Forsviks bruk
Working-life museum by the Göta Canal in Forsvik, with 600 years of industrial history: wood-grinding mill, metal foundry, forge, power station and mill.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Forsvik is one of Sweden’s oldest documented industrial sites and is described as part of the cradle of Swedish industry. The works environment has a history of 600 years, with a works railway and historic buildings for a light forge (klensmedja), a metal foundry and a wood-grinding mill for pulp. The paddle steamer Eric Nordevall II, a reconstruction of a 19th-century paddle steamer that today sails the Göta Canal and the large lakes, was also built here.
At the end of the 1970s production at AB Forsviks Bruk was closed down, and the buildings gradually decayed. Renovation began in 1983, and in 1987 the Stiftelsen Forsviks Industriminnen (Forsvik Industrial Heritage Foundation) was formed to preserve the environment and bring it to life. Today the working-life museum is run by the Culture Administration of Västra Götaland Region.
Visitors begin in the Träsliperiet (wood-grinding mill) with reception, shop and an exhibition about life and work at the works. Activities also take place in the Metallgjuteriet (foundry), the Smedjan (forge), the Kraftverket (power station), the Kvarnen (mill) and the Mekaniska verkstaden (mechanical workshop).
Highlights
- Works environment with 600 years of industrial history
- Wood-grinding mill with an exhibition on life and work at the works
- Power station with casting patterns and a 1920s light bath (ljusbastu)
- Metal foundry, forge and mechanical workshop
- Guided tours included in the admission
- Café Ada in the old miller’s dwelling
Permanent exhibitions
- Träsliperiet – brukets historia – Basic exhibition in the main building on the history of the works and on life and work there.
- Modeller och avtryck – On the lower floor of the Kraftverket (power station), casting, working conditions and the works’ extensive production are described.
- Ljuset och kraften – Exhibition on when electricity came to the works, including a 1920s light bath (ljusbastu).
- Operated by
- Västra Götalandsregionen, Kulturförvaltningen
Admission & discounts
| Adults | SEK 70 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 19 · Free admission for everyone under 20. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for companions. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree admission on presentation of a student card. |
| Groups | SEK 70 per personGroup visit SEK 70 per person plus SEK 500 per guide (basic tour and the Forsvikskvinnor tour, about 60 minutes) or SEK 700 per guide (Kilebo walk, about 90 minutes); groups of up to about 30 people per guide. |
| Annual pass | SEK 140Valid during the calendar year at Forsviks bruk, Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, Lödöse museum, Medicinhistoriska museet, Vitlycke museum and Vänersborgs museum. |
| Annual pass for pensioners | SEK 120Pensioners from age 65 on presentation of ID. |
Day ticket SEK 70. Free admission also for teachers with classes, folk high schools and SFI (Swedish for immigrants), and for members of ICOM and Sveriges museer with a valid card. The reception and the shop are cashless.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- 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 site has mixed ground with cobblestones, gravel and grass. The area in front of the entrance is asphalted and slopes down towards the reception. Special parking is available for people with disabilities who hold a permit. There are two toilets in the reception, the larger of which has grab rails and a changing table. Child-size hearing protectors can be borrowed at the reception. The museum premises are not heated.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 19 |
|---|
- Baby changing facilities
Child-size hearing protectors can be borrowed at the reception for noise-sensitive children. A changing table is by the toilet in the reception.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Brukskontoret, Forsvik
Bus line 420 between Karlsborg and Sätra bruk, stop Brukskontoret, Forsvik (Västtrafik).
By car
Parking available
Special parking for people with disabilities who hold a permit.
- Accessible parking
Forsvik is 10 km from Karlsborg on road 202, next to the Göta Canal.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Café Ada in the old miller’s dwelling. Museum shop by the reception in the Träsliperiet, with flour from the mill, handicrafts and books, among other things.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Two guided tours daily during the season are included in the admission. A guided tour takes 60–90 minutes with a walk of about 600 metres. English-language guiding is offered daily. Group visits are booked April–September. |
