Bexellska ryggåsstugan

About the museum

The Bexellska ryggåsstugan, also called Bålastugan, is a red-painted cottage with a turf roof of the South Götland house type, from the 18th century. The building type is also called ryggåsstuga or bålastuga and for a long time was the usual home of rural folk in southern Sweden. The cottage stands at Träslövsvägen 1 in central Varberg, in the middle of a modern town environment.

In 1876 the Member of Parliament and landowner Alfred Bexell bought the cottage at Kulsegård in Harplinge, together with all its movable contents. The cottage was taken down log by log and re-erected in 1879 as a museum at Göingegården north of Varberg, where Bexell lived. There he showed his collections of southern Swedish wall hangings (bonader), folk objects, silver and archaeological finds. Bexell was probably the first in Sweden to save a ryggåsstuga with its entire interior preserved.

Artur Hazelius, founder of Nordiska museet and Skansen, visited Bexell around 1880, and five years later bought the first cottage for Skansen in Stockholm. Since 1907 the Bexellska ryggåsstugan has stood at its present location in Varberg. Today it is one of three branches of Hallands kulturhistoriska museum.

Highlights

• Ryggås cottage from the 1700s with a turf roof
• Preserved original interior and movable contents
• An early forerunner of the open-air museum Skansen
• South Götland house in central Varberg

Permanent exhibition

• Ryggåsstugan med ursprunglig inredning – A rural home from the 18th century with preserved furniture, wall hangings and furnishings from around 1800.

Founded

1879

Operated by

Stiftelsen Hallands länsmuseer Halmstad och Varberg (Hallands kulturhistoriska museum)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

No accessibility information is available.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The cottage is at Träslövsvägen 1 in central Varberg, next to the parish hall (församlingshemmet).

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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