Backåkra

Backakra is the farm near Ystad in southern Sweden that Dag Hammarskjöld, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, bought in 1957 as a summer residence. The farm was in decline, and its restoration was not completed until after Hammarskjöld death in 1961. Maintained by the Swedish Tourist Association, it now operates as a museum displaying his belongings, art, furniture and gifts, many from his years at the UN, and its south wing was reserved as a summer retreat for members of the Swedish Academy, of which Hammarskjöld was one. The property, a nature reserve of about 74 acres, also holds an outdoor meditation site. It is today owned by the Dag Hammarskjolds Backakra Foundation and includes a museum, a conference space, and a small cafe and book shop.