The Virgin Spring (1960) – Filming Locations
Drama / History · Directed by Ingmar Bergman · Starring Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg
Devout Christians Töre and Märeta send their only daughter, the virginal Karin, and their foster daughter, the unrepentant Ingeri, to deliver candles to a distant church. On their way through the woods, the girls encounter a group of savage goat herders who brutally rape and murder Karin as Ingeri remains hidden. When the killers unwittingly seek refuge in the farmhouse of Töre and Märeta, Töre plots a fitting revenge.
Where was The Virgin Spring filmed?
- Dalarna, Sweden, Dalarna – Opening sequences with the family and pastoral Swedish landscape establishing the setting. Bergman filmed extensively in the Dalarna region to capture the authentic 14th-century Swedish rural landscape and establish the film's isolated woodland setting
- Värmland, Sweden, Värmland – The journey through the forest where Karin encounters the goatherds and the tragic sequence unfolds. The dense forests of Värmland provide the primary location for the film's central tragedy, with real woodland terrain used for the journey and murder scenes
- Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm – Interior scenes and studio work for the family home sequences. Bergman used Stockholm facilities for controlled interior filming while maintaining authenticity through location work in the Swedish countryside