VIKING RAID IN DALARNA. Watercolor, Carl Larsson, 1890.
Stora Hyttnäs is the closest neighbor to Lilla Hyttnäs, the home of Carl and Karin Larsson. This old Bergslagen estate is located on the other side of the river in Sundborn. Here, two completely different but equally fascinating environments meet. The estate dates back to the 16th century and developed during the 19th century into an elegant upper-class home with an ornamental garden in German style. Today, Stora Hyttnäs is open to visitors, showcasing its preserved interior and charming garden. It is a perfect complement to your visit to the Carl Larsson House.
Sundborn’s oldest miner’s estate, Stora Hyttnäs, dates back to the 16th century. A miner’s estate (bergsmansgård) was a farm where miners lived – individuals who had special rights and obligations in mining and smelting operations, often linked to copper mining at the Falun Mine and smelters along the Sundborn River. The estate is part of the industrial historical landscape that constitutes the Falun World Heritage Site.
The main building acquired its current appearance during the 19th century and represents a home from the transition between the 19th and 20th centuries, with its interior and environment preserved intact. The interior reflects an upper-class style, yet with roots in the historical function of the miner’s estate – making the home both authentic and impressive to experience.
Over the centuries, the estate has been home to several renowned miners, including Johan Ersson in the 17th century, who served as an assessor in the mining court and as a representative for the copper mining districts. His family and successors contributed to Sundborn’s parish and local history.
Today, Stora Hyttnäs is a listed building and a welcoming gathering place for villagers and visitors, offering guided tours, cultural events, and activities such as ‘Hyttnäs days,’ exhibitions, and thematic experiences that provide insight into the history of both the estate and the local area.
The Linderdahl family settled at Stora Hyttnäs in 1881. Henrika and Pontus Linderdahl transformed the estate into an upper-class home with an ornamental garden in German style, creating an environment characterized by both splendor and tasteful decor. As neighbors and friends of Carl and Karin Larsson at Lilla Hyttnäs, Stora Hyttnäs became part of Sundborn’s vibrant artistic and mining community.
Stora Hyttnäs is open to visitors during the summer season and offers guided tours of the preserved home, where original furniture, textile chambers, books, sheet music, a pewter collection, and other art from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries remain in their original condition.
During the summer months, there is also a popular garden café, where visitors can enjoy refreshments both indoors and in the garden. The café is run by volunteers from various village groups, and all proceeds go directly to the operation and maintenance of the estate.
To view opening hours, book a guided tour, and access current information about events and the café, please visit the Stora Hyttnäs website.
The garden was laid out by Henrika Linderdahl in the late 19th century and is an ornamental garden designed in the German style, clearly visible in its winding gravel paths. Her son, Bengt Linderdahl, a trained botanist, worked with gardens at Skansen, among other places, and developed new plant varieties, including the sterile Giant Hogweed (Björnlokan) that stands in the center.
In spring, Fritillaria imperialis (klosterliljor) and both red and white Daphne mezereum (tibast) bloom. Here you will also find one of Sweden’s oldest apple trees, the ‘Gubbäpplet’ (Old Man’s Apple), dating back to the mid-17th century. Its name comes from the fact that the fruit pulp was so soft that even ‘old men’ could chew it. The area features lush perennial beds and a kitchen garden with heritage plants, where vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, lettuce, and radishes, herbs like parsley and thyme, and berries such as raspberries, rhubarb, and currants are cultivated. Hops also gracefully twine up trellises, contributing to the verdant character.
Everything is maintained by volunteers from the garden group, about fifteen people from the village who gather every Wednesday during the season to take care of all necessary tasks. The area is open to the public year-round and can be visited free of charge. The garden offers a peaceful contrast to the estate’s interior and provides an opportunity to enjoy the historic environment, gaze out at the Sundborn River, and experience the over 300-year-old apple tree – one of the garden’s most famous attractions.
