That’s the formal chancel at the end, although I’m not sure whether this was a monastery solely for the monks or whether local parishioners were able to use it. At the crossing, so not far in front of where this photo was taken, were the graves of Kings Sverker I, Carl I, Sverker II and John I. The graves weren’t swept away after the Swedish reformation as they were found when the abbey was cleared by an archaeologist in 1827.
And the nave. If the Reformation hadn’t of taken place, or if this church would have continued in use, the link with the former Kings of Sweden that were buried here would have likely given it some considerable status.
I have no idea how so much of that roof has survived over the centuries….. Decent builders is all I can think.
These ponds at Alvastra Abbey are something of a glimpse into the resourceful and disciplined lifestyle of the twelfth century Cistercian monks that once lived here. Since their strict religious statutes mostly forbade the consumption of meat these monks became pioneers of river engineering to create complex systems of dams and canals to cultivate roach, perch and bream. The ponds today look at first sight like a river, but they are free-standing pools of water which were once supplied by Lake Vättern.
Once at the heart of Cistercian life at the monastery, there are now the ruins of its cloisters. Situated on the south side of the monastery church, the cloister once served as the central artery of the abbey, acting as a covered walkway that connected the monks’ daily activities, from prayer to study and manual labour. Though the wooden roofs and vaulted ceilings have long since vanished, some stonework has remained.
The construction of the cloisters at Alvastra reflected the austere and functional aesthetic of the Cistercian Order, prioritising light and simple lines over the ornate decorations found in other medieval traditions. I did stand here trying to imagine it when it was still in religious usage.
Beautiful, with the nave of the former monastery church visible in the background.
This is located within the cloisters and I’m not entirely sure how they know this, but the information sign reads:
“The Armariet represents a vital link to the intellectual and spiritual life of the Cistercian monks who once inhabited these ruins. In the early days of the monastery, this specific niche served as the secure heart of their literary world, housing the precious hand-copied texts required for daily prayer and study. The transition of the collection to a larger room beneath the dormitory highlights the growth of the abbey’s scholarship and the increasing importance of preserving these delicate manuscripts. It is a rare piece of historical fortune that several of these original documents survived the centuries and are preserved today, offering modern scholars a direct window into the specific religious texts and stories that shaped the thoughts of the Alvastra monks nearly a thousand years ago.”
This was a huge highlight of the trip for me, it’s the ruins of Alvastra Abbey. This was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1143 by French monks from Clairvaux at the request of King Sverker I of Sweden. As the first Cistercian foundation in the country, it served as a significant religious and political hub for centuries until it was dissolved during the Protestant Reformation.
A plan of the monastery.
There may now be a few posts about the ruins here, I found the entire site fascinating and intriguing.
I was hoping to eat local food, but Richard demanded that we go to McDonald’s as that’s his favourite. So, as I’m thoughtful and kind, I thought we could go there quickly. We opted for the outlet in Ödeshög, a short distance from the lake.
Pepper chicken, a hamburger and a tropical Fanta…. It was all really rather lovely and Richard left happy.
Our plan for the day was to drive around Lake Vättern, although we never quite achieved that as I kept finding things that I wanted to look at en route. Anyway, we started off at the town of Jönköping and I’m not sure that it occurred to me that the lake might be frozen.
I clambered down to the ice, but I was conscious of falling over and Richard was more sensible standing on the safety of the pavement. I was very brave to be honest.
The view across to the older part of the town.
The ice was melting, but I suspect it would have been possible to walk on it. But, I didn’t as I’m sensible like that.
It felt like being in the Caribbean. As a side issue, Vättern means lake or water, so it’s not really known as Lake Lake locally…..
This little bronze statue caught my eye because of the level of detail. It’s titled “Ute”, which translates to “Outside”, and was created by the Swedish artist Knutte Wester. It depicts a small child bundled up in a traditional Scandinavian overall or snowsuit, complete with a hood pulled tight to protect against the elements.
The detail in the bronze is remarkable, capturing the heavy, crinkled texture of the waterproof fabric and the slightly oversized fit of the mittens and boots. It’s a really sweet little arrangement located near to the water, although he does look a bit lonely standing there.
This is the Pinocchio statue in Borås, titled “Walking to Borås” which is a bronze monument that stands an impressive nine metres tall and serves as a major landmark for the city. It was created by the renowned American pop artist Jim Dine and was inaugurated in 2008 during the Borås International Sculpture Festival. It depicts the classic wooden puppet mid-stride, apparently symbolising the universal human journey toward wisdom and truth which seems a noble thing.
There’s Richard at the bottom for scale. Apparently the choice of an Italian folk character for a Swedish textile city initially sparked a great deal of debate among locals, but it’s now become a local icon and a little bit of a tourist destination. And weighing in at eight tonnes, it’s not exactly a subtle little arrangement.
Painted in 1923, this work by Bror Hjorth (1894-1968) captures a scene that is less about a whirlwind romance and more about the quiet, heavy reality of surviving a Swedish winter together. While they might be a happy couple, their expressions suggest a happiness that has been forged through decades of agreeing on exactly how high the woodpile should be and whose turn it is to ignore the dog.
It’s a lovely piece of folk art and I rather like the air of desperation, there’s too much frivolity in the world. This is the sort of thing that I’d hang on the wall if I collected art and had an ability to put things on the wall without them falling down. The artwork was acquired in 1937, a gift from Ernst Colliander and Conny Colliander, who were local art collectors.
The evening’s dining option in Gothenburg was a well reviewed Vietnamese restaurant. I made an online reservation about thirty minutes before we got there, although there were plenty of spare tables available when we arrived.
There was a bright and modern interior. There was some background music, but it didn’t intrude into the atmosphere and was at a sensible level.
There was a friendly welcome from the team member who spoke fluent English, which made things much easier. There were also English menus and also chopsticks, which neither Richard or I have yet to work out how to use. There is a choice of small and large plates, I opted for one of each and using the small plate as a side. Both of my dishes arrived promptly, but Richard’s didn’t arrive for seven minutes afterwards and I thought he was quite grumpy about the arrangement, although I coped well with it.
My food and drink options with the beer, in the glass at the back of the photo, being the Bryggmästarens Premium Gold from the Swedish Åbro Bryggeri brewery. The beer was clean and light, nothing exceptional, but it was good to have something Swedish and the other option on draft was Brewdog Punk IPA which I like, but I wanted something local.
The side dish I ordered was two spring rolls which were large in size, plenty of vegetable filling and a depth of flavour. The salad element was a little excessive, but it was all fresh. The main course was Ga Nuong Mat Ong which are grilled boneless chicken thighs in honey, with Bok Choi, served with jasmine rice flavoured with turmeric and coconut milk. The chicken was tender and the sauce was sweet, rich and mildly decadent. The rice had plenty of flavour and it all went well together, a really rather lovely meal.
Richard’s meal came with bread.
And Richard then ordered more bread as a side. He had a lot of bread. However, he had a meaty dish with plenty of sauce, so no bread was wasted.
I liked this restaurant, it was laid-back, comfortable and welcoming. The prices were reasonable, there were some authentic and interesting sounding dishes and it all felt on-trend. We were pleased with our choice of restaurant and I’d merrily come here again.
