Värmland () is a ''
landskap'' (historical province) in west-central
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. It borders
Västergötland
Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden.
Vä ...
,
Dalsland
Dalsland () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, ...
,
Dalarna
Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden.
Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...
,
Västmanland, and
Närke
Närke () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the sou ...
, and is bounded by
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
in the west.
Name
Several
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
ized versions of the name exist, including ''Varmelandia'', ''Vermelandia'', ''Wermelandia'', ''Værmalandia'', ''Værmolandia'', ''Virmolandia'' and ''Vermillandia''.
Some of the Latinised forms show the origin of the name to come from the large local lake by the name of (from older ''*Virmil''); others from the river name ''*Værma'', the main outlet of that lake. The province was originally part of
Götaland
Götaland (; also '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, with the deep wo ...
, and became part of
Svealand
Svealand (), or Swealand, is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south-central Sweden and is one of the three historical lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tive ...
in 1815.
''Wermland'' is an obsolete Swedish spelling of the name, which may still be seen in proper names such as ''
Nya Wermlands-Tidningen'', a newspaper.
Administration
Sub-divisions
Sweden's provinces were sub-divided into
hundred
100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101.
In mathematics
100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...
s or districts. Värmland was historically divided into
chartered cities and districts. One district formed part of
Bergslagen and was a mountain district, and all the other districts were
hundreds.
*
Edsberg Hundred
*
Fryksdal Hundred
*
Färnebo Hundred
*
Gillberg Hundred
*
Grums Hundred
*
Jösse Hundred
*
Karlstad Hundred
*
Karlskoga Mountain District
*
Kil Hundred
*
Nordmark Hundred
*
Nyed Hundred
*
Näs Hundred
*
Visnum Hundred
*
Väse Hundred
*
Älvdal Hundred
*
Ölme Hundred
Geography
The largest lake is
Vänern
Vänern ( , , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland in the sou ...
. Most streams of importance lead to Vänern. However, the province is rich in small lakes, ponds and streams. The scenery, with mountains and lakes, is usually regarded as picturesque and has inspired painters and writers.
Western Värmland
There are several mountain plateaus in the western part of Värmland, which is in the
Scandinavian Mountains
The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the fjords of Norway, whereas to th ...
. The highest elevations are found in the northern parts, with plateaus of . The highest peak is also located here, Granberget at Höljes, .
Eastern Värmland
The eastern part of Värmland is counted as part of the
Bergslagen, the ''Central Swedish Mining District''. Its terrain is rather hilly, with a few high hills: ''Hvitklinten'' , ''Dalkarlsberget'' and ''Vålbergsrös'' .
This part of Värmland is rich in minerals, most notably
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
which exists in large quantities. Some notable sites in this area are around
LÃ¥ngban and
Nordmark Hundred. In the southeast, the ridge of
Kilsbergen marks the border with
Närke
Närke () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the sou ...
.
Gallery
File:Great sunset on lake foxen (july 2005, 25).jpg, Sunset on the lake ''Foxen'' located in the borderland between southwest Värmland and Norway.
File:Utsikt Granberget.jpg, The view from ''Granberget''.
File:Klarälven vid Nedre Ulleruds kyrka.JPG, ''Klarälven
Klarälven ("The clear river" in Swedish) is a river flowing through Norway and Sweden. Together with Göta älv, which it is called as the river has passed through the lake Vänern, thus regarded as an entity, Göta älv—Klarälven is the l ...
'' seen from Ullerud Church, near Deje.
File:Värmland sheep white ram.jpg, The Värmland sheep is one of the oldest Swedish sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
breeds.
File:Sannsatra.JPG, Cottage at ''Sannsatra'' outside Torsby.
File:SYSSLEBÄCK.jpg, Sysslebäck.
File:Laxtrappan.JPG, Fish ladder for Salmon
Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
near the power station in Gullspång.
File:Hovfjället.JPG, The ski resort '' Hovfjället''.
Demographics
Population
The population of Värmland is 322,612 as of 31 December 2022. It is distributed over three counties as follows:
History
The province was sparsely populated in the
pre-historic age compared to Sweden's southern half. Its 5,500 registered ancient remains are few, compared to other areas. The province was considered to be of minor importance in the Swedish Realm. There are, however, interesting histories told by
Snorri Sturlasson about Värmland in the 13th century. It extends back to
Ingjald Illråde a legendary king in the 7th century. These stories say that
Olof Trätälja, the son of Ingjald, was not accepted as king and had to flee and settled in the then sparsely populated Värmland. More men had to flee the brutal successor of Ingjald and settled in Värmland. Archaeology shows that at this time there was indeed a large increase in population, and memorials of powerful men were constructed. According to Snorri and other Icelandic sources, Värmland came under Norwegian control in the late 9th and through the 10th century. However, by the time of
Adam of Bremen in the 11th century the region is described as Swedish. In Adam's account, the ''värmlänningar'' are described as a distinct "Swedish tribe" along with the
Sviar,
Geats
The Geats ( ; ; ; ), sometimes called ''Geats#Goths, Goths'', were a large North Germanic peoples, North Germanic tribe who inhabited ("land of the Geats") in modern southern Sweden from antiquity until the Late Middle Ages. They are one of ...
and Skridfinnar (commonly taken to be
Sami people
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
).
The early history strongly influenced was not only by the proximity to Västergötland, but also by its western neighbour
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. Sweden's war with
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
had a strong effect on Värmland too. In 1225,
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon IV Haakonsson ( – 16 December 1263; ; ), sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 years, longer than any Norwegian king since Harald Fairhair. Haak ...
(''Haakon the Old'') invaded Sweden and burnt down all villages if they did not pay a ransom. This feud was eventually settled in 1249.
Värmland was originally considered a part of
Götaland
Götaland (; also '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, with the deep wo ...
, and had a strong connection to its southern neighbour
Västergötland
Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden.
Vä ...
. Eastern Värmland traditionally belongs to the
Bergslagen area, Sweden's central mining district.

In 1582, Värmland was granted its first city privileges,
Kristinehamn, but those were revoked. The second city,
Karlstad
Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 67,122 inhabitants in 2020 with 97,233 inhabitan ...
, on the north shore of lake
Vänern
Vänern ( , , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland in the sou ...
, was granted by ''Duke Charles'', later king
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX, also Carl (; 4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611), reigned as King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I () and of his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, the brother of King Eric XIV and of ...
, in 1584. It became the capital of the province and its name is derived from the King, and literally means ''Charles' City''. The third city was
Filipstad
Filipstad is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden, with 10,644 inhabitants in 2019.
Filipstad was granted city privileges in 1611 by Charles IX of Sweden, who named it after his son Ch ...
in 1611; however, its privilege was revoked in 1694 after a devastating fire. King Charles IX took great personal interest in expanding mining in the province and the industry developed significantly during his reign.
The early 17th century marked the beginning of substantial immigration from
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. The areas where they centred were known as ''Finnskog''. They kept their Finnish customs and language until the late 19th century. The last native resident to speak Finnish here died in the 1980s.
The most significant
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
of modern Swedish history had its beginning in
Karlstad
Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 67,122 inhabitants in 2020 with 97,233 inhabitan ...
. The man behind the uprising was a
liberal nobleman and a prominent man of the opposition,
major general Georg Adlersparre. He was backed up by the radical guards captain Carl Henrik Anckarsvärd and used the part of the western army that was stationed in Värmland to occupy Karlstad on the night of 7 March 1809. From there he officially proclaimed a revolution, a proclamation which held the view that wars and oppression had ruined the country and the government therefore had to be overthrown. On 9 March, Adlersparre and his enthusiastic soldiers (many of Finnish origin) finally began their march towards
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, and in the events that followed, the king
Gustav IV Adolf abdicated under pressure.
Under the
Continental system (1806–1814), the timber industry flourished in Värmland and continuing into the modern era, forestry became industrialized and is still the economic backbone of the province.

Bordering Norway, Värmland was affected by Sweden's last war,
Crown Prince Jean Baptiste Bernadottes military campaign against Norway in 1814. The province saw large troop movement and many soldiers originating from the province were involved in battles. The
Värmland Regiment had three battalions attached to the 9th Brigade under Colonel Klingspor and one battalion attached to the 10th Brigade under
Colonel Gahn af Colqhoun. Both brigades were part of the 5th Army Division under Major General Rosenblad. The 9th Brigade crossed the border to Norway on 30 July 1814 and participated in the siege of
Fredrikstad Fortress
Fredrikstad fortress (''Fredrikstad festning'') was a fortification in Fredrikstad, Norway. It was the base of the Østfold Regiment, with defence related responsibilities for the east side of Oslofjord.
History
Fredrikstad Fortress was construc ...
, which capitulated on 4 August, while other parts of the regiment a few days later followed later Lieutenant General Vegesacks department north and participated in battles at
Rakkestad
Rakkestad is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rakkestad. It is divided into the parishes of Rakkestad, Degernes, and Os, Øst ...
and
Langenäs on 6 August 1814 and
Askim
Askim () is a town and a former municipality in (from January 1, 2020) Indre Østfold municipality in the county of Østfold, Norway.
The administrative centre of the Askim municipality was the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municip ...
on 9 August 1814. A battalion of the regiment, commanded by Major Lagerlöv, managed to fight back a Norwegian attack from the bridgehead at Langenäs. The 10th Brigade crossed the border on 1 August 1814 and went in the direction of Morast. It participated in the
Battle of Lier south of
Kongsvinger on 2 August 1814 and then retreated to the border, where the battalion participated in the battle of Midskog on 5 August 1814 and suffered heavy losses.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, western Värmland was again an area of heavy military deployment. A major part of the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces (, literally ''Defence Force'') are the Military, armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. It consists of four separate military branches, the Swedish Army, the Swedish Navy, the Swedish Air Force and the Home Guard (Swed ...
was concentrated to Värmland following the
German invasion of Norway. Approximately 150,000 military personnel were mobilised to Värmland in June 1941, by the time of German demands to transport the fully armed
Division Engelbrecht through the country and before the launch of
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
, and with several large military exercises being conducted in the province during the period. Even more military personnel, possibly as many as 250,000, were mobilised to Värmland in the fall of 1943, due to the pending Swedish announcement to end
German military transits and fear of a German attack.
An agreement from the
dissolution of the union with Norway in 1905 stated that no fortification was allowed on the border between the two nations, but after the German occupation of Norway, old fortifications were renovated and many new constructed. Notably is the fortification ''Skansen Hultet'' (Skans 153 Hultet) in
Eda Municipality, constructed 1940-1941 (although improvements continued until 1945), and equipped with a network of machine gun emplacements,
casemate
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...
s and other concrete
bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...
s, surrounded by
barbed wire, walls and several lines of
tank traps. The fortifications have been renovated by locals and are now open to the public. Formerly classified Swedish military documents shows that the Swedish Armed Forces spent approximately SEK 30 million on fortifications in Värmland during the 1940s.
There are around 12,000 military objects, including 123 fortified sites, in Värmland dating from World War II.
The film ''
Gränsen'' (Eng. ''Beyond the Border'') from 2011, telling the story about the life of the young soldiers guarding the border between Sweden and German-occupied Norway in 1942, takes place in northern Värmland and was filmed near
Torsby.
File:Skramlestenen 1.jpg, The runestone
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic alphabet, runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition of erecting runestones as a memorial to dead men began in the 4th centur ...
''Skramlestenen'' found outside Gunnarskog is dated to early Viking Age
The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...
, between the 5th and 6th century.
File:Långban.jpg, The mining area Långban in eastern Värmland, active between 1711 and 1972.
File:Loggers klaralven.jpg, A workforce of log drivers (''"Loggers"'') transporting timber on Klarälven
Klarälven ("The clear river" in Swedish) is a river flowing through Norway and Sweden. Together with Göta älv, which it is called as the river has passed through the lake Vänern, thus regarded as an entity, Göta älv—Klarälven is the l ...
, near Forshaga in 1918.
File:Fabrik.jpg, The Skoghall Mill, production of carton board owned by Stora Enso.
File:Värmland Regiment, 1920.jpg, The Military Barracks of the Värmland Regiment in 1920.
Dukes
Since 1772, Sweden's Princes have been created Dukes of various provinces in Sweden. This is solely a nominal title.
* Prince Carl Adolf (1798)
*
Crown Prince Gustaf (from his birth in 1858 until he became King in 1907)
*
Prince Carl Philip (1979-)
Chartered cities
*
Arvika (
town charter 1811,
city charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...
1911)
*
Filipstad
Filipstad is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden, with 10,644 inhabitants in 2019.
Filipstad was granted city privileges in 1611 by Charles IX of Sweden, who named it after his son Ch ...
(city charter 1611–1695, town charter 1720, city charter 1835)
*
Hagfors (city charter 1950)
*
Karlskoga
Karlskoga () is a urban areas of Sweden, locality and the seat of Karlskoga Municipality, Sweden. It is located within Örebro County, 45 km (28 mi) west of Örebro, and 10 km (6 mi) north of Degerfors. With a 2020 population o ...
(city charter 1940)
*
Karlstad
Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 67,122 inhabitants in 2020 with 97,233 inhabitan ...
(city charter 1584)
*
Kristinehamn (city charter 1582–1584, city charter 1642)
*
Säffle (town charter 1882, city charter 1951)
Provincial districts
*Fryksdal
*Färnebo
*Gillberg
*
Grums
*Jösse
*Karlskoga
*Karlstad
*
Kil
*Nordmark
*Nyeds (ceded from Kil, 1681)
*Näs
*Visnums
*Väse
*Älvdal
*Ölme
Culture
Literature
The province has powerful literary and musical traditions and has spawned some of the most well-known and loved authors of Sweden. In the 19th century several leading authors had their origin here, and retained links to Värmland, among them
Erik Gustaf Geijer,
Esaias Tegnér,
Gustaf Fröding and
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
winner
Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (, , ; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish writer. She published her first novel, ''Gösta Berling's Saga'', at the age of 33. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she was ...
. Lagerlöf's novel,
Gösta Berlings Saga, is a
neo-romantic
The term neo-romanticism is used to cover a variety of movements in philosophy, literature, music, painting, and architecture, as well as social movements, that exist after and incorporate elements from the era of Romanticism.
It has been used ...
saga
Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia.
The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...
that takes place in Värmland in the 1820s and 1830s. It was also made into a
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
starring
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras.
Regarded as one of the g ...
. It was also made into an opera,
I cavalieri di Ekebù, by Italian composer
Riccardo Zandonai in 1925.
Education, theatre and a somewhat glamorous lifestyle were buoyed by the landed gentry and the wealth being generated through a lively local iron trade, and also by the position of the landscape on the edge between civilization and wilderness, which inspired art, literature and folklore. During the second half of the 19th century, the iron processing industry was largely put out of business by the revolution in the steel industry which made Central Europe and the United States vastly superior in this field, and the overall economic crisis throughout Europe of the 1870s and 1880s, and the subsequent emigration to North America, shook the landscape. The consequence, however, was to make authors like Lagerlöf and Fröding more aware of the heritage of their province, and they both drew on what they felt to be an oral tradition of story-telling and local legends. This emphasis on richly textured, often romantic or burlesque tales which nonetheless transcend the local has remained a focus of later writers, such as
Göran Tunström (1937–2000) and Lars Andersson (b. 1954).
The musical traditions have inspired a number of prominent musicians, such as singers
Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander (; 15 March 1907 – 23 June 1981) was a Sweden, Swedish singer and actress whose greatest success was in Germany between 1936 and 1943, when she was contracted to work for the state-owned UFA GmbH, Universum Film AG (UFA). Althou ...
,
Monica Zetterlund
Monica Zetterlund (born Eva Monica Nilsson; 20 September 1937 – 12 May 2005) was a Swedish jazz singer and actress. She represented Sweden in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest with the jazz ballad " En gång i Stockholm" ("Once Upon a T ...
and
Rigmor Gustafsson.
Sports
Ice hockey
Ice hockey is a popular sport in Värmland. The two most prominent teams in recent years are
Färjestads BK from Karlstad and
BIK Karlskoga from Karlskoga. Färjestad BK is the most successful team in the
Swedish Hockey League
The Swedish Hockey League (SHL; ) is a professional ice hockey league in Sweden and the highest level of the ice hockey in Sweden, Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 14 teams. The league was founded in 1975, and while Li ...
(SHL). The team has won 10
Swedish championships since the introduction of the SHL in 1975. BIK Karlskoga plays in the second tier
HockeyAllsvenskan
HockeyAllsvenskan (previously Allsvenskan and SuperAllsvenskan) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league, and the second-highest league in the Swedish ice hockey system, after the Swedish Hockey League, SHL. Since the 2009–10 season, t ...
. Other notable teams from province are
Forshaga IF from
Forshaga and
Grums IK from
Grums. The two teams played alternately in the
top tier of Swedish ice hockey between the 1940s and 1960s. Between 1956 and 1961, both teams were simultaneously represented in the top tier.
Football
Football in the province is administered by
Värmlands Fotbollförbund. The two most prominent teams in recent years are
Degerfors IF
Degerfors IF is a Swedish professional association football, football club located in Degerfors. The club, formed 13 January 1907, is currently playing in the highest tier in Swedish football, Allsvenskan.
Background
Degerfors IF first played ...
from
Degerfors and
Mallbackens IF Sunne from Lysvik, north of
Sunne. Degerfors IF was founded in 1907. Team made its first appearances in the top tier
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan (; ), also known as Fotbollsallsvenskan (, ) is a professional association football league in Sweden and the highest level of the Swedish football league system.
Founded in 1924, it operates on a system of promotion and relegatio ...
in 1938. Degerfors IF achieved its greatest success in 1993 when the team won
Svenska Cupen and qualified for play in the
1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup. Mallbackens IF Sunne has played 14 seasons in the women's top tier
Damallsvenskan.
Other notable teams are
QBIK from Karlstad,
IF Karlstad Fotboll from Karlstad,
Nordvärmlands FF from
Ambjörby and
FBK Karlstad from Karlstad.
Winter sports
There are several larger locations for winter sports in Värmland:

* Torsby is home to the ''
Torsby Ski Tunnel and Sports Center''. Torsby Ski Tunnel and Sports Center is a complete indoor and outdoor training facility.
The
ski tunnel was inaugurated in 2006 and is the first ski tunnel in Sweden.
The ski tunnel has a length of 1.3 kilometers, but skiing is possible in both directions, which gives a total length of around 2.5 kilometers.
At its inauguration, the ski tunnel was the longest ski tunnel in the world. The indoor facility also houses the first indoor shooting range for
biathlon
The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...
in Sweden. The facility also has a complete test center. The outdoor facility includes several
trails for
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
, additional shooting ranges for biathlon, and a ski slope for
alpine skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...
.
In total, there are up to 50 kilometers cross-country skiing trails in the area.
Torsby Ski Tunnel and Sports Center is an official partner of the
national cross-country skiing team of Sweden. The facility is regularly used by elite and national team athletes from Sweden and other countries. Torsby Ski Tunnel and Sports Center is an official
Vasaloppet
(Swedish language, Swedish for 'the Vasa race') is an annual long distance cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March. The course starts in the village of :sv:Berga, Malung-Sälens kommun, Berga, jus ...
Centre.
Directly adjacent to the facility is Torsby Sports hotel.
The larger ''Valbergsängen'' Sports Hotel is also located in the area.
Torsby Ski Tunnel and Sports Center is located next to
Torsby Airport, with scheduled flights to and from
Stockholm Arlanda Airport.
* Torsby is also home to ''Stjerneskolan'' upper secondary school, which specializes in sports. The school has sports programmes specialized in, among other things, cross-country skiing, biathlon and alpine skiing.
The programmes in cross-country skiing and biathlon are graded as national sports gymnasiums (RIG).
Notable alumnus of the school includes the Swedish former cross-country skier
Gunde Svan, Swedish biathlete and former cross-country skier
Stina Nilsson and Swedish cross-country skier
Linn Persson.
* ''Mattila'' holiday village is located in
Finnskogen
Finnskogen ("Forest of the Finns") is an area of Norway and Sweden situated in the counties of Innlandet and Värmland respectively, so named because of immigration of Finnish people in the 17th century, the so-called ''Forest Finns, Skogfinner/"Fo ...
northwest of Torsby. The village stems from a former
Finnish settlement dating back to the 1640s.
Mattila offers an extensive system of cross-country skiing trails. The trails measures up to 170 kilometers in total.
Some trails extend all the way into
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
.
The trails are groomed by the same grooming machine that was used for the
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in
Falun
Falun () is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabit ...
.
The cross-country skiing competition Mattila Ski Marathon is held annually in Mattila. The competition is a
seeding competition for
Vasaloppet
(Swedish language, Swedish for 'the Vasa race') is an annual long distance cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March. The course starts in the village of :sv:Berga, Malung-Sälens kommun, Berga, jus ...
.
* The ''Långberget'' cross-country skiing facility is located north of Sysslebäck in northern Värmland. The facility is 630 metes above sea level.
The facility offers up to 63 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails and a smaller ski slope for alpine skiing, as well as a sports hotel and hostel.
The LÃ¥ngberget cross-country skiing facility is an official Vasaloppet Centre.
* The sports facility ''Kalhyttan'' is located in
Filipstad
Filipstad is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden, with 10,644 inhabitants in 2019.
Filipstad was granted city privileges in 1611 by Charles IX of Sweden, who named it after his son Ch ...
in eastern Värmland. The facility includes a multi-sport arena and an artificial snow facility.
Kalhyttan has one of the most modern artificial snow systems in Sweden. The facility offers a total of 40 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails, including a 4 kilometer long cross-country skiing trail with artificial snow. Kalhyttan has been the venue for the Swedish Skiing Championship ten times.
There are several ski resorts in Värmland:
* ''Branäs'' ski resort is located near Dalby in northern Vämland. Branäs is the largest ski resort in Värmland and the fourth largest ski resort in Sweden.
The facility includes 33 slopes for alpine skiing, 30 lifts, including a gondola, a total of 29 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails and a ski cross course, as of 2024.
The facility has a lift-served vertical drop of 415 meters.
The two longest runs are 3 kilometers each.
* ''Hovfjället'' ski resort is located outside Torsby. The ski resort is 542 meters above sea level.
The facility includes 13 slopes for alpine skiing, six lifts, and a total of 22 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails.
The ski resort has been in use since the 1960s.
* ''Valfjället Skicenter'' is located near Gryttved, west of
Åmotfors in western Värmland. The facility includes 12 slopes for alpine skiing, five lifts and several trails for cross-country skiing. With a vertical drop of 220 metres, the ski facility has one of southern Sweden's highest vertical drop.
The longest run is 1.8 kilometers.
* The ski resort ''Ski Sunne'' (also known as ''Finnfallet'') is located outside
Sunne. The facility includes 10 slopes for alpine skiing and seven lifts (including two
chairlifts
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers. They are the primary on-hill tr ...
).
Ski Sunne has a drop height of 265 metres. The longest run is 1,8 kilometes.
Ski Sunne is operated and used by the
slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline, involving skiing between poles or gates. These are spaced more closely than those in giant slalom, super-G, super giant slalom and Downhill (ski competition), downhill, necessitating ...
club Sunne Alpina Klubb.
File:Gondolen i Branäs.jpg, Branäs ski resort.
File:Skisunne-Ekeby.jpg, View from the top of the slope in Ski Sunne.
Motor sports
Värmland is the site of the
Höljesbanan rallycross
Rallycross is a form of sprint style motorsport held on a mixed-surface circuit (racing), racing circuit using modified production touring automobile, cars or prototype racing cars. It began in the 1960s as a cross between rallying and autocross ...
circuit in
Höljes. Höljesbanan annually hosts the Swedish round of the
European and
World Rallycross championships. The province also hosted the
Rally Sweden rally competition for many years. However, the event was relocated north to
Umea in 2022.
Notable natives

*
Adam Alsing, (1968 in Karlstad – 2020) TV and radio presenter
*
Johanna Anderson, (1856—1904) Baptist missionary in Burma
*
Adolph Olson Eberhart, (1870 in Kil – 1944),
Swedish-American Governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...
*
August Hjalmar Edgren (1840 in Östanås – 1903),
Swedish-American linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
professor
*
John Alexis Edgren (1839 in Östanås – 1908),
Swedish-American Minister
*
Nils Ericson
''Friherre'' Nils Ericson (born Nils Ericsson; 31 January 1802 – 8 September 1870) was a Swedish mechanical engineer who built canals and railways in Sweden. His younger brother John Ericsson, who emigrated first to England and then the U ...
(1802 in Langbanshyttan – 1870), inventor and mechanical engineer
*
John Ericsson
John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He was active in England and the United States.
Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive Novelty (lo ...
(1803 in Langbanshyttan – 1889), inventor and mechanical engineer.
*
Lars Magnus Ericsson
Lars Magnus Ericsson (; 5 May 1846 – 17 December 1926) was a Swedish inventor, entrepreneur and founder of telephone equipment manufacturer Ericsson ( incorporated as ''Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson'').
Early life
Lars Magnus was born i ...
, (1846 in Värmskog – 1926) inventor, founder of
Ericsson
(), commonly known as Ericsson (), is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Ericsson has been a major contributor to the development of the telecommunications industry and is one ...
*
Tage Erlander, (1901 in Ransäter – 1985)
Prime Minister of Sweden
The prime minister of Sweden (, "minister of state") is the head of government of the Sweden, Kingdom of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet (the government) exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subject to th ...
, 1946-1969
*
Nils Ferlin, (1898 in Karlstad - 1961) poet and lyricist.
*
Gustaf Fröding, (1860 in Alster – 1911) poet and writer
*
Erik Gustaf Geijer, (1783 in Ransäter – 1847) writer, historian, poet, philosopher and composer.
*
Göran Hägglund, (born 1959 in Degerfors)
Minister for Social Affairs, 2006-2014
*
Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (, , ; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish writer. She published her first novel, ''Gösta Berling's Saga'', at the age of 33. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she was ...
, (1858 in Mårbacka – 1940) author and teacher
*
Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander (; 15 March 1907 – 23 June 1981) was a Sweden, Swedish singer and actress whose greatest success was in Germany between 1936 and 1943, when she was contracted to work for the state-owned UFA GmbH, Universum Film AG (UFA). Althou ...
, (1907 in Karlstad – 1981) singer and actress
*
Bruce Magnuson, (1909–1995) former leader of the
Communist Party of Canada
*Oscar F. Mossberg, (1866–1937)
Swedish-American manufacture of firearms, co-founder of
O.F. Mossberg & Sons
*
Adolf Noreen, (1854 in Östra Ämtervik – 1925) linguist
*
Harry Nyquist, (1889 in Filsby – 1976) physicist and electronic engineer
*
Victor Sjöström, (1879 in Årjäng – 1960) film director, screen writer and actor
*
Mia Skäringer, (born 1976 in Kristinehamn) actress and comedian
*
Esaias Tegnér (1782 in Kyrkerud – 1846) writer, professor of the Greek language and bishop.
*
Sten Tolgfors, (born 1966 in Forshaga) arms lobbyist and former Minister for Defence
*
Göran Tunström, (1937 in Borgvik – 2000) author.
*
Östen Undén, (1886 in Karlstad – 1974)
Minister for Foreign Affairs, 1924–1926 and 1945–1962
*
Monica Zetterlund
Monica Zetterlund (born Eva Monica Nilsson; 20 September 1937 – 12 May 2005) was a Swedish jazz singer and actress. She represented Sweden in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest with the jazz ballad " En gång i Stockholm" ("Once Upon a T ...
, (1937 in Hagfors – 2005) jazz singer and actress.
Sport
*
Gunnar Andersson, (1928 in Arvika – 1969) former footballer, famous in
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille (, ; , ), also known simply as Marseille, or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional Association football, football club based in Marseille which competes in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top f ...
*
Marcus Berg
Bengt Erik Markus Berg (; born 17 August 1986) is a Swedish former professional association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker. He is currently assistant coach for Allsvenskan club IFK Göteborg. Beginn ...
, (born 1986 in Torsby) former football player
*
Andreas Bergwall, (born 1974)
bandy
Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two team sport, teams wearing Ice skates#Bandy skates, ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.
The playin ...
goalkeeper
*
Kenny Bräck
Per Cenny "Kenny" Bräck (born 21 March 1966) is a Swedish former race car driver. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the Champ Car, CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He won the 1998 Indy Racing League championship and t ...
, (born 1966 in Arvika) former race car driver,
1999 Indy 500 Winner
*
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson (; 5 February 1948 – 26 August 2024) was a Swedish association football, football player and Coach (sport), manager.
After a playing career as a right-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management ...
, (born 1948 in Sunne – 2024) football coach, former
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
head coach
*
Bengt-Ã…ke Gustafsson
Bengt-Ã…ke Gustafsson (born 23 March 1958) is a Swedish professional ice hockey coach and former ice hockey player. Gustafsson is the former head coach of the Sweden men's national ice hockey team, Sweden senior team, a post he held from February ...
, (born 1958 in Karlskoga) former ice hockey player and head coach of
Sweden men's national ice hockey team
The Sweden men's national ice hockey team () is governed by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. It is one of the most successful national ice hockey teams in the world and a member of the so-called " Big Six", the unofficial group of the six ...
*
Stefan Holm, (born 1976 in Forshaga) former high jumper, gold medallist at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
*
Willy Lindström, (born 1951 in Grums) former ice hockey player and twice winner of
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
*
Lina Länsberg, (born 1982 in Karlstad)
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
and twice
IFMA gold medalist
*
Ulf Sterner, (born 1951 in
Deje), former ice hockey player
*
Ola Toivonen, (born 1986 in Degerfors) former football player
*
Thomas Wassberg, (born 1956 in Lennartsfors) former
cross-country skier, four times Olympic gold medallist
References
*
External links
Visit Värmland- Tourist site
Värmland- Tourist site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varmland
Provinces of Sweden