Cliff Burton

“Cliff Burton’s memorial stone is a mandatory stop for all headbangers. Cliff Burton played with Metallica on their first and heaviest albums. A true bass legend whose life ended right here. My band BULLET has logged many miles in various tour buses on the Autobahn, and life on the road is fantastic—but also deadly thrilling.”
— Gustav Hector

Cliff Burton’s memorial stone is located in the heart of Sagobygden, a region where fairy tales and legends are carefully preserved. Storytelling is an art here, and the Fairy Tale Museum is its stronghold. In southwestern Småland, there are 43 well-documented legendary sites.

Perhaps this is why this modern story has become a place of pilgrimage—where visitors take part in the “legend” of how Cliff Burton drew the card of death, the Ace of Spades, when the band members drew lots for the best sleeping spot on the tour bus.

It turned out to be the worst one. In 1986, Burton lost his life right here when the bus ran off the road outside Dörarp, most likely due to an icy patch. Fans from all over the world now travel here, leaving guitar picks or beer cans at the stone.

Almost any time of day, you are likely to meet someone here—people of all ages and nationalities. Sometimes visitors stay overnight in tents or sleep in their cars to witness the morning mist. Memorial items are often left behind before a visit to the museum and perhaps a Cliff Burton burger at the nearby Motel Lagan. Some then spend the night at Hotel Terraza in Ljungby—just like the surviving band members once did, on the fourth floor.