Rottneros: Park, Art and Theater History

Rottneros Park brings together garden art, literature, and sculpture. It is home to Rottneros herrgård, also known as Ekeby from the legend. The manor house inspired Selma Lagerlöf to write imaginative descriptions of the cavaliers’ extravagant lifestyle in “Gösta Berlings saga.” This literary connection adds another cultural dimension to the park’s design. You can plan your trip around a range of interests: the manor house’s history, the gardens, and the works of art.

Gardens and the History of the Park

Rottneros Park features a classicist-inspired Italian villa, French Baroque gardens, and an English park. These names invite you to compare different design styles: you can consider the villa’s classicist inspiration, French Baroque, and the English park as distinct approaches. The arboretum adds its own story to the gardens. Svante Påhlson created Rottneros Park between 1932 and 1959. The arboretum was established in 1974 by Ebba Horn af Åminne, the daughter of Svante and Greta Påhlson. The two dates distinguish the park’s creation from the later establishment of the arboretum.

Sculptures and Their Stories

The Carl-Eldh Parterre at Rottneros Park features eleven sculptures by Carl Eldh and is probably the largest permanent collection of his works. “Skremt” offers a different perspective on sculpture: Gustav Vigeland’s original granite sculpture was his first attempt at using granite as a sculptural material. While the Carl-Eldh Parterre focuses on the size of a group of works, “Skremt” is about the material history of a single work. Art enthusiasts can therefore explore two distinct aspects: a collection with a specific number of sculptures and a sculptor’s early work in granite.

Theater History at Berättarladan

Berättarladan was created in 1999 with a permanent theater stage modeled on Shakespeare’s “The Globe.” The costume exhibition at Berättarladan features around a hundred costumes by Inger Hallström Stinnerbom from earlier theater productions. These offer two different perspectives on theater: the inspiration for the permanent stage and the costumes from past productions. The approximate number gives an idea of the exhibition’s size, while the named designer and the costumes’ origins make their connection to theater specific.

With Children and by Fryken

If you’re traveling with children, Barnens lekpark offers activities for children aged 2 to 11. The Nils Holgersson Adventure Park is also located on the grounds of the former bird park, which has since been redeveloped. The age range applies to Barnens lekpark; the redevelopment of the former bird park grounds describes a different aspect of the park’s offerings. When planning your visit, you can distinguish between a children’s attraction with a specified age range and a redeveloped park area.

Rottneros Park’s swimming area is on a shallow, sheltered bay of Fryken. Facilities include tables, benches, an outdoor toilet, and a barbecue area. If you’re planning to visit this area, you can take into account both its location by the bay and the specific facilities listed.

Practical Information for Your Visit

The park has been adapted so that everyone can visit; a wheelchair can be borrowed on site. There is also a café at the entrance to Rottneros Park, serving light lunches, ice cream, and fika. If borrowing a wheelchair or the café’s offerings are important to your plans, confirm the current arrangements before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Gräsmarken, Sunne, Västra Ämtervik, Östra Ämtervik, Lysvik, Uddheden, Ivarsbjörke, Gettjärn.

Go to the main travel overview: Sunne.