Tripp, trapp, trull, Historical cottages in Kalmar, Sweden

Tripp, Trapp and Trull are three wooden houses of different sizes on Fiskaregatan in Kalmar, named after their relative heights. They stand side by side as a row of small-scale timber buildings; the tallest, Trull, has two storeys, while the shortest, Tripp, is single-storeyed. Their painted timber facades and close spacing preserve the scale of the old harbour town.

The three houses on Fiskaregatan were probably built in the 17th century and survived Kalmar's city fire of 1765. They were owned and likely built by the Fornander sisters, who later donated them to Kalmar Cathedral Parish; the parish sold them to private owners. The sources differ on the date: the Swedish article suggests the 1600s, while the Belarusian article says the late 18th century.

The names Tripp, trapp, trull come from the Swedish counting-out rhyme 'tripp, trapp, trull' and match the houses' increasing size. The three buildings on Fiskaregatan appear on postcards and in advertising for villa paints, which made them familiar far beyond Kalmar.

These cottages stand on a street accessible on foot in the town center and can be viewed from the exterior; interior access is not available as they remain private residences. Plan to visit during daylight hours to see the architectural differences clearly, and take time to observe how the three structures vary in scale from where you stand on the street.

The cottages gained recognition far beyond their local area as subjects for postcards and commercial advertisements, turning their contrasting heights into a visual trademark. This unexpected popularity transformed three modest craftsmen's homes into recognizable symbols that travelers and merchants encountered in printed materials across Scandinavia.