Glava brings together church art and architectural history with a precisely located exercise and ski trail. Glava kyrka is an example of Baroque church architecture in Värmland; the church houses the medieval Glava Madonna. There are also artistically patterned slate roofs at Glava Hembygdsgård and the old farmhouse Källarsgården.
Church Art from Two Eras
The Glava Madonna is a figure of the Virgin Mary carved from oak in the 13th century. It is considered one of the finest examples of medieval art in Värmland. Together with the Baroque church architecture of Glava kyrka, it offers two different ways to explore art history: one concerns the classification of the church building, the other the material, subject and date of creation of a specific figure of the Virgin Mary. The figure and the architectural style therefore do not belong to the same era. For those interested in culture, this very difference makes the two details interesting: one draws attention to a building, the other to a medieval work of art.
Slate Roofs and a Farmhouse Dating from 1789
The buildings at Glava Hembygdsgård have artistically patterned slate roofs; the slate comes from the quarry in Glava. Here, design and material provenance go together: the pattern describes the roof design, while the quarry indicates the origin of the material used. Källarsgården adds a dated building to these details. The old farmhouse in Glava dates from 1789. This gives two distinct points of reference for local history: the design and origin of the roofing material at Hembygdsgård, and the date of a specific farmhouse. Those interested in architecture and craftsmanship can consider these details separately rather than combining them into an undifferentiated architectural history.
Outdoor Activity Near the Church
Municipal route information, updated on 3 December 2024, lists a 2.5 km exercise and ski trail. It starts 50 metres north of Glava kyrka and heads towards Glafsfjorden. The trail’s length, starting point and direction provide a clear framework for planning the day’s activity. Its name identifies exercise and skiing as activities; the trail therefore offers a different focus from the town’s artistic and architectural history. Check the latest route information before setting out.
Glava Glasbruk and Glaskogen
Glava Glasbruk is a historic industrial settlement on Lake Stora Gla in Arvika Municipality. The Glava Glasbruk Museum offers insights into the history of the glassworks, which produced a large share of the window glass made in Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century. At Glava Glasbruk, you can combine a walk with a look at the former locations of the works buildings and the scale of operations in the late 1930s. The dates refer to different aspects: production at the beginning of the century and the scale of operations in the late 1930s. Glava Glasbruk borders the Glaskogen Nature Reserve, which offers opportunities for hiking, paddling and fishing. At this named location, industrial history and activities in the adjoining nature reserve thus offer different points of interest.
Discover more destinations: Arvika, Klässbol, Gunnarskog, Jössefors, Sulvik, Glava Glasbruk, Ottebol, Edane.
Return to the main travel overview: Arvika.
