Varberg

We decided to go to do some sightseeing in the close-by town of Varberg while on the West Coast. The weather was unpredictable to say the least, but we took a chance. Started by visiting the Varberg Castle and Fortress.

The Varberg Fortress is home today to the Halland Museum of Cultural History but the first castle was built here on the cliff at the end of the 1200s as a protection. Some walls, basement walls and sections of the northern and southern castle rows remain from this earliest period.

We went straight to the main attraction of the collections of the museum, the Bocksten Man, one of the world's most fascinating mediaeval finds. He is unusual, because he is one of the few bog people from Christian times, when in fact people no longer sacrificed in bogs, as they had done during the Iron Age when people were killed as sacrifices to higher powers.

Yes, it was a bit creepy to see the remains on display like this, the Bocksten Man was once a living person after all. But as his find is a very important find, both from a scientific and cultural heritage perspective, the museum have chosen to display his skeleton in the exhibit, in a very dignified way I might add.
The exhibit argues this choice as such on a sign next to the remains: "Coming face to face with death in a museum tells us something about our own history, as well as something about what it means to be human."

There was also reconstruction on display, that showed how they think the Bocksten Man might have looked like when he was alive. Personally I almost found this figure more creepy to study than his remains.

One of the most interesting things with the Bocksten Man is his clothing. His outfit was found astonishingly well preserved, and it is the only one of its kind found in Europe.

We also checked out the rest of the exhibitions currently on display. For example the one about the history of Halland - from past to present.

A copy of an exciting family portrait of the Hjortberg Family from 1770, painted by Jonas Dürchs.

I also quickly checked out the exhibition about the three Swedish artists Richard Bergh, Nils Kreuger and Karl Nordström who lived and worked in the artist colony Varbergsskolan 1893-1896. Varberg, the surrounding landscape and the light and dark of the fortress inspired these artists.

I loved this painting! The photo doesn't make it justice, the light was incredible! It's called En kuststad, Varberg, and is by Nils Kreuger 1909. Kreuger's mood paintings of Varberg and its surroundings are among the most important landscape paintings of the period.

And finally, the exhibition about hunters:

The Varberg castle was turned into a proper fortress in the early 17th century as Halland kept changing hands between Sweden and Denmark and the region was in a continous unrest. It never really was used as such though, as it was decided in the the Peace of Brömsebro in 1645 that Halland would belong to Sweden.

During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries parts of the fortress were used as a prison, but that use stopped in 1931. Now it is instead this beautiful cultural site and viewing point.
We had sunshine for the outside exploration of the fortress, but the winds were strong and the rain was coming at us in the horizon.

I just had time to snap a quick photo in front of the famous Varberg Kallbadhus, which is located on the beach directly in front of the fortress, before the rain came. Look at the amazing architecture! It looks like a Moorish palace, with the low onion towers and all the spectacular decorations.

The rain came and went, and in the meantime we drove out to Apelviken. Once we got there the sun was back and we could have lunch outside.

It was delicious, and beautiful views too!