Halsingland Farmhouses

Halsingland's farmers were never serfs and grew wealthy on linen and forestry, and from the eighteenth century they put that money into their houses: large timber buildings, sometimes with a whole wing kept for festivities and used only a few days a year, with rooms painted floor to ceiling by travelling painters in a mix of folk and imported baroque and rococo motifs. Around a thousand such houses survive; seven were listed by UNESCO in 2012 as the best preserved. They are scattered across the province and each is run separately, so visiting more than two or three in a day is difficult. Interiors are the point - the outsides are plain red timber.

What you actually see

• Rooms painted floor to ceiling - by travelling decorative painters.
• Festival wings used a few days a year - built for the purpose.
• Seven listed houses - out of about a thousand surviving.
• Plain red timber outside - all the work is internal.

When to go

June to August; most open only then. A full day for two or three houses.

Honest expectations

The seven are far apart and each has its own hours - plan carefully. Some open by appointment only. A car is essential. Interiors can be dim and photography is sometimes restricted.

Nearby

Jarvso is central to several; Hudiksvall is on the coast.