The Spring Featured in a 1790 Poem by Carl Michael Bellman

The spring at Bellmanskällan offers a steady, deliberate trickle of water. While it serves as a modest drinking source now, its true depth lies in its connection to a 1790 poem by Carl Michael Bellman. Local tradition confirms this is the source featured in Fredmans epistel No. 82, where he invites the reader to Rest by this spring.

For centuries, travelers found sanctuary here until the local community intervened to ensure its survival. In the early 1900s, villa owners in Mälarhöjden raised 2,000 kronor to prevent the site from falling into ruin. This commitment led to a reconstruction in 1914 and the eventual construction of the current small pavilion in 1928.

Architect Albin Brag designed the pavilion from Öland limestone, topped with a copper dome and a small lyre. A bronze medallion on the front displays a portrait of Bellman, cast from a 1797 plaster model by Johan Tobias Sergel.

During the summer months, the water flows continuously into a granite basin. Visitors can examine the original pump handle, which remains welded into place as a permanent part of the monument.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons