Gränsfors Bruks Yxmuseum
Axe museum at Gränsfors Bruk with over 2,000 axes from floor to ceiling, free admission, axe throwing and wood splitting.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Gränsfors Bruks Yxmuseum is next to the forge at Gränsfors Bruk in northern Hälsingland, where axes have been forged since 1902. The collection comprises over 2,000 axes displayed from floor to ceiling, and visitors can see how many different types of axe exist for different purposes.
Among the objects are root axes, fire axes, battle axes, executioner’s axes and double-bladed throwing axes, as well as hoes and picks. The oldest axe from Gränsfors is a small stone axe about 3,500 years old, which was found on the riverbank. The museum also shows axe models forged at Gränsfors Bruk and axes made in Gränsfors before the works started, which gives an insight into the district’s long tradition of axe forging.
The museum also tells the story of axe types such as the shepherd’s axe, the franciscan, the ice pick and the mountain-worker’s axe. After the visit, you can try axe throwing and test Gränsfors splitting axes by chopping and splitting firewood.
Highlights
- Over 2,000 axes from floor to ceiling
- Small stone axe about 3,500 years old
- Axe models forged at Gränsfors Bruk
- Chance to try axe throwing and wood splitting
- Free admission
Permanent exhibition
- Gränsfors Axe Museum – Over 2,000 axes from floor to ceiling, including root axes, battle axes and executioner’s axes, and a stone axe about 3,500 years old.
- Operated by
- Gränsfors Bruk
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission to the axe museum. Guided tour of the forge for groups costs SEK 1,000.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Hands-on stations
Visitors can try axe throwing and chop and split firewood.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gränsfors
Train to Hudiksvall and from there bus 34 to Bergsjö, and onward by bus to Gränsfors; or train from Sundsvall to Gnarp and bus to Gränsfors. The bus between Gnarp and Gränsfors takes about 15 minutes. From the stop in Gränsfors it is a 5–10 minute walk.
By car: leave the E4 at the Circle K in Gnarp, where a sign shows Gränsfors 10 km; Gränsfors lies by road 758 roughly halfway between Gnarp and Bergsjö.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
Factory shop with axes and tools. The restaurant Augustas, in a red house by the Gränsforsån river, serves lunch, simple dishes and pastries in summer; opening hours are on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 30 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours of the forge are offered 1 June–31 August on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30, 12:30 and 14:00 and must be booked in advance; a tour takes about 30 minutes. In the low season (1 September–31 May) no tours are given, but visitors may walk around the factory on their own after registering in the shop. People with a pacemaker cannot visit the forge. Groups book by telephone. |
