Visit Swedesburg’s Röd Liten Stuga

Pay a visit to Southeast Iowa’s own “Röd Liten Stuga,” located at the Swedish American Museum in Swedesburg, Iowa.

Röd liten stuga is Swedish for “little red cottage.” The museum’s stuga looks like so many little cottages in rural Sweden. These were homes for many at one time and have been kept through the years for vacation cottages that so many Swedish city dwellers like to use for summer vacations.

The importance of the museum’s stuga is the red paint. This red paint is called Falurödförg and comes in powder form. It was purchased in Falun, Sweden, which was home to a large copper mine (1288-1982). The red powder is a by-product of copper mining.

Many homes in Sweden and commercial buildings there are still painted with this red paint. The paint is made by mixing the red powder with linseed oil.

When the museum’s stuga was painted for the first time, fortunately, a person from Sweden was visiting relatives here. He demonstrated the use of the unique brush holder that came with the paint. The stuga is trimmed with white paint just like many red buildings in Sweden.

The röd liten stuga is a true symbol of Sweden.