This is where Sweden dug deep: for ore, for heat, for survival. Västmanland is part of Bergslagen, the historic mining district that shaped Sweden’s industrial backbone. The land shows it. Slag heaps, forest shafts, smelting towers. The city of Västerås sits at the edge of Lake Mälaren – a city shaped by trade, energy and steady work. Inland, the landscape shifts. You move through deep forest, past black lakes and quiet trails. Old power stations. Saunas built by welders. Places that do what they were made to do. The region doesn’t announce itself. But it holds. You come, you stay, you notice the ground. And that’s enough.
Grythyttan, Sweden
Review: Grythyttans Gästgivaregård
What’s the hotel in a nutshell?
Some hotels impress you. Grythyttans Gästgivaregård disarms you. There’s a softness to the whole experience – the way staff lean in to talk, how every room is its own quiet world and how cake is considered a daily necessity. You arrive expecting a well-preserved inn in the forests of Västmanland. You leave wondering why more places aren’t run like this. Set in the small village of Grythyttan, just over two hours west of Stockholm, the inn is made up of more than a dozen historic wooden buildings – former stables, manors and townhouses now housing 53 individually named rooms. Here, generosity is the thread, in flavour, time and storytelling. Grythyttans Gästgivaregård is the kind of place you think only exists in memory – until you stay.
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What are the rooms like?
Grythyttans Gästgivaregård feels more like a preserved village than a hotel. Its 53 individually named rooms are tucked into a collection of historic wooden houses along a cobbled street, each with its own past. Former stables, manors and townhouses now hold guests, each space layered with personality – creaking floors, painted doors and windows that frame red façades and lilac trees.
Room types range from Single, Double and Twin Rooms to Deluxe, Superior, Junior Suite and Suite. No two are the same – some romantic and richly decorated, others pared-back and serene. What connects them all is a sense of place and quiet continuity.
Brudgemaket, No. 01
We stayed in Brudgemaket, a Deluxe room located in one of the older buildings. The name, derived from gemak (a stately chamber), loosely translates to bridal parlour, and nods to Rike Nilsson, a wealthy 18th-century landowner who fathered eight famously eligible daughters. So sought after were they that locals called them “the golden barrels of Grythyttan”.
The room leans into the theatrical charm of its backstory: floral wallpaper in creamy green, twin beds with velvet cushions and faux-fur throws and an emerald chaise longue beneath the windows. A gilt lamp and antique portrait complete the scene.
Deluxe rooms include bathrobes, slippers, seating areas, desks and WiFi. Ours came with a walk-in shower, a bath and enough space to properly unpack and settle in.
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What else?
The moment you arrive at Grythyttans Gästgivaregård, it’s clear you’ve entered somewhere rare. Founded by royal decree in 1641, it was one of the original inns established on Queen Christina’s orders – a place for travellers to rest, feed their horses and sleep according to their social rank: nobility in one wing, commoners in another.
By the 1960s, it had fallen into disrepair. A demolition order was issued, a Domus department store was proposed – but a single swing vote gave the local heritage society time to intervene. The inn was saved, restored and reopened in 1973 with just 11 guest rooms.
Its true reawakening came in the early 1990s, when sommelier and TV personality Karl-Jan Granqvist took over and helped establish Måltidens Hus – Sweden’s national centre for food culture and home to Örebro University’s culinary programme. Granqvist also brought new life to the Gästgivaregård itself, making it his stage and second home. He was often there in person, chatting with guests, curating the cellar and hosting with theatrical warmth.
Today, the inn is part of the Loka Brunn Group, owned by the Spendrup family, with Mia Spendrup at the helm. It shares its values – heritage, wellness and Swedish tradition – with sister property Loka Brunn. Though the vision has evolved, the soul remains intact: a national treasure disguised as a village inn.
Fika like it used to be
Fika – the cherished Swedish ritual of taking a break for something sweet and a cup of coffee – is the first event of the afternoon here, served daily. And it’s as generous as it is nostalgic.
The spread comes from Guldkringlan, the Gästgivaregård’s sister bakery just down the street, founded in 1928. Expect cheeses, crispbread, fresh fruit, sponge cakes and proper layered cream cakes, alongside a line-up of classic Swedish biscuits: syltkakor, bondkakor and buttery drömmar – the very best part of the buffet. A pot of tea or strong coffee is standard, though some guests opt for a glass of sparkling wine with their sweets.
You carry your plate into a large lounge with vintage paintings, stacked books, board games and slightly mismatched furniture. It’s the only room in the hotel that feels even slightly worn – but somehow that adds to the charm.
A wine cellar with secrets
Before dinner, we joined a guided tour of the Gästgivaregård’s wine cellar – a dramatic vaulted space just below the dining room. Centuries ago, prisoners were held here in chains awaiting trial in the grand hall above. Today, the iron hooks and restored stone walls remain, but the space is lined with something far more civilised: thousands of carefully stored bottles from all over the world.
Oscar Jönsson, the inn’s Food & Beverage Manager, leads the tours himself. Equal parts sommelier and storyteller, he guides with precision, warmth and a great sense of intuition – tailoring the tour to your level of knowledge. We heard stories of vintners and vintages, and tasted a rare glass along the way.
The cellar itself holds one of Sweden’s oldest wine collections. Old-world classics dominate: a deep Burgundy bench, serious Bordeaux, elegant Barolos, Rhône and Champagne. But there are also curveballs – micro-producer Jura, lesser-known German Rieslings, and bottles you wouldn’t expect to find this far from a major city. The direction is clear: age-worthy wines chosen for their personality, structure and ability to pair beautifully with food.
Dinner, the refined way
Dinner at Grythyttans Gästgivaregård is served in a series of historic dining rooms, where green-trimmed wallpaper meets slightly sloping floors and a tall, white kakelugn – the traditional Swedish tiled stove – stands the corner. The candles do most of the lighting work. The mood is soft-spoken, the setting charmingly askew.
The seven-course tasting menu is led by head chef Hampus Ulmborg, originally from Småland – a region known for its frugality and resourcefulness. That background informs his approach: seasonal, local and unpretentious, yet full of detail. The juniper-cured moose, for example, comes from contacts back in the forests of his home region.
The cooking is smart but not showy. Grilled flank steak with Västerbotten cheese and ramsons, vivid summer cucumbers, rhubarb panna cotta with strawberry and oat brittle. It’s a satisfying, considered meal.
The wine list isn’t shy. A pairing of seven thoughtfully chosen glasses ranges from Alsace and the Rheingau to South Africa and the Loire, with several highlights for those who know what they’re drinking – including a 2011 Bourgueil from La Chapelle Rouge.
It’s not just hotel guests dining here. Some visitors roll in with their campervans from the nearby site, settle into the historic dining room and select a bottle priced like a small mortgage. There’s an entertaining clash at play – starched napkins, creaky floors, muddy walking shoes and rare wines all sharing the same table.
The service brings it all together. Unhurried, deeply local and always ready for a chat – whether about the food, the village or the inn’s history. One of the servers told us her mother once worked here too. This is a place where stories, like the recipes, are passed down.
If you’re staying more than a night – or if you’re after something simpler – the Gästgivaregården also runs a more casual sister restaurant. A favourite with locals, it offers classic comfort dishes and a more laid-back pace, without losing the spirit of the house.
A courtyard breakfast worth lingering over
In the morning, breakfast follows the same rhythm: generous, unfussy and thoughtful. There are croissants and Danish rye bread, local cheeses, soft boiled eggs, juice, granola, yoghurt, coffee – even pickled herrings, for those embracing the full Swedish start. And once again, that now-familiar tower of biscuits, stacked high like a final sweet wink from the kitchen.
We loved the moody dining room used for breakfast, with its floral wallpaper, portraits and a quiet kind of charm that makes you lower your voice. But on a sunny morning, there’s no better seat than in the courtyard, where café tables are scattered between the buildings and the sun catches the white curtains and wooden façades. It’s worth a second coffee just to stay a little longer.
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What’s our final take?
For our stay at Grythyttans Gästgivaregård, generosity is the word that stayed with us – in the fika spread, the wine cellar stories and the way breakfast stretched into lunch. As Swedes, we’ve seen our share of heritage hotels, but nothing quite like this. Grythyttan still feels personal, peculiar and generous in a way that’s almost forgotten. You sleep in crooked rooms with painted doors, eat moose from Småland and chat with servers whose parents worked here too. It’s not slick or polished – and that’s exactly why we already want to come back.
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Details
Grythyttans Gästgivaregård
Prästgatan 2
Grythyttan
Sweden
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Photography courtesy of Pernilla Ahlsén, Grythyttans Gästgivaregård och The Nordic Nomad
Urban
Rural
Trendy
Classic
Happening
Serene
Affordable
Lavish
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Details
Grythyttans Gästgivaregård
Prästgatan 2
Grythyttan
Sweden
Affiliate link (what is it?)
Photography courtesy of Pernilla Ahlsén, Grythyttans Gästgivaregård och The Nordic Nomad
Urban
Rural
Trendy
Classic
Happening
Serene
Affordable
Lavish