Arvika: Rackstad Art, Industrial History and Nature

Arvika reveals itself through art, crafts, industrial history and nature. The Rackstad Museum, historic sites such as Glava Glasbruk and nature reserves each offer a different perspective. If you are planning your stay, you will find specific starting points here for visits and activities—from the history of an artists’ colony to paths through forests and cultural landscapes.

Rackstad Art and Places of Remembrance

The Rackstad Museum houses the most extensive collection of works by the Rackstad artists’ colony. The first artists in the colony arrived in 1898. Its development is also connected with the crafts that had taken root in Arvika: artists and craftspeople worked together. Art and crafts are therefore equally part of the cultural background you can discover at the museum.

Nytomta Minnesgård is one of the oldest farms in Taserud in Arvika and commemorates the sculptor Olof (Ola) Eriksson and his family. Exhibitions can be seen in several places on the farm: in the main house, the weaving room, the shop (Boden), the small house and the Elis-E Palace. The different rooms give your visit a tangible connection to the farm and its family. The memorial farm can be visited year-round; the exhibitions on display may change. Check the visiting arrangements before your visit.

Forest, Marsh and Archaeological Traces

The Rackstadskogen Nature Reserve has high biological value, mainly associated with nutrient-rich, herb-rich spruce forest and old pines. Wooded slopes offer views across Lake Racken. Paths run through the forest and form part of a larger trail system. Nature enthusiasts can therefore take in both the forest landscape and the views over the lake.

The Byamossarna Nature Reserve protects a large mosaic of forests and marshes. This landscape differs markedly from the wooded slopes by Lake Racken and offers a distinct natural setting. For those who want to combine nature experiences with archaeological traces, the Bergs Klätt Nature Reserve offers another point of interest: it contains around 15 Bronze Age graves and a stone cist from the Late Stone Age.

A marked trail in Bergs Klätt passes through old forest, hazel stands, archaeological remains and bird-rich waterside meadows. A 1.2-kilometre section of the trail is suitable for wheelchair users, and there is also an accessible toilet. As the trail may be subject to temporary restrictions, check its current condition before your visit.

Industrial History and Technology

At Glava Glasbruk, the Bruksmuseet shows the site’s importance to Swedish window glass production in the early 20th century. Glava Glasbruk borders the Glaskogen Nature Reserve. A cultural trail runs through the former industrial site, showing where the various factory buildings stood and how extensive the operation was in the late 1930s. A visit thus connects the history of glass production with the traces left on the landscape by the former works.

The Arvika Vehicle Museum is housed in a restored former Thermia foundry dating from 1923. On display are vintage cars, historic motorcycles, mopeds, light motorcycles, horse-drawn carriages, sleds and bicycles. The collection therefore extends beyond cars and includes a variety of historic forms of transport. The museum is accessible to wheelchair users and people with visual and hearing impairments. Facilities include an accessible toilet, an accessible parking space and a lift. If you have specific access requirements, check them again before your visit.

Unguided Canoe Trips

Since 1979, canoeists have set off on unguided trips from the Arvika Kanot & Turistcenter. The center rents out tents, sleeping bags and mats, and also provides food and cooking equipment for trips. This is useful information if you are planning a trip without a guide and need equipment or provisions. As availability may change, check the center’s current offerings well before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Edane, Glava Glasbruk, Gunnarskog, Klässbol, Salungen, Sulvik, Ottebol, Jössefors, Glava, Arvika

Back to the main travel overview: Värmland.