Fornbyn is Skara’s very own miniature Skansen, featuring old houses that have been moved here from all over the region. Here you can, for example, step inside a country store, a blacksmith’s shop, a mission house, a waystation, and a host of small cottages. Millennia and centuries blend freely, with everything from Stone Age graves to a dance floor. Between the farmsteads, fruit, vegetables, and flowers are grown, all of which also date back to ancient times.

This little glimpse into history also serves as a city park and a multipurpose venue. If you visit during the summer months, there’s almost always something going on: a folk music festival, a dog show, a classic car show, or traditional Midsummer celebrations with folk dancing and a maypole. In the fall, a craft fair is held, and for a period in September, you can meet all of Skara’s seven-year-olds as they live 19th-century life for a day.