When the priest couple bought the imposing hilltop villa in 2014, their offer wasn’t the highest. Two bids even came in above theirs, yet it is Lena and Mogens who stand here today as caretakers of the estate. They had chosen the house on the hill, and it soon became clear that the house had chosen them as well. Looking back now, it’s easy to understand why.
Back in 2003, Mogens had come across a job ad in a Danish newspaper. The small village of Gunnarsbyn in northernmost Sweden was looking for a priest, and the nature-loving Dane saw an opportunity to combine his calling with a life close to the outdoors. Grosshandlarvillan was completely overgrown and invisible from the road. It wasn’t until 2013, when the couple were invited for Afternoon Tea by the owners, that they saw it for the first time. In the middle of the gathering, the owners revealed they planned to sell the property and that they could imagine Lena and Mogens as the right future owners.
"From the start, it was important for us to turn the villa into a cultural meeting place that everyone could access."
Mogens Amstrup Jacobsen
From the beginning, the couple wanted to create an open and accessible place where the public could experience the remarkable story within the villa’s 300 square metres. What had once been a thriving and important trading hub in Norrbotten would once again draw people to Gunnarsbyn. The history of the house and the family would be preserved for the future.
The Chosen ones
They didn’t know it then, but their vision was shared by the descendants of Carl Forsberg, the merchant who once lived here.
– From the start, it was important for us to turn the villa into a cultural meeting place that everyone could access. I believe that was one of the main reasons we were allowed to buy it, says Mogens.
– One of the first questions the previous owners asked was if the house would be open to the public.
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1875: Carl Riström buys the general store in Gunnarsbyn from Agabus Björk.
1901: Carl Forsberg, newly returned from his second journey to America, becomes manager of the store.
1907: Construction of Grosshandlarvillan begins – a wedding gift from Carl Riström to his daughter Lydia, who is to marry Carl Forsberg. Rumour has it that Lydia also received a generous personal dowry. The villa had electric lighting in the outhouse and was the first private residence in Norrbotten to have central heating.
1933: The general store closes, and in 1934 Carl Forsberg dies.
2014: Lena Malm and Mogens Amstrup Jacobsen purchase the property.
2020: Grosshandlarvillan opens to the public.
Respectful restoration
They immediately began the work of bringing life back to the villa that had stood empty for so many years. Their goal was always to keep the house as authentic as possible. Whenever they could, they used materials found on the property – hand-forged nails, old screws and original windowpanes. When needed, they sourced period-appropriate materials elsewhere.
Restoring such an old house with respect for tradition takes time, especially when done in one’s spare hours. In 2020, Grosshandlarvillan, originally built between 1907 and 1909, opened its doors to the public once again. Today, it hosts a variety of events throughout the year, with the café at the heart of the activity.
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"The unique thing is that this place is a time capsule, and that we actually use the time capsule rather than keeping it as a museum."
Mogens Amstrup Jacobsen
There are many charming cafés worth visiting, but few offer what Grosshandlarvillan does. Here, guests enjoy their fika in an authentic setting – as authentic as it can be. Tables, chairs, sofas, armchairs, porcelain – everything inside remains from the villa’s heyday and is used by visitors.
You are, quite literally, having fika in the 1930s.
– The unique thing is that this place is a time capsule, and that we actually use the time capsule rather than keeping it as a museum. I’ve been told that the closest equivalent experience, where you can take part in history in this way, is in Berlin. It makes this an exceptionally unique experience, says Mogens.
Authentic era dinners
The house is alive with activity year-round, but summer is the most vibrant season with daily café hours, concerts and cultural events. The spacious lawn surrounding Grosshandlarvillan becomes part of the experience. In winter, the couple host period-themed dinners, Afternoon Tea and guided tours that let visitors delve into the story of the villa and the world Carl Forsberg built.
– When we host dinners and guests dress up in 1920s and ’30s clothing, we bring out the original porcelain and glassware from that era, Mogens explains.
"Tickets sold out in two minutes"
Mogens Amstrup Jacobsen
One of the most popular events is the Melodikrysset breakfast, held on selected Saturday mornings. Guests enjoy breakfast in the historic setting while listening to – and trying to solve – the beloved Swedish radio music crossword.
Their unique concept has not gone unnoticed, and in November 2025, Melodikrysset was broadcast live from the villa.
– Tickets sold out in two minutes, Mogens says with a laugh.
Secrets within the house
In autumn 2025, they added another experience to the house: a Murder Mystery. The game centres on an unsolved murder, and participants must work out who the culprit is. A scratchy record might play on the old travel gramophone upstairs, and the steep, creaking wooden staircase provides the perfect atmosphere.
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Close to nature
Over the years, Lena and Mogens have uncovered new treasures in the house, particularly in the old outbuilding where leftover goods from the former shop were stored. During the renovation, they searched for a period-appropriate wallpaper for the office. But where does one find such a thing today?
In the storage, of course.
It turned out that the exact wallpaper they were looking for was still there, and nearly a century after arriving at the villa, it could finally be put up.
Rare recipe book
One of the most precious discoveries is the old recipe book left behind in the house, where the Forsberg family gathered their recipes. It is from this book that the pastries served in the café are baked today. The fact that everything is so authentic – even the cakes – makes the experience extra special for visitors.
– Most guests are fascinated. This isn’t traditional café fare in the sense of the usual pastries or biscuits. Those don’t exist here because everything comes from the Forsberg family’s own recipes, says Lena as she shows us around.
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Every summer, on one Saturday, Lena and Mogens invite visitors to what can best be described as a historical gift-opening. There are still unopened boxes and trunks on the property – some possibly untouched for a hundred years.
– People sit around while a few selected guests open the boxes. We never know what we’ll find in advance, but we’ve uncovered some truly exciting things. This summer, we unpacked a few boxes and found fantastic textiles from the 1920s, Mogens says.
The couple continue to develop Forsbergs G: Handelsbod & Grosshandlarvilla and feel a responsibility to pass on knowledge about the house and its history to future generations, just as Carl Forsberg’s descendants had hoped.
The house’s past has become its present.
And its future.
Read more about Forsbergs and Grosshandlarvillan! (External link)
The photos in the report were taken by Martin Eriksson, Petri Storlöpare, Yasin Y. Bayol, Malin Jonsson, Anna Lindblom, and Johanna Elenius.
