Karlstad : Experience the Rich Haven of History and Heritage

Karlstad is a city that is located in the Varmland County of Sweden. It is the city with the largest freshwater lake and gives you a lot of cultural perspective and insights. It is a haven for culture lovers as it is one of the prominent places for Swedish art and culture. There are some majestic cathedrals and museums in the city that has elaborate architecture. The landscapes are beautiful around the city and with gorgeous parks it is one of the best places to be with family and friends. Here are the top ten places to visit in Karlstad:

1. Varmlands Museum

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The museum is the best place to know a little more about the rich culture and history of the city. It has near about 40,000 well preserved artifacts and 9,000 artworks along with photographs to trace the history of the city. The hall of the museum was designed in 1920s and it resembles a Chinese temple. Some of the prominent art works inside the museum is by Swedish Artists like Lerin, Anders Zorn and Lena Cronkvist that dates back to around 17th century. It even organizes temporary exhibitions.

2. Sandgrund Lars Lerin

Sandgrund is a former nightspot but now houses a gallery that displays art from one of the best artists from Sweden, Lars Lerin. He is known for his amazing water color landscapes and has a collection of paintings that he is has done while travelling across the world. There are water color painting, oil paintings, drawings, collages, etc. that shows the landscapes from all over the world. You can also shop for some souvenirs from the gallery. There are occasional exhibitions also held in the gallery and displays world class paintings.

3. Brigad Museum

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It is relatively a new museum that was opened in the year 2013 and is all about the interesting history of Swedish military organization. It tells you about the stories from Cold war and there are a lot of interesting facts displayed from 1945 to 1991. There is a number of military hardware and it has a lot of information from events like the Vietnamese War, fall of Berlin War etc. It is a nice museum with great collection of tanks and armored cars from the world war era.

4. Alsters Herrgard

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The quaint little place just out of fairy tale is a must visit place when in Karlstad. It is a gorgeous lakeside home that was built in the 18th century. It is an ancestral home of famous poet Gustaf Froding and he was born in 1860. The countryside estate is extremely beautiful surrounded by a well landscaped garden and lawn. It houses a manor park, café, restaurant, handicrafts and souvenir shops. It overlooks the gorgeous Vanern Lake and a number of beautiful natural hikes and trails to hike.

5. Ostra Bron

It is also known as the East Bridge and is one of the most photographed and Instagramed landmarks of Sweden. The bridge is stuff of dreams and straight out of fairy tale at night with the twinkling lights and reflection of water. It has 12 arches and is the longest stone built bridge in Sweden. The first stone was laid in the year in 1761. It crosses the East River branch of Klaralven that connects the districts of Haga and Norrstand.

6. Domkyrkan

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The Karlstad Cathedral dates back to 1730 and is the seat of the Karlstad Diocese that is spread across Varmland and Dalsland. It is a gorgeous and 65-metre tall tower that is whitewashed and the black spire marks the efficient Karlstad skyline. The façade and the interiors of the cathedral is completely white and it is extremely intricate. There are a lot of things within the cathedral that represents the Neo-classical style. There are some oil paintings inside the cathedral that are from the 18th century.

7. Marbacka

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It is another cultural addition to the countryside area of Varmland. The gorgeous countryside estate belongs to author Selma Lagerlof and she was the winner of Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 1909. This is the place where she grew up in and hence brought an estate here. The mansion was constructed in 1793 and later it was again rebuilt. It was designed by architect Isak Gustaf Clason. The Nobel Laureate brought the main building in 1907 and whole of it in 1910. There are guided tours inside the mansion.

8. Mariebergsskogen

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The surreal piece of land is located on the inlet of Lake Vanern which is present south of the centre of Karlstad. There are a lot of natural attractions within the park and the look of the park is different during different season. The summer season is mostly reserved for music and entertainment like open air stage, miniature train rides, “Troll Walk”, etc. There are a number of lake, mini golf and other activities. In winters, with the snow around, it becomes a fairy land and the ice rink adds to the attraction.

9. Stadstradgarten

The garden is a hub for visitors throughout the year. The watery side greenery makes it one of the most beautiful places to enjoy picnic during summers and onset of spring. It is an English styled park that has gravel paths along the circumference surrounded on both sides by flowerbeds. The park houses nearly around 800 or more different types of trees and shrubs along with flowers. It also has its horticultural school in 1860s and was acquired by the city in the year 1920s. There are quaint wooden pavilions and cafes inside it.

10. Rottneros Park

The Rottneros Park is a beautiful park that is surrounded by bunch of gorgeous flowers and amazing sculptures. It is a perfect place to be with family for a picnic. It is located near the woods and has patchwork of gardens around the manor house. It was redesigned in 1950s so that it could fit the romantic description in the novel “Ekeby”. The sculptures in the park are from the 20th century and half of it being created by Carl Eldh.

◎ Closing

Karlstad is a prolific city in terms of history and heritage. There are number of museums and parks to enjoy the beauty of the city. It is home to some of the best artistic and creative minds and the architectures resonates the same.

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