Ekshärad: Church Art, Local History and Activities

Ekshärad brings together church art, local heritage, and activities on the Klarälven. If you are looking for a hotel in Ekshärad, you can plan your trip around your interests, whether they are medieval connections, regional history, skiing, or time on the river. The places and activities also vary in their timing, from the seasonal opening of the church to a three-day canoe trip.

Culture and History

Ekshärad Church combines a late-medieval work of art with a multilingual audio guide. The church houses a late-medieval altarpiece from the 15th-century church; the audio guide is available in Swedish, English, German, Dutch, and the Ekshärad dialect. This lets you enjoy the church art with explanations in one of the available languages. Seasonal summer opening hours are listed as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until All Saints’ Day, for worship and visits. Check before you travel whether these hours are still current.

Sankta Annas Chapel, also called Ekshärad’s stave church, was built in 2002 to commemorate the medieval pilgrimage route that passed through Ekshärad. The focus here is on remembering a route: it passed through the town, and the chapel was built in its honor. This is distinct from the church art represented by the late-medieval altarpiece at Ekshärad Church.

Ekshärad Local Heritage Centre adds local history to the church and pilgrimage-related connections. The local heritage museum was inaugurated on September 23, 1928, and is one of the oldest local heritage museums in Värmland. The exact date provides a clear historical reference point, while its status among the oldest institutions of its kind also places it in a regional context.

The Ekshärad Pillar adds a symbolic form of storytelling to these themes. The totem pole was unveiled on July 29, 1989; its symbols tell the story of the area. While the local heritage museum offers a specific inauguration date as a point of reference, the pole’s symbols convey history visually. These different ways of remembering the local past sit alongside one another: church art, a local heritage museum, and a totem pole with historical motifs.

Skiing, Canoeing, and Fishing

Downhill and cross-country skiing are available at Ekesberget in Ekshärad. The two types of skiing give you different options for choosing the focus of a ski holiday. Since operations are seasonal, check before you travel whether the facilities will be open during your visit.

A three-day canoe trip on the Klarälven, with two overnight stays, passes through Ekshärad. Three days and two nights make it a multi-day activity to plan for, setting it apart from a single cultural visit. When planning your stay, you can take this time commitment into account alongside the town’s cultural attractions.

For fishing, the access point at Byn is a specific location: it is on the eastern bank of the Klarälven, 500 meters from the center of Ekshärad. The riverbank and distance help you pinpoint the access point. In the Klarälvens FVOF fishing area within Hagfors Municipality, public fishing is available for a fee. Along with the named access point at Byn, this gives you information about the fishing area and the fees that apply there.

Discover more destinations: Gustavsfors, Råda, Hagfors, Höje, Lakene, Uddeholm, Gustav Adolf, Sunnemo

Return to the main travel overview: Hagfors.