Borgvattnet Vicarage: Inside Sweden’s Most Haunted House
In the secluded forests of northern Sweden, the tiny village of Borgvattnet—home to fewer than a hundred residents—holds an unsettling secret. At the edge of the community stands a weathered old house that has stirred fear and fascination for nearly a century. This is the Borgvattnet Vicarage, a building shrouded in mystery and whispered tales. Built in 1876 to house the parish clergy of Jämtland County, the vicarage may look unremarkable at first glance—but those who step inside quickly realize they’ve entered one of Sweden’s most haunted places.
A Quiet House With a Growing Reputation
For the first several decades after it was built, the Borgvattnet Vicarage served as a peaceful residence for local clergy. It was a quiet home in a remote village, far removed from the world’s noise and attention. But by the early 20th century, something began to shift. Strange occurrences and eerie sensations started creeping into daily life, and soon, both residents and visitors were whispering of a growing presence within the walls.
The tales grew in consistency, as each new occupant seemed to experience similar, unexplained phenomena. Over the years, these stories helped earn the building its chilling nickname among locals: Spökhuset—”The Ghost House.”
The First Official Paranormal Report
While local folklore likely harboured ghost stories long before anyone wrote them down, it wasn’t until 1927 that the hauntings were officially documented. That year, Chaplain Nils Hedlund submitted a formal report describing his own terrifying experience inside the vicarage. While doing laundry in the basement, Hedlund claimed that an invisible force suddenly hurled him from his chair. Shocked and disturbed, he shared the incident publicly, marking the first time a credible figure confirmed the house’s reputation.
Some speculate that the presence haunting the house might include Nils Hedlund’s own mother, Märta Hedlund. She died tragically during childbirth at the age of 30. Since her death occurred in the heart of winter, her body couldn’t be buried right away due to the frozen ground. Instead, it remained in the house until spring thawed the earth enough for a proper grave. Could her lingering spirit have anchored itself to the vicarage during those cold, mournful months?
The Rocking Chair Ghost and Other Specters
Among the many stories to emerge from Borgvattnet, none is more iconic than the legend of the Rocking Chair Ghost. In one of the upstairs bedrooms sits a modest grey rocking chair, which has become the centrepiece of countless ghostly encounters. Visitors often report seeing the chair moving on its own—slowly, rhythmically—as if someone unseen were sitting in it. Some who’ve tried to sit in the chair describe a powerful sensation of being watched or held in place, unable to stand until the pressure lifts. Others have reported being suddenly ejected from it, as though the chair—or something inside it—refused their presence.
Another recurring tale involves the sound of crying women echoing through the hallways. Disembodied sobs are frequently heard late at night, drifting through the dark like mournful echoes from another time. Some guests report walking toward the source of the crying, only to find the rooms empty and silent upon arrival.
A spectral woman dressed in grey has also been seen roaming the house. Witnesses describe her as translucent and pale, often appearing at the edge of one’s vision or standing silently in the corners of rooms before fading away without a sound.
Beyond these apparitions, guests have experienced sudden cold spots, unexplained shadows darting across the walls, and the disconcerting sensation of being touched by invisible hands. Personal belongings sometimes disappear, only to turn up days later in strange, improbable locations—keys hidden inside drawers that were never opened, or jewellery tucked into the pages of unread books.
The attic, in particular, seems to hold a dense and oppressive atmosphere. Several former clergy members and visitors have described the space as unbearable, citing a sense of dread so overwhelming that many refuse to enter it alone.
A Night in the Haunted House
Unlike many haunted sites, Borgvattnet Vicarage isn’t just for daytime tours or distant gazes. Brave travellers can actually spend the night inside the house. Today, the building is operated as a paranormal-themed bed-and-breakfast. It’s open seasonally—from June through October—and offers an unusual promise: if you make it through the night, you’ll receive a certificate proving you survived a stay in Sweden’s most haunted home.
Accommodations are intentionally modest. Don’t expect five-star comforts—visitors sleep among creaking floorboards, flickering candles, and drafty windows that seem to groan with every passing hour. Many guests report waking up to find doors mysteriously open, hearing footsteps pacing above their heads, or catching soft whispers from empty rooms.
Some of the most chilling stories come from those who claimed to feel unseen hands brushing across their bodies as they slept, or the intense sensation that they were not alone—even when locked inside their rooms.
Paranormal Research and Theories
Over the years, the vicarage has become a popular destination for ghost hunters and paranormal researchers. Teams have conducted extensive investigations using tools such as EVP (electronic voice phenomena) recorders, spirit boxes, motion detectors, and thermal cameras. Many of these sessions have captured unexplained sounds—whispers, knocking, even what some believe to be ghostly voices responding to questions.
Thermal imaging has, on occasion, picked up sudden cold spots or heat signatures that don’t align with the room’s temperature or known occupants. While none of this evidence definitively proves a haunting, the sheer volume and consistency of the findings continue to fuel belief in the house’s ghostly residents.
Of course, sceptics argue that the human mind can play tricks on itself, especially in a place so steeped in eerie legend. They suggest that expectation, fear, and isolation may be powerful enough to conjure illusions out of perfectly natural occurrences. A creaking board becomes a footstep, a flickering light, a ghost. But even among sceptics, few walk away from Borgvattnet completely unaffected.
Planning Your Visit
Reaching Borgvattnet requires effort—it lies about 60 kilometres northeast of Östersund, and public transportation options are limited. Most visitors opt to drive in, especially outside peak season. Rooms must be booked in advance through the official website, which is often in Swedish, though translation tools can help.
Travelers are advised to pack warm clothes even in summer, as the forested region can be chilly. A flashlight is also a must—especially if you find yourself navigating the house’s narrow staircases in the middle of the night.
More Than Just a Haunted House
What makes Borgvattnet so compelling is not just the paranormal activity, but the atmosphere itself. Unlike many commercialized “haunted” attractions, the vicarage has preserved its authenticity. There are no actors in costumes, no artificial jump scares—just an old house, deep in the woods, steeped in history and whispers of the past.
It has become a pilgrimage site for ghost hunters, thrill-seekers, dark tourism enthusiasts, and Halloween adventurers from all over Europe and beyond. Each visitor brings their own curiosity, their own scepticism, or belief—and each leaves with a story.
Final Reflections
The Borgvattnet Vicarage is more than a relic of rural Sweden. It is a vessel for stories—of grief, of mystery, and of things that refuse to be explained. Whether the hauntings are real, imagined, or some blend of the two, the house has etched itself into the folklore of an entire nation.
So the question remains: would you dare spend a night in Sweden’s most haunted home, where spirits may still linger behind every creaking door?