new generation of creators. Memorial estates where time has stood still and history permeates the walls. Sites of cultural-historical importance shaped by the flourishing industries of the past. Restaurants, bar-restaurants and cafés that transform local produce into culinary experiences beyond the ordinary.

Karlstad

Oslo

You have lots to discover.

We bid you a very warm welcome.

Karlstad

www.visitvarmland.se

Publisher and layout: Visit Värmland

Vänern

Photographer: Photo credits displayed beside each image as required.

With reservation for misprints.

Göteborg

MANORS, ESTATES AND COUNTRY HOUSES

THE GOOD LIFE ULVSBY HERRGÅRD is magnificently situated next to Lake Fryken. The view is almost unnecessarily beautiful. Tales of the good life in and around Ulvsby Herrgård succeed one another through the centuries. Today, the manor is a popular location for relaxation, good food and drink, meetings and new experiences. It has a hotel, restaurant, Café Tant Blå and regular art exhibitions.

You can also celebrate annual festive days and holidays here, often with a special menu and range of services suitable for the whole family. ulvsbyherrgard.se

M DÖMLE HERRGÅRD Dating back to 1456, Dömle Manor is today a beautiful amalgamation of a classic country house setting and a state-of-the-art facility for conferences, kick-offs, important meetings, life’s great celebrations and dream weddings. Combine accommodation, good food from the famous kitchen and the activities you love. domle.se

any of our favourite spots are manors and estates that have a long tradition and history. They are often situated with nature on their doorsteps. Magical, tranquil forests or a still inland lake. You can stay comfortably and enjoy good food and drink.

Family occasions and life’s great celebrations have become something of a speciality. Here it is easy to gather the entire family together with relatives and friends. In our manors and on our estates, we know how to host a successful celebration. Companies and organisations often prefer these personal locations for conferences and meetings.

BOFORS HOTEL This venerable hotel dating back to 1930 was designed by architect Wilhelm van Eyck and is characterised by Italian villa-style. In the last 10 years, the hotel has been judiciously renovated in keeping with the architect’s original intentions.

Today, Bofors Hotel is an oasis merging times past in its magnificent salons with the modern town’s vision for the future. boforshotel.com

HENNICKEHAMMARS HERRGÅRD The beautiful manor house from the 18th century lies nestled in forest right next to a small lake. A fantastic location for conferences, meetings and all of life’s great occasions. You can stay comfortably in one of the 51 rooms.

The cuisine is exceptional. hennickehammar.se PHOTOGRAPH: QVISTFORM

PHOTOGRAPH: KRISTINA SKAN

SAXÅ BRUK Saxå Bruk was founded in 1540 and is the oldest mill in Värmland. The manor, with its wings, cavaliers’ building, gazebo and storehouse named Ernstmagasin, has been carefully renovated and is surrounded by extensive parkland bordering the green of Saxå Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course. You are accommodated in historical and charmingly furnished guest rooms of hotel standard. The owner, Carl Jan Granqvist, one of the most well-known restaurateurs and food experts in Sweden, brings his own style to the cuisine. The dinners here offer a journey for all the senses. saxabruk.com

ÖLME PRÄSTGÅRD INN You will find Ölme Prästgård Inn on a hill with views over Ölme Plain – among maple, oak, ash and chestnut trees. It offers a tranquil and historical 18th-century setting with individually decorated rooms. The kitchen serves excellent food prepared with considerable care and love and made chiefly with local, high-quality produce. olmeprastgard.se

MANORS, ESTATES AND COUNTRY HOUSES

KROKSTAD HERRGÅRD A magnificent avenue of oak trees welcomes you to the manor which dates back to the 13th century. Krokstad Herrgård is a place for memorable culinary experiences.

You can enjoy creatively prepared food made from Värmland produce. There are 23 hotel rooms in the manor house, one of which is a suite. The manor welcomes guests for conferences and meetings or when you, your family and friends have something to celebrate. krokstadherrgard.se

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MEMORIAL ESTATES

SELMA LAGERLÖFS MÅRBACKA Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf, one of the most famous writers in the world, was born here in 1858.

Her formative years in Mårbacka, together with the people and places connected to the countryside around East Ämtervik and Sunne inspired many of Lagerlöf’s stories.

The Story of Gösta Berling, Jerusalem and The Wonderful Adventures of Nils are included among her most famous works.

The family lost ownership of Mårbacka after her father’s death, but in 1907 Selma Lagerlöf was able to repurchase the mansion house. Between 1921 and 1923, she had the house reconstructed, giving it its current appearance according to the drawings of architect Isac Gustaf Clason. In her will, Selma Lagerlöf stipulated that Mårbacka should be preserved as a memorial estate and shown to the public as it was at the time of her death. Today, Mårbacka is shown to the public through guided tours.

On a visit to Mårbacka, you can also take a stroll through the garden, enjoy coffee and homemade pastries and shop in Mårbacka Handel. marbacka.se

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visitvarmland.se

ALSTERS HERRGÅRD Gustaf Fröding, one of the most beloved poets in Sweden, was born here in Alster Manor in 1860. He lived here for only one year, but Alster Valley played an important role in his childhood which was filled with idyllic summers but also personal trauma. Today, Alster Manor offers tours about Gustaf Fröding through which you will be provided an in-depth and vivid picture of his life and writing. The tours are given on the upper floor of the main building where the Fröding exhibition is also located. The exhibition can only be visited in conjunction with a tour. karlstad.se/alstersherrgard

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everal of our well-known writers from Värmland shuffled off their mortal coil a long time ago. But their works and stirring legacies live on in country houses, museums, exhibitions and events here in Värmland. Places that played significant roles in their lives are today destinations which annually attract thousands of visitors.

In addition, local artisans, other entrepreneurs and societies have established themselves around several of the memorial estates.

This means that you can often continue your journey of discovery in, for example, a farm or gift shop, relax a while in a cosy café or a restaurant serving local specialities ERLANDERGÅRDEN Tage Erlander, who served as Prime Minister from 1946 to 1969, was born in Ransäter. The school house where the family lived is preserved and can be visited with a guide. On the memorial estate, there is an exhibition about Tage Erlander’s life, career and his significance in Swedish politics. erlandergarden.se SAHLSTRÖMSGÅRDEN As early as the turn of the last century, Sahlströmsgården was a cultural oasis for art, recreation, food and accommodation. Sahlströmsgården is still an exceptional venue with unique settings and food that further elevates a visit. There is a new-built hotel including generously proportioned conference and meeting rooms and a wood-fired sauna. Through guided tours, you can find out about the artistic lives the Sahlström siblings lived here a hundred years ago which have inspired many others thereafter. sahlstromsgarden.se

PHOTOGRAPH: PER ERIKSSON

PHOTOGRAPH: ØYVIND LUND

PHOTOGRAPH: ØYVIND LUND

ALFRED NOBEL’S BJÖRKBORN This is the only museum showing how Alfred Nobel lived. After several decades spent abroad, Nobel returned to Sweden in 1894 and lived out his last two years here. The Nobel Museum in Karlskoga was founded in 1982. The exhibition displays several pieces of Alfred Nobel’s furniture together with other furniture typical of the period. All year round, guided tours are conducted here which breathe life into his works. Fiffiga Huset, a science centre for inquisitive children of all ages, can also be found in the area. nobelkarlskoga.se

MUSEUMS/ART RACKSTAD MUSEET In Arvika, there is a tradition of artistry and craftsmanship which has been greatly inspired by the so-called Rackstad Colony, a group of artists who settled at Lake Racken around the turn of the last century.

The museum, which details their history and displays their works, was inaugurated in 1993. rackstadmuseet.se

travmuseet.com PHOTOGRAPH: ØYVIND LUND

niklasdam.se/pelargonmuseum

Museums exist to, among other things, allow us to better understand our present. The ideas and opinions we have today are often rooted in how people lived their lives before. That which happened in between is what we call development. Many museums employ modern technology to enhance the experience and make it more unforgettable. It makes us, as visitors, more active. Furthermore, elements that we find enjoyable become more interesting and memorable.

visitkristinehamn.se/sv/gora/ kristinehamns-historiska-64450

VÄRMLANDS MUSEUM Welcome to one of Sweden’s most visited county museums. Värmland’s cultural history is displayed along with internationally renowned exhibitions in art and photography. In the restaurant and café, you can relax for a while and enjoy anything from a snack to a lunch special or a Sunday dinner. The museum shop has a large range of Värmland handicrafts, souvenirs and books. varmlandsmuseum.se

BRIGADMUSÉET The Brigade Museum is an interactive experience for people of all ages. Follow on a journey through time between 1945 and 1991 where you can feel, listen to, read about and see how the Cold War affected Sweden. brigadmuseum.se

MONICA ZETTERLUNDS MUSEUM Meet and get to know globally-recognised Monica Zetterlund through both images and her music. Her fantastic voice is a constant companion in the background.

Also take the opportunity to find out more about the industrial area Hagfors. monicazetterlundmuseet.se PHOTOGRAPH:LARS SJÖQVIST

GAMLA KRAFTSTATIONEN I DEJE The industrial building has been turned into a cultural venue for theatre, art and music with its own gallery. There is also a creative workshop that stimulates the creativity in all children. An organic lunch menu, freshly-brewed coffee and delicious, seasonally-inspired pastries are served each day the Old Power Station is open. gamlakraftstationen.se

SLIPERIET I BORGVIK Every summer season, Sliperiet in Borgvik opens a new, exciting and multifaceted exhibition where established artists meet a new generation of creators.

The experience can be rounded off with a meal in the restaurant Sliperiet Gastronomi where the dishes on the menu are prepared from scratch with fantastic produce. sliperietiborgvik.se PHOTOGRAPH: ANNA LEDIN WIRÉN

STEP INTO AN ARTISTIC WORLD OFFERING NEW IMPRESSIONS PHOTOGRAPH: PER ERIKSSON

SANDGRUND LARS LERIN Sandgrund is Lars Lerin’s permanent exhibition hall on Sandgrundsudden in central Karlstad. The exhibition hall is open all year round and displays not only Lars Lerin’s own works but also art by his personally invited guests.

Lars Lerin is considered to be Scandinavia’s foremost watercolour painter and one of the most preeminent in the world. He works with a variety of other techniques, and he is also the author of a host of renowned books richly illustrated with his own paintings. sandgrund.org

CULTURAL SITES, PARKS

FANTASTIC SETTINGS ROTTNEROS PARK Here you will find a green oasis worth visiting time and again. Rottneros is a unique sculpture park with a thrilling combination of formal park areas, beautiful natural parks and innovative garden design. It is a place filled with legends and stories, dreams and visions. Rottneros Manor is Ekeby in Selma Lagerlöf’s breakthrough novel The Story of Gösta Berling. In the middle of the 1950s, the visionary Svante Påhlson, decided to design Rottneros Park so that it would match the novel’s Ekeby. Today, the park is managed with the ambition of refining the cultural heritage that exists here. A number of large events are held here annually, including the Garden Festival and Harvest Festival. rottnerospark.se

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RANSÄTERS HEMBYGDSGÅRD There are a multitude of things to see in the heart of Värmland. Ransäter Hembygdsgård, a rural community centre, is a good starting point with its accommodation in modern cabins with views over the river Klarälven. The area boasts several museums, restaurants and pleasant green landscapes.

During the year, many well-attended events return to the area, including the world’s largest accordion festival. ransater.com

If you enjoy close encounters with history, Värmland can offer you many interesting locations to visit.

In several small districts, there are preserved settings which help us to remember the once flourishing era of the now decommissioned ironworks and other industries. They had considerable importance and laid the foundation for industries which today characterise the region – world-class forestry and steel industries.

LÅNGBAN MINING VILLAGE Welcome to one of the most mineral-rich locations in the world! These minerals were formed 1.8 billion years ago, but mining for iron would not begin until the 16th century. Since the mining industry fell silent in the early 1970s, the mining village has been transformed into a place where industrial and cultural history remain in focus. As a visitor, you can see the old buildings, view mineral collections and exhibitions. The village offers a host of environmentally-oriented activities, good food and accommodation. It was awarded Industrial Heritage Site of the Year in 2017! varmlandsmuseum.se/langban

GAMLA BRUKET The Old Mill was founded as far back as 1670 – the spirit of its history lives on here. It is an important cultural-historical site in Munkfors.

In the mill park, you will also find Klarälven’s highest natural waterfall. hembygd.se/gamla-bruket-i-munkfors

Throughout Värmland, you can visit rural community centres where local history is preserved. Many of them host annual events. Keep an eye on visitvarmland.se and local flyers for information.

BORGVIK has one of Värmland’s best preserved industrial areas. The ironworks that was here was founded in the 17th century, and it continued to run until 1925. At the time the Eiffel Tower would be built for a world fair in Paris in 1889, the works was responsible for the delivery of iron. Traces of the ironworks’ heyday remain and, today, other businesses have moved into parts of the old buildings. Thus, there is still life in the area that attracts many visitors interested in cultural history every year. The large midsummer festival in Hyttruinen is a tradition! borgvik.info

CULTURAL SITES, PARKS

MARIEBERGSSKOGEN Karlstad’s municipal park is a paradise for the entire family with free entry all year round. Children will love Lillskogen with its farm animals – cows, ponies, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, poultry and ducks. There are also guinea pigs, fish, birds and ferrets. There are some exciting sound experiments in the garden’s playground and, near the beach, the possibility to play miniature golf, pétanque, beach volleyball and street basketball. In the winter season, a perfectly-sized ice-rink is created for children where they can practice ice-skating and perform their first pirouettes. During the summer, a mini-train tours round Conrad Höök Park and takes you closer to beautiful scenery with forest, water and cultural buildings. The guided tour runs along lanes and paths. In Naturum, the curious can get a sense of Värmland’s flora, fauna and geology. From here, it is easy to continue on to a hiking area with walkways and observation towers and a new view over central Karlstad.

Mariebergsviken is one of the town’s most popular bathing and ice-skating coves. In the park, there are several cafés serving snacks and lunches mariebergsskogen.se PHOTOGRAPH: LINN MALMEN

BERGSLAGSKANALEN Filipstad’s Bergslag Canal recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. The route of the canal stretches between Filipstad and Karlskoga with 65 km of main waterway. The water system includes a total of 16 lakes, six straits, four large watercourses (rivers), five canals and six locks. There are 10 or so launching ramps. bergslagskanalen.se DALSLANDS KANAL From Köpmannebro on Lake Vänern, you can sail straight into Sweden’s most lake-rich area. Dalsland Canal was dug between 1864 and 1868 and was conceived as a link between southwestern Värmland’s ironworks and the oceans. Today, it is a boating and canoeing destination without parallel. Lakes and other watercourses are linked by 31 locks and small waterways. Its total length is 253 kilometres.

Navigational charts are available. dalslandskanal.se PHOTOGRAPH: ØYVIND LUND

OPERA/THEATER

WERMLAND OPERA The acclaimed Wermland Opera with its own orchestra, Sinfonietta, attracts audiences from far and wide to its performances.

The production sets are based on three concepts – opera, musicals and concerts. The main stage, Stora scenen, is located by Klarälven’s river shore at Karlstad’s Theatre. The small stage, Lilla scenen, is located in an old spinning factory on Älvgatan a little further away. The contemporary Karlstad Congress Culture Centre, CCC, is the home stage for Värmland’s Sinfonietta’s concerts. wermlandopera.com PHOTOGRAPH: LINDA KLEMNER

TALES FROM THE STAGE PHOTOGRAPH: HÅKAN LARSSON

Performing arts offer us something extraordinary. Through music, song and the actors’ craft, it is easy to identify with the lives of others. It’s no wonder we often feel completely fulfilled by the event we have been a part of when we leave the theatre.

The experience remains with us for a long time to come. We should simply go to the theatre more often!

VÄSTANÅ TEATER Close to the western shore of Lake Fryken, just south of Sunne, lies Berättarladan, the home stage of Västanå Theatre. It is one of Sweden’s largest summer theatres and can seat an audience of approximately 500. Colourful performances inspired by folk music, dance and storytelling are the theatre group’s hallmark. Shows at Berättarladan sell out year after year – so buy tickets in good time. vastanateater.se

SHOPPING/HANDICRAFTS

KLÄSSBOLS LINNEVÄVERI Excellent craftsmanship combined with the best design, function and innovative techniques have distinguished Klässbol Linen Weaving Mill since the early 1920s. They gladly describe their unique journey, which started with a handloom at home in the kitchen of Hjalmar Johansson and continues through an unbroken chain of generations. With the utmost respect, the family business maintains a cultural treasure of timeless weave patterns. Klässbol Linen Weaving Mill has supplied tablecloths and napkins to the Nobel banquet for many years, as well as to Swedish and Norwegian embassies worldwide.

You can select your own in the mill’s shop! klassbols.se

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GOOD SHOPPING IS

A GREAT PLEASURE

visitvarmland.se PHOTOGRAPH: KLÄSSBOLS

PHOTOGRAPH: ØYVIND LUND

fryksta.se

FRYKSTA KRUKMAKERI Production is simple and timeless but, at the same time, diverse. The wares should withstand use in the modern home. Flowers should sit nicely in their vases, mugs should be good for drinking out of, and pies should release easily from the pie forms. fryksta.se

MIMMI DESIGN Rural studio and boutique in Pikenberg near Grums. Designs exclusive linen garments with unique colours, forms, embroidery and appliqué. mimmidesign.se

butiktra.se

Take your time when visiting our historical and cultural tourist destinations. In many places, there are also stores selling locally produced food and crafts.

You can find souvenirs that become memories for life.

Sunne

SHOPPING I VÄRMLAND bergvik.se eurotax.se

On the Swedish-Norwegian border, there are several shopping centres offering a wide range of products for all tastes.

WASABRÖD/BARILLA OUTLET Factory sales outlet for products produced by the Barilla Group, including crispbread from Wasabröd and pasta from Barilla. Parts of the shop have been turned into a museum detailing the history surrounding Sweden’s most popular crispbread. wasabrod.se/butik-museum

tocksforsshopping.se • charlottenbergsshopping.se • langflonkopcentrum.se

PHOTOGRAPH: SILVERSUND

A JOURNEY TO THE LANDSCAPE OF THE STORYTELLERS A good story lives its own life. It allows you to imagine, feel and choose your own paths. It takes you to new places where you encounter people who give you new ideas and insights.

Värmland fills you with great stories. Welcome!

visitvarmland.se