Gräsmark: Lakes, Forests and Finnish Cultural Landscape

Gräsmark combines green slopes that descend to Lakes Rottnen and Grässjön with farms along the shores and dense coniferous forest surrounding the valley. Water, forest and a long cultural history shape the character of the area. Whether you prefer hiking, spending time on the water or exploring traces of the past, you’ll find a range of ways to shape your trip.

Hiking trails and protected landscapes

Gräsmark has three nature reserves, numerous hiking trails and several bathing spots. Most of the hiking trails in Sunne Municipality are in the Gräsmark area; together with connected trails, the network covers 50 kilometres. Kalvhöjden is a notable example of the link between nature and cultural landscape: the area was designated in 1972 to preserve and manage an old cultural landscape in the Forest Finnish settlement region and its species-rich flora.

The landscape along Gruvrundan also has a botanical feature. The hyperite rock there encourages a distinct flora with several rare species. A stream near Ambiastorpsslingan is home to freshwater pearl mussels. At Tiskaretjärn, traditional cattle breeds—including red-and-white cattle and the Swedish Red Polled breed, or Rotkulla—along with Värmland sheep keep the cultural landscape open.

Lakes, canoeing and fishing

The many lakes and waterways offer opportunities for swimming, paddling and fishing. The 11.6-kilometre canoe route on the Rottnan follows the river past Uddheden and then crosses Lake Rottnen. There are three established rest areas along the route where you can make a fire. This makes it possible to plan waterways and places to take a break as part of the same trip, without limiting the route to a single activity.

There are also different waters and fish species to discover when fishing. The Rottnen, Kymmen and Norra Gräsmark fishing areas cover around 50 bodies of water. Perch, pike and trout are the most commonly caught fish in Gräsmark. The fishing waters also include Sweden’s southernmost mountain lake outside the actual mountain region; it has a population of Arctic char.

Bathing spots with different types of shore

At the northern end of Lake Rottnen is a shallow sandy beach about 700 metres long. Stranna on Lake Kymmen, by contrast, is a south-facing bathing cove 40 metres long, with a sandy or gravel bottom, jetty, tables, barbecue area and shelter. Near the campsite on Lake Grässjön is a sandy beach about 200 metres long; it can be reached via a small car park on the road towards Torsby.

In Uddheden, the Lillsjön bathing spot has a long sandy beach, a jetty and changing cabins. From there, you can see Gräsmark Church. There are two bathing spots at Lake Ängsjön, including one with an accessible jetty; there is also a changing cabin and tables. The details about the beaches and facilities are described in a local travel guide from 2021. As access and facilities can change, check the latest information before your visit.

Winter activities

A local travel guide from 2021 lists illuminated cross-country ski trails in Uddheden and near Hedås, each about 2.5 kilometres long. The use of winter facilities depends on the season and conditions. When conditions permit, ski trails and ice-skating tracks are prepared on Lake Ängsjön.

A popular toboggan run is near the Rokkmakkstugan. Visitors can warm up by an open fire in the log cabin; use of the toboggan run in winter depends on snow conditions. The activities described therefore differ: when conditions are right, Lake Ängsjön offers both skiing and ice skating, while the toboggan run near the Rokkmakkstugan depends on snow.

Church, mining and Finnish history

Gräsmark Church is a stone church built in 1738 on a promontory in Lake Lillsjön. Its ceiling features a depiction of the Last Judgment, painted by Erik Jonaeus. Storgruvan in Mangen is another place of historical significance: mining began there in 1564, mainly for copper and also for iron. Mining took place intermittently over about 300 years and finally ceased around the turn of the 20th century.

Högfors Bruk is also associated with specific figures from its history. In 1759, the works included two bar iron furnaces with an annual output of 600 skeppund of forged iron, as well as an ironworks, a sawmill, a mill and forest estates. Along Gruvrundan are the remains of copper works, ore-processing facilities, mines, an ore transport cableway, waste heaps and a soapstone quarry. Those interested in the history of earlier settlements can find remains of Finnish settlements along Ängenleden, including house foundations, clearance cairns, pit traps and pits. There are also numerous rest areas and several shelters along the trail where you can spend the night.

The Gräsmark open-air museum features an old Finnish hut from the period of Finnish immigration to Sweden in the 17th century. The museum and its café are open during the summer months; check the specific opening days before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Skoghall, Kristinehamn, Säffle, Hagfors, Kil, Munkfors, Grums, Eda.

For the main travel overview: Värmland.