Jamtli

Jamtli combines an outdoor museum of relocated Jamtland buildings - farms, a shieling, a schoolhouse, workers' housing - with an indoor county museum, and in summer the outdoor part is staffed by people working the buildings in period, which is aimed largely at families. The object that matters most is indoors: the Overhogdal tapestries, woven wall hangings found in a church storeroom in 1909 and dated to around the year 1100, showing animals, ships, buildings and figures in a style that sits between Norse and early Christian imagery. They are among the oldest surviving textiles of their kind in Europe. The indoor galleries also cover Sami history in the region.

Background

Jamtli is the regional open-air museum of Jämtland and Härjedalen, and its name means hillside of Jämtland in the local dialect. Its roots go back to the antiquarian association of Jämtland, founded in 1886, and after years of preparation led by Ellen Widén the open-air museum opened in 1912, with Eric Festin as its first director. Since the 1980s it has run a living history project called Jamtli Historyland, which has made it one of the most visited attractions in the region.

Source: Wikipedia, "Jamtli"

Highlights

• The Overhogdal tapestries - woven around the year 1100.
• Relocated Jamtland buildings - farms, shieling, schoolhouse.
• Costumed working in summer - the outdoor museum staffed.
• Sami history in the region - in the indoor galleries.

When to go

June to August for the outdoor part; galleries year round. Three hours.

Good to know

The outdoor museum is largely closed and unstaffed outside summer. The living-history approach is aimed at children. Ticket prices are higher in season. The tapestry room is small and dim by necessity.

Nearby

Froson is across the bridge; Storsjon spreads around.

Key facts