Värmland

Värmland lies in central Sweden to the north and northwest of Lake Vänern, extending to the Norwegian frontier. The beauty of the province lies in its scenic variety, its alternation between uplands, expanses of plain and its many lakes. Although archaeological finds have shown that the region was inhabited in the Stone Age, it was only thinly populated in the medieval period. In those days there was an active border trade with Norway, and this was also a route by which Christianity made its way from Norway into Sweden.

Economy

Given the nature of the soil, agriculture yielded only meager returns. The main crop grown by the peasants of Värmland on their smallholdings was oats, both for their own subsistence and as fodder for the horses which were used on other farms or, more commonly, on the landowners' estates. During the 16th and 17th centuries many Finns settled in Värmland, attracted by the exemption from taxes which was offered as an inducement to settlers. These peasants, known as svedjebönder, obtained land for cultivation by burning down the standing trees. In course of time this created difficulties for the mining industry, which needed the timber. The normal practice in those days was to light fires in the mine shafts so as to heat the rock, which cracked as it cooled and could be extracted with a pick. This meant that the mines required great quantities of timber, and since the transport of timber was difficult the mines were located close to areas of forest.

The burning of the forests by the svedjebörger, therefore, led the mine-owners to complain to the Crown.

The development of industry in the 19th century brought a period of prosperity to the mining industry. The ore, originally carried by pack-horses and small boats, now began to be transported on the canals and by rail.

Värmland is now a popular holiday and recreation area, with good fishing, canoeing and walking, as well as rafting on the Klarälv.