Ellen Keys Strand

About the museum

Ellen Key (1849–1926) was a writer, educator, peace campaigner and feminist, and became known far beyond Sweden. After many years without a permanent home, she had Strand built on Omberg by the shore of Lake Vättern and moved there in 1910, at the age of almost sixty. She had decided not to buy back her childhood home, Sundsholm manor in Tjust.

The house was built in 1910–1911 to drawings by the architect Yngve Rasmussen, who was Ellen Key's brother-in-law. It combines Jugendstil (art nouveau), the Italian villa and the Swedish manor house. Strand has been a listed building since 1980, and Ellen Keys Stiftelse Strand (Ellen Key's Strand Foundation) is responsible for preserving the house in accordance with the County Administrative Board's guidelines.

Ellen Key wanted to create a rest home at Strand for women doing manual work, and she bequeathed her estate to the foundation with the task of running the activities according to her instructions. Today the house is shown to visitors during the summer half-year, and each year the foundation awards residence grants. The house's textiles have been renewed so that they recreate how Strand looked when Ellen Key lived there.

Highlights

• Ellen Key's personally furnished home with a view of Lake Vättern
• Listed building from 1910–1911, designed by Yngve Rasmussen
• Guided tour lasting about 50 minutes
• Garden and location on Omberg between Vadstena and Ödeshög
• Renewed textiles that recreate the house's appearance in Ellen Key's time

Operated by

Ellen Keys Stiftelse Strand

Admission & discounts

The price applies to one guided tour. 50% discount on admission with the Cultural Heritage Card (Kulturarvskortet). Payment by card, cash or Swish. Of the 25 places per tour, 20 can be booked in advance by card on the website, no more than four places per group; the ticket is not refunded and cannot be rebooked.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• 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

The house has thresholds, and the upper floor is reached by a staircase without a lift. The slope from the car park down to the house is about 200 metres and partly steep; there is also a donkey staircase (åsnetrappa). You cannot drive down to the house by car. Dogs may not enter the house.

Kids & families

Children aged 0–6 go free.

Getting there & parking

Strand is on Omberg between Vadstena and Ödeshög, at Alvastra. The footpath down to the house is too steep and narrow for a car; you choose between the gravel road and the donkey staircase.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

There is no café at Strand, and you may not have fika in the garden; tables and benches for fika are by the upper car park. There are no visitor toilets in the house; outdoor privies are in a building halfway down. Books are sold.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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