Even though my kids live in the city, we are still fortunate enough to be able to visit our grandparents country house and experience a little bit of the Swedish way of life. That is of course in terms of quaint little red houses with white trimmings, old Milk churns standing on tables alongside the road and of course traditional round pole fences.

Understanding the Dala-Model: A Unique Swedish Roundpole Fence Style

A Swedish roundpole fence type called dala-model (gardesgard or gardsgard in Swedish), Norwegian skigard ,and Finnish riikuaita, ryhkuaita or kestrel ainoa teivasaed in Estonia, are a kind of wooden fence usually built from split spruce logs. These fences are used to confine animals rather than mark property boundaries. The slanting rails between pairs of upright poles are supported by diagonal bracing.