Hjo – A Walk in the Park

From Karlsborg (previous post), we drove on to Hjo, where we stayed the night in a hotel overlooking a park with charming old wooden houses, the beach and the lake. Undoubtedly my winner of the prize for “best hotel room view” (out of three) on this trip.

The view from my room. Looking left, the two houses above.
Looking right, the green house below, with lake view beyond.

Hotel Bellevue itself – keeping a low and modern profile…

In spite of a population of less than 10000 people, Hjo is another of those Swedish towns that for historical reasons is still referred to as a city (stad). Having received its city charter as early as in 1413, it celebrated its 600th anniversary a few years ago. For an old wooden town, Hjo has been relatively spared from fires, and the city structure is still almost exactly the same as in medieval times. The name “Hjo” (also the name of the river flowing through the town) is supposed to derive from a word meaning “muddy”. In 1876, a health spa resort was also founded here, including both drinking mineral water and having mud-baths. The park along the lake and the wooden houses were part of the spa resort.

When we arrived in Hjo (Saturday evening, July 29), it had stopped raining. There was still quite a chilly wind blowing, but after having got ourselves installed in our rooms, we went for a little walk in the park among the old houses to stretch our legs, and have a look at the surroundings.  We did not have to go very far, as the park was right outside the hotel.

 

The old wooden buildings belongong to the old spa resort have women’s names that were popular in the late 19th century, and perhaps also with a certain nationalistic romantic ring to them (typical of that era, too). I didn’t spot all the names, but two that I caught on camera are “Svea” (meaning “Swedish”) and “Eira” (looking it up now, I find it refers  to an old Norse goddess “Eir”, to do with healing).

 

Lovely place for a picnic – in the right weather…

Zooming in the view towards the harbour…

…. and the beach with charming old wooden bathing huts.

Medevi Brunn

Medevi Brunn is Scandinavia's oldest health spa, located on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern, in north-west Östergötland, Sweden.

The spa was founded in 1678 by baron Gustaf Soop (the owner of the estate back then) and the physician Urban Hjärne, who examined the water from the spring and found it to be of the same mineral water quality as other popular health spas in Europe at the time. In 1679 the dowager queen Hedwig Eleonora came here for a cure, which probably contributed to the spa’s status and reputation growing.

Most of the buildings date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The health center was closed in 1982, but the buildings are still used as hotel/hostel; for tourists in the summer, and for conferences and camps etc. Water from the spring is still served to visitors, and certain other traditions also kept up - like a brass orchestra band playing in the summer evenings, including a ceremonial march down to the building where the water is served. The buildings are listed (as being of historical interest) - but sadly, to me, some of them look a bit run down now. (I have been there once before, but that was back in the early/mid 1980s.

The Inn

Bust of the founder, Urban Hjärne

Gifts are welcome…

The spa building where the magic water is still found

We had a drink from the well, of course.

This may look like a church or a town hall, but it is not…
Have a guess, before you read the sign beneath the next photo!

This is the church! (Popular for weddings, I understand.)