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Villa Eira – Hjo Town Park

Built in 1892, this three-storey villa originally housed summer apartments for spa guests on the upper floors and a “laboratory” and doctors’ surgeries with waiting rooms – for both first and second-class guests – on the ground floor.

Health, Healing, and Holidays

Each summer residence had its own small balcony with a roof. Villa Eira underwent significant exterior renovations in 2012 and 2013, aiming to preserve – and in some places highlight – its original 19th-century character.

In recent decades, the lower floors have been used as hostel accommodation. Today, Villa Eira is home to STF Hostel Villa Eira, welcoming visitors from near and far.

Across from the villa, facing the park car park, stands a small building believed to have been built at the same time as Villa Eira in 1892. It may originally have functioned as an outbuilding, containing a tool shed, woodshed, and outdoor privies.

Facts about Villa Eira

Villa Eira was completed in 1892 and designed by the architect Adrian Crispin Peterson. It was intended as summer housing for visitors to Hjo Spa Resort (Hjo Vattenkuranstalt).

In addition to holiday apartments for spa guests on the upper floors, the ground floor also housed medical consultation rooms around the turn of the century. All the apartments had private balconies with small overhanging roofs.

One of the defining features of late 19th-century architecture is its richness in decorative detail – Villa Eira is a perfect example, with almost no surfaces left unadorned.

Adrian C. Peterson was one of Gothenburg’s leading architects of his time. While widely recognised as a church architect (he designed more than 40 churches), he also created railway stations, hospitals, banks, and private residences. In Hjo, his work includes not only Villa Eira and Villa Svea, but also the spire of Hjo Church, added in 1901 to the 1799 building.

Read More

You can read more about Villa Eira in Hjo Stadspark och dess byggnader by Per-Göran Ylander. The book is available at Hjo City Library, or for purchase at Hjo Bookshop and the Tourist Information Centre.

Self-Guided Tour

Take a stroll and explore the historical architecture and craftsmanship of Hjo at your own pace.

Quick Facts

  • Number of stops: 17

  • What to do: At each stop/sign, scan the QR code

  • Starting point: Any stop

  • What you need: Mobile phone and QR code scanner

  • Duration: Around 1 hour

  • Walking distance: Approx. 1.5 km

  • Season: All year round

  • Price: FREE