Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
made up of twelve arches and spans 168m across the eastern branch of the Klarälven River.
It's claimed the bridge's builder, Anders Jacobsson, threw himself off the bridge and
drowned, afraid his life's achievement would collapse; his name is engraved on a memorial
stone tablet in the centre of the bridge. On sunny days, the nearby wooded island of
Gubbholmen
, reached by crossing Östra bron and turning right, is a popular place for
soaking up the rays and an ideal place for a picnic. Heading back towards town, turn right
into Tage Erlandergatan from Östra bron, and carry on until you reach the old bathhouse,
Gamla Badhuset
, on Norra Strandgatan, which functioned as a spa and swimming baths
until 1978; the building's exterior is worth a quick glance for its impressive red stonework.
Biskopsgården
At the junction of Norra Strandgatan and Västra Torggatan is the bishop's residence,
Biskopsgården
, dating from 1781 and, as such, one of the handful of buildings in
Karlstad not destroyed in the great fire. A two-storey yellow wooden building with a
mansard roof, it owes its survival to the massive elm trees on its south side which
formed a natural firebreak, and to the sterling fire-fighting efforts of the bishop of the
time, which gave rise to the local saying “the bishop swore and doused the flames
whilst the governor wept and prayed”. The only other houses that survived are in the
Almen district of town, next to the river at Älvgatan; though their facades are all
nineteenth century, their oldest parts date from the century before.
Värmlands Museum
Sandgrundsudden • Mon-Wed & Fri 10am-6pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm • 60kr •
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varmlandsmuseum.se
From Biskopsgården, a two-minute stroll north along Västra Torggatan leads to
Sandgrundsudden point and
Värmlands Museum
, a comprehensive account of the
province's life and times with engaging displays devoted to the discovery of iron during the
1500s which helped to secure Värmland's economic lifeline for several centuries,
particularly in the remote northern and eastern areas of the province. The museum also
houses a sizeable collection of local art. Look out especially for Värmland artist
Lars Lerin
:
his watercolour of the harbourside in the Faroese capital, Tórshavn, is particularly pleasing.
4
Mariebergsskogen
Treffenbergsvägen • Daily 7am-10pm • Free •
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mariebergsskogen.se
Originally based on the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm,
Mariebergsskogen
, 2km
southwest of the centre, was established in 1920 when a number of old wooden buildings
from across Värmland, including a smoking house, windmill and storehouse, were
relocated here. Today, as well as the original open-air museum, the
Lillskogen
section (daily
9am-4pm; free) contains a children's animal park with rabbits, cows, pigs and goats.
Naturum Värmland
Mid-June to mid-Aug daily 11am-5pm; mid-Aug to mid-June Tues-Sun 11am-5pm • Free • Bus #3 or the båtbussen in summer
It's the
Naturum Värmland
nature centre, built right on the water's edge overlooking
Mariebergsviken bay, that really makes a trip here worthwhile. The centre was designed
to accentuate the closeness to nature: glass exterior walls offering cinemascope views
out over the surrounding trees and the lake help create the impression that you really
are out in the wilds. Aimed predominantly at children, it provides a fascinating insight
KARLSTAD'S BOAT BUSES
Between June and August every summer, a flotilla of gleaming, wooden boat buses
-
båtbussar
- ply the waters around Karlstad and make a great way of seeing the city. Though
routes vary slightly from year to year, the most popular is the hour-long trip from Residenset,
just west of Storatorget, via the Pråmkanalen and the harbour area, to Mariebergsskogen (see
above). Tickets cost just 23kr and can be bought on board. Timetables are at
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karlstad.se.
