Excavations on the hill behind the ruins of the monastery in Varnhem have yielded sensational finds that tell us about the site from before the monks arrived there in the 12th century. Here are the ruins of one of Sweden’s oldest churches, a private farm church from the Viking Age. The church crypt is perhaps Sweden’s oldest preserved room! There is also a Christian burial ground here that began to be used as early as the 10th century – sensationally early dates! All around are the older burial mounds from the Iron Age, which show that the farm’s history goes far back in time. In May 2017, a brand new and exciting information building was opened here, where modern architecture meets thousand-year-old walls. The site is called Kata Gård, after the woman who ruled the estate in the late Viking Age.
Permanent Exhibition