Hotel Amalias Hus
Old-world charm at the sweet boiler’s
In 1855 Amalia Eriksson moved in to what had previously been Gränna’s south customs house. It was here, in what now is the hotel’s kitchen, that she four years later began boiling sweets. The red-and-white striped sweets, christened polkagrisar, didn’t just make Amalia rich, they also brought fame to Gränna – and if you disregard the toothaches they have undoubtedly also caused, it is perhaps in tribute to the sugar-loaded polkagris that you can be served cake for breakfast in the town. Served, mind you, next to the most carefully arranged boiled egg halves with mayonnaise, fish roe and a sprig of dill. And -finger-thick slices of liver paste. Yes, much has remained as it was here. The many small, weatherboarded cabins today form a small courtyard of their own, and the interiors reflect the original construction, with leaded windows, medallion wallpaper, canopied beds, two-seater sofas, and golden mirror frames and ornamental clocks. There are 20 rooms in all, some of which have a small cabin to themselves. Others are located farther down the main street (where the André expedition Polar Centre is also located), with an enchanting view of Lake Vättern and Visingsö. It is twee through and through.