About 30 kilometers from the border with Norway is the locality of Årjäng. It is in what was once the province of Värmland, today it is a part of Värmland County. This is a place that is famous for its trolls and giants. In addition to a giant troll, Årjäng is also home to around 3.400 inhabitants.
A Short History of Årjäng
Årjäng was for a long time part of the forested area along the border between Sweden and Norway. The area was earlier known as Nordmarken – “The Northern Land”. The people inhabiting these lands around the 13th century were known for their belief in beings such as giants, trolls, and elves.
With the arrival of Christianity, the locality became the seat of the local Silbodals Parish. Årjäng was extracted from the parish in 1941 when it was established as a market town. The market town incorporated the rest of the parish in 1952 and was re-established as Årjäng Municipality in 1971.
Things to Do and See
The first thing you should do when arriving in Årjäng is to say hello to its giant guardian. The large troll statue is easy to find close to the main road. After that, feel free to enjoy all the nature that makes up this part of Värmland.
Årjängstrollet
This is the giant troll of Årjäng. It was designed by Erik Hermansson and created by Gunnar Andersson, a work that was completed in 1972. It has been the scene for many concerts and events over the years and has become the main symbol of the locality.
Silbodalsälven
Silbodalsälven is the river that runs through Årjäng until it reaches Lake Västra Silen. Along the river, you will find a hiking path that takes you up and down the river for a total of around 3 kilometers. The hike is known as Älvpromenaden.
Silbodal Church
Silbodal Church is the former parish church. It is a stone church that was completed in 1859 and did at the same make an old timber church obsolete. The church is today a part of the Silobodal Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Glaskogen Nature Reserve
Glaskogen Nature Reserve is a large reserve covering an area of 28.000 hectares. This is shared between four municipalities, Arvika, Eda, Säffle, and Årjäng. The reserve is to the north of the locality and includes around 300 kilometers of hiking paths.
“Smug One” Mural
Smug One is a large wall mural that was created in 2017. It is at the northern end of the building at Storgatan 55 A.
“Jätten” Mural
Jätten is the second large wall mural from 2017. It is at the southern wall of the building with the address Storgatan 62.
How to Get to Årjäng
- Flights: The closest larger airport is Oslo Airport (OSL) 142 kilometers away across the border in Norway. There is also Karlstad Airport (KSD) 104 kilometers to the east.
- Car: Årjäng is on road E18 between Töcksfors and Grums.
- Bus: Local buses from Värmlandstrafik connect Årjäng with the surrounding region. There are also long-distance buses from Flixbus between Oslo and Stockholm that stop here.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 404 kilometers (4 h 39 min)
- Gothenburg – 219 kilometers (2 h 54 min)
- Malmö – 487 kilometers (5 h 39 min)
- Linköping – 311 kilometers (4 h 4 min)
- Kiruna – 1505 kilometers (17 h 49 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
