World Heritage Sites and Folk Museums in Hälsingland, Sweden

Hälsingland county in Sweden has seven Decorated Farmhouses inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Firstmorning.se visits two of those and also other farm houses, folk museums, art galleries, a linen factory, restaurants & cafés and churches nearby. Please join us for a cultural tour of world heritage sites and folk museums in Hälsingland. It takes a whole day and you can go any day during the summer, be it sun or rain.

The tour length is approximately 8 hours and driving distance about 140 kilometers. Start off in Bollnäs, then drive north to Arbrå and Orbaden. From there drive south again, cross the river Ljusnan and take the old road to Växbo. Drive southeast to Rengsjö, northeast to Trönö, south to Söderala, west to Hårga and then north to Bollnäs again.

Updated with opening hours and events for 2022.

 ”A World Heritage site is an environment considered globally
unique and therefore important to all of humanity.”
www.varldsarvethalsingegardar.se

The history of the old farm house of Kämpens goes back to the 16th century. Here you will find decorations and objects from different epochs until the mid 20th century. Previously privately owned, Kämpens became a folk museum in 1963. We have celebrated many traditional Midsummer Eves at Kämpens Hembygdgård.

OPENING HOURS: Guided tours after agreement: +46705605240, bertil.hulth@helsingenet.com 

NEARBY: 
Swim: Långnäsbadet, Karlslundsbadet. Eat: The best restaurants in Bollnäs are Izolis and Strandrestaurangen. Other activities: Tour with steam boat Warpen. Bolleberget – a small mountain top with great views and a driveway all the way to the top.

At the foot of Bolleberget and the ski slopes of Bollebacken, lies Bollegården: a sports hotel and camping surrounded by nature with great outdoor training facilities and a heated outdoor pool. Check site for opening hours 2022.

Bollegården, Bollnäs
Hembygdsgården Kämpens, Bollnäs

Träslottet, Arbrå

On your way north to Arbrå, you will pass Träslottet, where you can grab a lunch or a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun in the true style of our Swedish fika and/or catch a local art exhibition. It is definately worth a stop.
Read our post about Träslottet here. 

Träslottet, Arbrå

The area of Arbrå Fornhem consists of 15 buildings, the oldest are from the 18th century. Most of them have been moved here during the 1920s. The living quarters are decorated with wall paintings, furniture, objects and tools from local farm houses. 

As Arbrå Fornhem is only open by appointment, we are so lucky to meet Ingrid Östergårds and Gun Palmqvist who are getting the place ready for a wedding. They give us a private tour and show us a 19th century loom they are restoring and tell us a piece of interesting and important herstory. 

OPENING HOURS: Guided tours after agreement.

NEARBY: 
Eat: Arbrå Wärdshus,
Esplanaden.

Arbrå Fornhem
Ingrid Östergårds and Gun Palmqvist by the loom they are restoring
Furnishings from past times
Yellow pants and hand painted wall paper

Lifstorpet, Orbaden

Lifstorpet is also a part of Arbrå Fornhem, but is situated in the village of Orbaden. Every summer local artists exhibit and sell their art work at Lifstorpet. This year there is also a flea market, a shop and a café in one of the buildings – Orboden.Orboden has moved to Gamla Orbadenvägen 21 in Vallsta. Season opening June 30th.

OPENING HOURS:  Check site.

NEARBY: 
Swim: Orbaden, the riviera of Hälsingland. Eat/stay: Orbadens Spa & Resort.  Other activities: Orbaden Zip & Climb

Lifstorpet art gallery, shop & café

A Decorated Farmhouse of Hälsingland World Heritage

Gästgivars is one of the seven Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland World Heritage. The festivities building is open to visitors with guided tours during the summer. Make sure to visit the restaurant and café at Gästgivars. They have the most exquisite pastries in a cozy environment.

Gästgivars is privately owned and let to Arbrå Handicraft Society. In summer, the society runs exhibitions, handicraft sales, activities for children and courses.

Every Saturday in July you can eat breakfast and solve Melodikrysset at 9.30am, 150 SEK.

OPENING HOURS: Open all days between until  21 August, 2022, 11am – 5pm. Except 18 June and 4 July, closed for weddings.
Guided tours every day between 11am and 2pm, 150 SEK, free for children under 15.

For info and guided tours at other times: +46739577377,
e-mail: info@varldsarvetgastgivars.se

NEARBY: 
Eat: Ristorante Da Carloonly pre-bookings for a minimum of 12 guests.

Gästgivars, Vallsta - one of seven Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland World Heritage
The festivities building
The amazing café by Konditori Collini

Are you looking for products made of the most exquisite linen, you need to look no further than Växbo Lin – founded on the site of the open air museum of Trolldalen in 1989 by Rolf Åkerlund, a native of Växbo village. Buying old spinning machines from Lille in France, 10 people worked with restoring them to production mode. By way of anecdote: Pda was one of those people restoring the spinning machines!

Bought by entrepenerus Hanna and Jacob Bruce in 2006, Växbo Lin has since grown into a reputable producer of linen products, carrying forth this unique handicraft tradition. In 2019, Växbo Lin was awarded the Swedish Industrial Heritage Site of the Year by the Swedish Industrial Heritage Association.

Apart from strolling around for hours in the shop, botanizing among all the colourful linen products, make sure to visit the weavery to check out all the machines and the production in process.  Afterwards, rest your tired legs and refresh your thirsty throat, it sure is dusty in the weavery!, in the small snackbar at the back of the shop. 

OPENING HOURS:
Opening hours during the summer
2022
25 June – 21 August
Every day 10am – 6pm
Regular opening hours during the rest of the year 2022
10am – 5pm Monday – Friday
10am – 3pm Saturday
Closed Sunday 

The machine park at Växbo Lin
The shop at Växbo Lin

Trolldalen open air museum is a short stroll from Växbo Lin. When leaving Växbo Lin by foot just exit the road to the left into a signed path through the woods. After 500 meters, take the left path and it will take you to the valley of Trolldalen. Here you will find one of the best preserved flax preparation mills from the 19th century, a forge, a pottery studio, a bakery and a restaurant.

The small flax sheds and workshops in Trolldalen remind us of the flax-growing farmers use of hydropower in producing linen until as late as the 1950s. Each farm had their own flax shed in the valley, but the linen was spun and weaved at each farm. Nowadays, the flax used in the production at Växbo Lin comes from France and Belgium.

In the 1970s, certain parts of Trolldalen served as a filming location for the movie Pippi Långstrump – På Rymmen. 

NEARBY: Swim: at Nydammen at the top of Trolldalen. Eat: ice cream at Växbo Café.

Lots to explore in Trolldalen open air museum
Flax sheds

The area around Växbo Kvarn has something for everyone. Around the millpond you will find a restaurant, a bakery, an amazing candy shop, a forge, a pottery studio and Växbo Loge with clothes and silver jewelry. The children have their own playground, Kvarnleken, with rabbits and free range chickens. This is the also place for taking a bath on a hot summer day before having lunch at the well renowned restaurant Växbo Krog. The restaurants is also open in December serving Christmas smorgasbord. Växbo Krog is listed on White Guide – the best restaurants and cafés in Sweden.

Book your table here and find the opening hours and the calendar for 2022 here.

Växbo Kvarn & Växbo Krog

So if you have had an early start to your tour of world heritage sites and folk museums in Hälsingland, it should now be time for lunch. And perhaps some serious shopping? Majas Café & Gift Shop is the perfect place with a two story building packed with decorative things for your home. For lunch, we can recommend their huge shrimp sandwich and a bottle of Hallonsoda (rasperry soda pop) – it will keep you well satisified until dinner time.

Opening hours:
From September 1 – June 19: Monday – Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturdays 11am – 3pm, Sundays and holidays 12am – 3pm. 

From June 20 – August 31: Monday – Friday 11am – 7pm, Saturdays 11 am – 5pm, Sundays and holidays 12am – 5pm. 

Majas Café & Gift Shop

The farm house village of Västerby consist of about 30 buildings, some originating from the 17th century. A collection of every day objects from five centuries of farming culture is on display as well as different art exhibitions. Västerby has a café and a shop selling handicrafts plus a chance to see traditional baking of flatbread (only Thursdays in July).

Västerby is one of our favourite places to visit. It gives such a genuine feel to what it was like in the old farming days. The buildings and surroundings are extremely beautiful.

Opening hours:
June 28 – July 31: 10am-4pm. Café open Tuesday-Sunday.
For events, see separate schedule.

NEARBY: Swim: Skidtjärn. Other activities: Bullerbyn observation tower.

Västerby Hembygdsby, Rengsjö
A wooden gate at Västerby Hembygdsby, Rengsjö
Traditional baking of flatbread

Trönö Kyrkor, Trönö

No country tour is complete without a visit to a church. If you go to Trönö, you will have the opportunity two visit two churches – and not just any churches, but perhaps the two most beautiful churches in Hälsingland.

Trönö new church was built in 1895. In 1996 it was refurbished and opened again in 1988, but only 8 months after it was destroyed in a fire. The new church as it looks today opened in 2001. Some parts of the church were not rebuilt which gives a beautiful courtyard in the middle of the church.

Trönö old church is the best preserved medeival church in northern Sweden, dating from the 13th century. It has not been altered through the ages, which is very unusual. The pulpit was built in 1664 and the belltower dates back to the 16th century.  Make sure to climb the stairs at the back of the church to get the feeling of being one of the poor parishioners having to sit in the seats with no view.

OPENING HOURS: Daily May 15 –  August 31, 9am – 5pm.
For guided tours, please contact Kerstin Olsson: +46702443176,
Kerstinbirgittaolsson@gmail.com

NEARBY: Söderblomsgården – folk museum.

The new church of Trönö
The old church of Trönö
Medieval interior at the old church of Trönö

When driving from Trönö towards Kungsgården and then turning south to Söderala, you will drive about 11 kilometers on perhaps the most winding road in all of Hälsingland. Be prepared for a crooked ride!

A Decorated Farmhouse of Hälsingland World Heritage

Erik-Anders farm house was built in the 1920s in a mansion-like architecture inspired by the higher classes. The impressive festivities room on the first floor is worth a visit and the decarations are made by the Knutes, a family of painters who walked around from village to village offering their services of painting furniture, walls and interiors.

The area has a visitor center, a café, a shop, a furniture display and a garden restored to how it looked in 1920. Erik-Anders also offers accommodation.

For events 2020: check here.

OPENING HOURS:  April until September: open Saturdays and Sundays, 12-15. From 25 June, open all day 11-17 until 31 August.

Entrance fee 75 SEK/adult to the farm house.
Entrance fee, pre-booked guided tours 150 SEK/adult.
Guided tours in English must be booked in advance at info@erik-anders.se or +46727287941.

NEARBY: Stay: Moheds Camping, Muses BnB.

Erik-Anders, Söderala
Is it a small house or a giant man?

Hälsingehambon, a traditional folk dancing contest, starts off at Ol-Nils Hembygdsgård in Hårga and continues through three phases unitil the winners are appointed at Stenegård in Järvsö. Hälsingehambon takes place July 9 in 2022 check here for timetable.

Ol-Nils has been hosting the very popular music and sing-a-long event Lattas Döttrar with Hanna and Lina Hedlund for the past few years.

OPENING HOURS: see website.

NEARBY: Hårgaberget with an observation tower.

Ol-Nils Hembygdsgård

Our tour of world heritage sites and folk museums in Hälsingland has now come to an end. I hope you have enjoyed yourselves. As this is quite a packed and somewhat hectic itinerary, you could split it into a two day trip. Why not stay one night at hostel Ohlandersgården in Rengsjö which you will pass when driving from Rengsjö to Trönö. You need to be a member of the STF – Swedish Tourist Association to stay here; 345 SEK per year. STF cooperates with HI Hostels and members pay reduced prices at over 4 000 hostels in over 80 countries.

Film time

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2 Svar på “World Heritage Sites and Folk Museums in Hälsingland, Sweden”

  1. Vilket härligt reportage! För en stum var jag på Kollot och funderade vad för gott man skulle fixa till på grillen☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

    1. Ja, nu längtar man redan till kollosäsongen. Tur att det är jul snart så man får lite ljus i decembermörkret. Snart blir det ljusare också och vips är våren här!

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