Who is Gustaf Fröding and why should you care? We asked ourselves the same question until we began to learn more about him: Both his life and his work proved fascinating. A daydreamer in his youth, he settled down, between bouts of alcohol and woman-chasing, to write poetry. His work was highly celebrated -- "against my will" -- in his time, and Fröding was named the national poet of Sweden upon his death in 1911. He often wrote his poems in a sanatorium, and, in fact, he's considered one of 300 famous people who were officially diagnosed with mental illness. The Swedish poet is in good company: The list includes Sir Winston Churchill (did you know that?), Lord Byron (we're sure you knew that), and even Napoleon Bonaparte (no surprise there).

Lying 8km (5 miles) east of Karlstad on the Stockholm road, Alster's Herrgård (Manor) is maintained in memory of Fröding, who was born here in 1860. (Gustaf's grandfather, squire Jan Fröding, purchased the estate in 1837.) Today it is an affiliate of the Värmlands Museum and serves as a memorial to Gustaf. There is a Fröding exhibition here depicting the family and its possessions -- one entire room is devoted to Gustaf's sisters. There also is a changing array of exhibitions devoted to the art, music, and culture of Värmland. A cafe is on the premises, and you can stroll through Fröding Grove.