What is now Fjällriket Baggården began by the lake. In the early 1960s Lars Wahlberg bought a large area of land in Messlingen, east of the village centre, and invested in what would become the village's biggest tourism project. First came ten cabins down towards the water, with room for forty guests.
A house with a dining room in the middle
Wahlberg bought a large house in Hede and fitted it out with a modern kitchen and dining room. Later a härbre (traditional storehouse) from Oviken and another from Ransjö were added. Together they became the heart of the cabin village during the 1970s, with reception, shop and dining room. This was where guests met after a day in the mountains.
Houses that moved to the mountains
More houses and härbren were bought in, mainly from Iggesunds Bruk. Each building was marked up, taken down, transported here and rebuilt, piece by piece. That is why many of the houses have a history stretching back further than Baggården itself. In time the village consisted of 21 houses with room for 87 guests.
New owners and full speed
In 1977 Wahlberg sold Baggården to three construction firms from Stockholm and Uppsala, who owned the cabin village for two years. It was then bought by Bo Göransson, owner of ABAK, and development took off: twelve new houses in the first year, a further twenty-eight after that, and a new building for reception and shop once the old one had become too small. In the 1970s and 1980s Baggården was a popular and lively mountain destination, with many share owners and a vibrant cabin life.
Today
Wärdshuset is now a hub of Fjällriket Baggården, a place to gather after a day in the mountains, where the food is made from local ingredients. It is the same idea as before: a small village in the mountains where people get close to one another.