Alsters Herrgård, the countryside estate where one of Sweden’s most beloved national poets, was born in 1850.
What to do and see
When the ancient Vikings gathered at Tingvalla on the banks of the Klara River in what is now Karlstad, little did they know that one of Sweden’s most beautiful cities would be built here. Here, at the same spot is a statue of a young lady named Eva-Lena Holtz, a peasant girl who would go on to own an inn here in the 18th century and epitomize Karlstad’s reputation for hospitality and giving a warm welcome to visitors.
Karlstad is built on the delta where Sweden’s longest river, the Klara River empties into Sweden’s mightiest lake, Lake Vänern, with its archipelago of 22,000 islands. Where river meets lake, you can enjoy this unique delta environment on its hiking trails or on a boat trip.
Karlstad’s many parks and gardens are ablaze with colour in the spring and summer months and fantastic places to stroll in, enjoy picnics and meet the locals. Do pay a visit to Sangrundsparken, with its new sun terraces and expanded gardens.
In Sweden, Karlstad is known as the ‘summer city’ because it receives more hours’ of sun than almost any other place in the country. And in the almost constant daylight of the summer months the ‘summer city’ reveals her ‘summernight city’ persona with a pulsating nightlife.
If you follow the Klara River upriver into the forests of Värmland you would find timber rafting, kayaking, canoeing and other watersports, as well as hiking and trekking trails, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. And with the river as your almost constant companion you can cycle the Klarälvsbanan – a vehicle-free 90 kilometre stretch of super-smooth cycle path that starts in Karlstad and snakes its way north to the county of Hagfors, taking in forest, verdant Värmland countryside and some fascinating cultural and historical sites.
Karlstad is home to Värmlands Museum, containing the world’s premier exhibition of Värmland artists, as well as international artists and a fascinating multimedia presentation of Värmland’s history down the millennia. Other cultural highlights in and around Karlstad include Alstersherrgård, the beautiful birthplace of Gustaf Fröding, one of Sweden’s most beloved national poets. Continuing the literary theme, just an hours’ drive north of Karlstad is Mårbacka, the home of Selma Lagerlöf, the world famous author and first woman to win the Nobel prize for literature.
Come and celebrate Karlstad with us.
