Experience 140 meters
of Swedish history

Adjacent to Gripsholms Värdshus in the heart of Mariefred, you will find possibly the longest historical depiction in Sweden.

Experience 140 meters of Swedish history

Adjacent to Gripsholms Värdshus in the heart of Mariefred, you will find possibly the longest historical depiction in Sweden.

Experience the art fence

The art fence provides a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Swedish history in a visual and artistic way. By walking along the 140-meter-long fence at Gripsholms Värdshus, you can explore the 71 motifs depicting various historical events from the 5th century to the present day.

The fence is accessible at all times, as the motifs face the adjacent streets. Since the fence is made of corten steel, its character changes over time when the material oxidizes. Additionally, the motifs appear differently depending on the season, weather, and time of day. The fence is illuminated during the darker hours of the day.

Learn more about the motifs and listen to the stories behind them by scanning an on-site QR code, or visiting sverige500ar.se/timeline. The stories are written and narrated by Herman Lindqvist and Jim Sjöberg.

The texts are available in English, Swedish, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Dutch.

The Story Behind the Fence

The initiative for the art fence comes from the Åström family, who own and operate Svenska Kulturpärlor (Swedish cultural pearls) – a company with three ”pearls”: Dufweholms Manor near Katrineholm, Gripsholms Värdshus in Mariefred, and Södertuna Castle near Gnesta. The company’s CEO, Fredrik Åström, came up with the idea in the spring of 2022 when he was thinking about how they could commemorate the 500th anniversary.

The project was made possible thanks to sponsors, who are presented in full on the upcoming obelisk at Gripsholms Värdshus, and in the upcoming book about the project.

The art fence has been mentioned in Swedish newspapers, Swedish national public television, and BBC’s travel program “The Travel Show”.

About the motives

The motifs have been selected by historian Herman Lindqvist and castle informant Jim Sjöberg, and illustrated by internationally recognized artists with local connections. The motifs are then cut out of corten sheets by Ingenjörsfirma Bergvall-Leindahl in Strängnäs.

The people behind
the project

Project initiator
Fredrik Åström

Artistic Director
Johan Patricny

Manufacturing
Ronnie Bergvall
Johan Ström

Project manager
Cathrine Ohliw

Artists
Angela Ursol
Johan Patricny
Lina Nordin Gee
Magriffe Attack
Nils Bertil Malmberg
Olof Sandahl
Peter Linde

The inauguration

The fence was inaugurated on June 6, 2023 when Sweden celebrated the 500th anniversary of the day Gustav Vasa was elected king of Sweden. The opening speaker was Swedish linguist, comedian, and TV personality Fredrik Lindström, and in the evening a gala dinner was held for 250 guests at Gripsholms Värdshus. A festive evening with food and drink, celebration, and many happy laughs ended with a concert by singer-songwriter Uno Svenningsson and the Stig Boogie Band.

To discover nearby

Gripsholms Värdshus

Food, drink, accommodation

Callanderska Gården Schweizeri

Coffee, food, drink

Callanderska Gården

Museum, flea market, event

Gripsholms B&B

Accommodation, nature

Gripsholm Castle

Museum, guided tours

Mariefreds city center

Shopping

S/S Mariefred

Boat trips

Eastern Södermanland Railway

Museum, train tours

Directions

The art fence is located around Gripsholms Värdshus at Kyrkogatan 1 in Mariefred.

LAT 59.2577768,
LONG 17.22332358

Opening hours

The fence can be viewed around the clock, as the motifs face out to neighboring streets.

The Story

To read more about the motifs or listen to the story behind them, scan the QR code on site, or visit sverige500ar.se/timeline in a browser.

More information

Information sheet is available at Gripsholms Värdshus reception and for download below. For current opening hours and contact details, please contact Gripsholms Värdshus.