Värmland County (Värmlands län) is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Viken and Innlandet to the west. Prince Carl Philip is Duke of Värmland. The landscape is rich in lakes and forests. Agriculture is mainly found on the plains near Lake Vänern and in the valleys that extend into the landscape. There are 5,500 known ancient remains in the landscape.

Much of its area forms a plateau, reaching a height of 2,267 feet (691 metres) at Brånberget in the north. The well-forested region is deeply cut by several rivers and long, narrow lakes. Farmlands are restricted to the valleys and the southern lake-dotted lowland. Värmland has channeled its timber and iron-ore resources into industrialization, namely, iron mining, lumbering, and papermaking. One of the most important industrial towns is Karlstad (q.v.), the capital.

Värmland is the setting for the novel Gösta Berlings saga (1891) by Nobel Prizewinner Selma Lagerlöf. At Mårbacka, south of Sunne, is the house (now a museum) where Lagerlöf was born, wrote most of her novels, and died. Area 7,486 square miles (19,388 square km). Pop. (2005 est.) 273,547.

Karlstad, city and capital of Värmland län (county), southwest-central Sweden, on the island of Tingvalla and on the northern shore of Lake Vänern, at the mouth of the Klar River. Originally called Tingvalla after the ting, or meetings of the legislature, that were held there, it was renamed in honour of Charles IX, who chartered it in 1584. It was made a cathedral city in 1645 and the seat of the county government in 1779. In 1905 it was the site of negotiations ending the union of Sweden and Norway.

After being almost completely destroyed by fire in 1865, Karlstad was rebuilt along modern lines, with broad avenues and large parks. Only a few buildings antedate that period. The East Bridge (1761–70) across the Klar is impressive with its 13 arches. The Värmland museum contains collections of art and cultural objects from Värmland. Karlstad University was founded in 1967 as an affiliate of the University of Gothenburg; in 1999 it became accredited as an independent university.

After being almost completely destroyed by fire in 1865, Karlstad was rebuilt along modern lines, with broad avenues and large parks. During recent years, Karlstad has started building many new buildings. Karlstad is built on the river delta where Sweden’s longest river, Klarälven, runs into Sweden’s largest lake, Vänern. It has the second largest lake port in the country after Västerås.

Karlstad’s industry is based largely on forest products and heavy machinery. Connected with the ocean via Gothenburg and the North Sea, it has a large export-import trade. Pop. (2005 est.) mun., 82,096.

Karlstad is often associated with sunshine and the symbol for Karlstad is a smiling sun. Karlstad is reputed to be one of the sunniest towns in Sweden and a local waitress, known as “Sola i Karlstad” (the Sun in Karlstad) for her sunny disposition, is also commemorated with a statue.

(Source: Britannica, Wikipedia, Karlstad Municipality and Visit Karlstad)

Mårbacka is a manor house in Sunne Municipality in Värmland. The first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Selma Lagerlöf, was born and raised at Mårbacka. Today, the manor building and the surrounding area is kept as a memorial museum honoring the latter’s literary career. Selma Lagerlöf acquired main building in 1907 and in 1910, she could buy back the whole estate with the help of the prize money she received from the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909.

The manor house was rebuilt in 1921–1923 based upon designs by architect Isak Gustaf Clason (1856–1930). She had the building reconstructed; not much of the original appearance of her childhood home remained. Together with the horticulturist Ruth Martina Brandberg (1878–1944), she created the garden comprising a wide variety of bushes, shrubs, fruit trees, vegetable and flower.

In her last will and testament Selma Lagerlöf wrote that Mårbacka should be preserved as a memorial estate and be shown to the public. Mårbacka is now kept as a memorial estate, as a result of the author writing in her testament that Mårbacka should be preserved and shown to the public in the condition it was at her death.

https://marbacka.com/en/

Västanå Teatern’s Berättarlada in Sunne is one of Sweden’s absolute largest summer theaters. The theater building consists of a large wooden barn that was built around 1937. The barn was in need of insulation in order to offer a warmer and more pleasant environment for the audience and visitors.

One of Värmland’s largest barns has been rebuilt into Värmland’s coolest theatre stage. Next to Rottneros Park is this huge barn, built in 1937. In the past, the barn served the agriculture that was done here. The location is beautiful with Fryken just below. Through the thin panels, you can see the rays of the sun peeking in or hear the rain pattering on the metal roof.

When the scene was to be built, they were inspired by the stages that Shakespeare used. Stages like this are called Elizabethan stages or English Renaissance theatres. The term refers to the dramas that were performed in England after the Reformation. This particular stage and the job of leading the work of rebuilding the barn to be suitable for theatre arts was done by set designer Lars Jacob Jakobsson. There is space for 500 people.

To be able to perform and entertain you during the cold months of the year, Västanå Teater has had a part of the barn decorated for winter. They have worked with wood in the construction and décor. You could say that the structure is a box in the barn. A stylish box. The building was nominated as one of ten buildings for Årets Bygge (Construction of the Year) 2020.

“The box in the barn” is built in a glulam frame that is covered with KL wood. The insulation is on the outside of the KL shell so that the new building is completely independent from the barn. Simply a box in the barn. The interior walls, floor and ceiling are all made of wood, which should give the audience a warm, cozy feeling and make them feel as if they are sitting around a campfire. Externally, the facility has been supplemented with a new entrance area and lift house for the sake of accessibility.

https://lugnark.se/portfolio/berattarladan-2/

https://byggdialog.se/projekt/vastana-teater/

Naturbyn is a unique Swedish nature village, hidden among spruces and pines at a quiet bay in Lake Eldan Värmland, with hand built log cabins and cottages, treehouses and a wooden houseboat. Here you can relax and enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer. From cooking on an open fire, enjoying the silence of nature to jumping into the refreshing lake after your sauna.

https://www.naturbyn.se

Värmlands Museum ligger vackert beläget mitt på Sandgrundsudden i centrala Karlstad. På Värmlands museum kan du ta del av kulturhistoria och konst som ger nya upplevelser och insikter om vad det är att vara människa. Här möter du en öppen arena som väcker samtidsfrågor, upptäckarlust och vidgade perspektiv på samhällsutvecklingen. Värmlands Museum är ett av Sveriges mest välbesökta länsmuseer med mer än 200 000 besökare per år. Varje år visas ett femtontal olika utställningar med konst, kulturhistoria och foto av hög internationell klass.

Värmlands Museum is situated on Sandgrundsudden in the heart of Karlstad with the Municipal Library and Sandgrund Lars Lerin Art Museum as its closest neighbors. The museum is one of Swedens’s most frequently visited regional museums with more than 200,000 visitors every year. You can see the local history of Värmland, side by side with internationally renowned art and photographic exhibitions. The Värmlands Museum was inaugurated in 1929. In 1998, a new, large museum building was erected next to the old one. I 2019, the museum reopens after extensive remodeling.

https://varmlandsmuseum.se/en/

https://whitearkitekter.com/se/projekt/varmlands-museum/

Nysäter, or Värmlands Nysäter, is a village in Värmland County, Sweden, located north of the city of Säffle. It belongs to Gillberga Parish. The first inhabitants came to the place now called Nysäter 2000–1500 years ago. The sand ridge is a place where you can see traces of the prehistoric age and also Kungshöjden and the market-shop. Kungshöjden is a burial mound from 400 to 500 years ago. The market-shop is from 1750. In Nysäter you can find a Viking Center.

https://www.saffle.se/uppleva-och-gora/upptack-saffle/puffar/saffle-sommarguide/nysater.html

Paper Province is a world-leading business cluster within the forest bio-economy. We are owned and operated by more than 120 member companies. We are based in Karlstad, Sweden, but are connected world wide. By working together towards sustainable development, and striving to achieve The Global Goals, we are making a decisive contribution to society.

Our region is rich in forests – and we have learned to make use of it. The availability of raw materials, combined with long experience and strong innovative power, gives us a unique position globally. In the necessary shift to a fossil-free society, we have the opportunity to take the lead. The forest actually belongs to the future. And we are here to bring it there.

https://paperprovince.com/en/

Eva Lisa Holtz Arena is Karlstad’s new indoor arena, and the third largest in Europe and the first of its kind with a frame made entirely of wood. The design is based on Sweco Architects’ design idea “Arena in the Forest”.

https://www.sweco.se/projekt/eva-lisa-holtz-arena/

Wood Tube was founded in 2016 with the goal of revolutionizing the market for building blocks. In 2019, after several years of product development, we reached a major milestone when our joists were patented. We were able to proudly display our products and begin the work of getting them approved for use. In the summer of 2020, we received our long-awaited Swedish type approval after extensive tests of strength, fire classes and sound classes at RISE (Rsearch Institutes of Sweden).

https://www.woodtube.se/ (in Swedish)

Verkstadsbolagetis a mechanical workshop that supplies components to the manufacturing industry.

https://www.verkstadsbolaget.se/en/about-us/

Rottneros Bruk is one of the world’s leading specialist companies within pulp development and production. With knowledgeable employees, attractive service and constant product development, we work to optimize our customers’ products and processes. The Rottneros Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has approximately 300 employees.

https://www.rottneros.com/our-offering/

Wiksfors Technology is a visionary high-tech startup based in Sweden with focus on the house manufacturing industry. With the cross-over of being visionairs, automation consultants, process designers and engineers with over 25 years of experience in automation, we play a key role in reforming the way of developing modular houses coming straight out of a factory.

Wiksfors Technology has established a long and well proven track-record in a wide range of international automation projects for all types of industries, both designing factories and the processes as well as implementing new and proven manufacturing methods and innovative robot technology.

https://www.wftech.se/research/

The pre-conference tour program to Sweden includes:

Accommodation: 2 nights at Elite Stadshotell Karlstad incl breakfast

Food: 2 Breakfast, 3 Lunch (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), 2 dinners (Friday and Saturday)

Transportation: The tour to Karlstad will leave from Oslo Bus Terminal 16^th June 2023. Bus in Karlstad Region. The tour to Oslo will leave from Karlstad 19^th June 2023.

Cancellation policy:
— Full payment is required at the time of booking
— Fully refundable prior to …. 2023
— 50% refundable between …. 2023
— Non-refundable after… 2023
— Deadline to register is …. 2023

We encourage all attendees to register for the conference in advance. This allows us to plan accordingly for the appropriate number of attendees.

The first-come, first-served principle applies here.

We accept all major credit cards – VISA, Mastercard, Diners, AMEX etc. We also accept payment via bank transfer. If you would like to pay using bank transfer please indicate that you need a “proforma invoice” on the registration form. However, our preferred method of payment is payment with credit/debit card.

Everyone can participate. But  you must be pre-registered at the WCTE conference before you can book pre- and post-conference tour