Värmland County

Värmland is a land of forests, rivers, and storytellers: Selma Lagerlöf lived here, and the landscape with its lakes and manor houses is reflected in her novels. On a vacation in Värmland, you can drift down the Klarälven on a homemade timber raft, swim in the sun city of Karlstad on Lake Vänern, and discover artists' colonies in Arvika.

Landscape Between Norway and Lake Vänern

Värmland borders Norway to the west and Lake Vänern, Sweden's largest lake, to the south, where the northern shore breaks up into bays and skerries. About two-thirds of the area is forested, crisscrossed by thousands of lakes and by the Klarälven, which flows in from Norway and empties into Lake Vänern in a large delta near Karlstad. In the north, the mountains around Torsby and Branäs rise with their ski areas; in the west, you'll find the lakes around Glaskogen and Arvika.

Sights in Värmland

Karlstad, the capital, calls itself the Sun City because of its many hours of sunshine and sits on the delta of the Klarälven. The stone bridge Östra bron from 1811, the cathedral, and Mariebergsskogen Park with its animals and open-air museum define the cityscape; in summer, boats run to the islands in Lake Vänern. North of the city, visitors can raft on the Klarälven: you build your own raft from logs and drift leisurely downriver for several days, camping along the banks. Mårbacka near Sunne is the home of Selma Lagerlöf, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature; nearby is Rottneros with its sculpture park. Kristinehamn on Lake Vänern is known for a 15-meter-high concrete sculpture on the lakeshore based on a design by Picasso. Arvika in the west was the center of the Rackstad Colony around 1900, whose paintings can be seen in the Rackstad Museum. In Ekshärad on the Klarälven stands a church whose cemetery is known for its wrought-iron grave crosses, and in Torsby a center tells the story of the culture of the Forest Finns.

Culture and History

Värmland lived for a long time on ironworks and the timber industry; manor houses of the ironworks owners still stand on many lakes today. The region is also known for its musical tradition, from the folk song "Värmlandsvisan" to the music festival in Arvika. In the 17th century, Finnish immigrants settled in the forests north of Torsby, and their smoke-cabin houses are still preserved in Finnskogen. Selma Lagerlöf's novel "Gösta Berling's Saga" is set in the Fryksdalen valley around Sunne, and many manor houses in the area are associated with characters from the book.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Värmland specialties include Värmlandskorv, a sausage served with potatoes; motti, a flour porridge with fried bacon that originated in Finnskogen; as well as salmon from the Klarälven and moose dishes. With your coffee, you can have homestyle baked goods from the cafés of the manor estates. Karlstad is reachable by train from Stockholm and Gothenburg in about two and a half hours; the airport has few connections. The best time for rafting and canoe trips is from June to August, and in fall the forests change color. Kristinehamn and Karlstad offer boat tours on Lake Vänern, and in winter the Branäs ski area in the north attracts families.