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Around Lake Mälaren, Sweden

Eskilstuna

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from the Johanniter monastery
from the Johanniter monastery

If you walk up the stairs in the Faktori Museum, you will leave the steam engine and industrial part of the museum behind you and now will end up in an area devoted to Eskilstuna's past. One of the things you can read, see and learn all about is the presence of the vikings in this area. A great example of that are the many rune stones still to be found in and around Eskilstuna, of which the Sigurdsristningen is the most famous.

About metal, forging and coffee habbits

Typical products from Eskilstuna
Typical products from Eskilstuna

In this upper part of the museum you can see items that are typical for Eskilstuna. Eskilstuna has always been an industrial city and during its history has focused on a few areas. The main one has been metal and metal forging. And that shows in the products that come from this town. Weapons, instruments, nails, knives, but also cutlery.

A fun detail in Eskilstuna and Sweden's history: did you know that coffee was forbidden to drink for a while in the 17th century? This was a heavy blow for the Swedes as they are true lovers of this drink. And they still are! Swedes are one of the countries that drink the most coffee per capita in the world.

Views over the Eskilstunaån

Views over the Eskilstunaån
Views over the Eskilstunaån

It's time to get outside again for some fresh air. And what a better place to be than actually right here, outside the Faktori Museum. This is one of my favourite spots in Eskilstuna as the views over the Eskilstunaån are so beautiful on a quiet sunny day like this. You can see a tiny bit of the museum on the left side of the picture.

I crossed the little green bridge on the right to get to the other side of the river and from here you have the best views. The weather in this part of Sweden is often very calm and a perfect 'reflection photo day' like this are quite common. So if you like industrial past in combination with reflections: this is your place to be!

Parken Zoo

Parken Zoo
Parken Zoo

Click here (opens in a new window) to see a photo impression of Parken Zoo.

Skjulsta recreation area

Skjulsta recreation area
Skjulsta recreation area, south of Eskilstuna

This picture is taken from a fornborg, which is a fortification used by the people living in the area. A fornborg was used 200 BC - 1000 AC. They were often situated on high areas like hilltops. There are many fornborg in the area of Eskilstuna and they were 'connected' to each other visually. They are all high up and they could signal the others with fire or smoke.

Nowadays the Skjusta area is used as a recreation area: sunbathing, swimming, rowing, fishing and also hiking. There are many trails in the Skjulsta forest, like this one to the fornborg. But you have to walk a lot uphill though, hahaha, those fornborg were all located on the highest spots in the area. The Skjusta recreation area is located 2 kilometres south of Eskilstuna.

More about Eskilstuna

Skjulsta recreation area
Faktori museum
  • Faktori museum
  • Fors Kyrka
  • Parken Zoo
  • Photo impression of Eskilstuna
  • Evening photos
  • Main page Eskilstuna

    • Lake Mälaren Area

    Lake Mälaren
    Around Lake Mälaren

    Area: The Lake Mälaren and the close area around it.

    Mälaren is the third in size lake in Sweden. It has a climate quiet different compared to other close by areas. It is more humid and warmer in the summer, but not as cold in the winter. This has created a specific flora and also a special fauna. Several species of flowers and trees only grow around Lake Mälaren and in the south of Sweden. The mistletoe for instance is rather rare in Sweden but we can see dozens of them from our window.

    Many fortifications and castles have been built around the lake. You can for instance visit 5 Royal Castles by boat on a 6-hour trip roundtrip from Stockholm. This building of fortification and permanent settlements began early, around 5000 BC, and there are many fort hills and archeologically sites around.

    Everyone has probably heard about the Vikings, and you can still find lots about them in this area. I live only a 10 minutes walk from a very important Viking monument: The Sigurdsristningen. Being so close to a site like this makes me feel in touch with this part of Swedish history and has made me fascinated by the early history of Sweden. Around Lake Mälaren there are many spots where you can find signs of early culture, like in Birka and Sigtuna. Along the roads you can see a lot of Runic Stones.

    Click on the map to go to the destination pages.
    Eskilstuna

    Interesting points to see in the area are:

  • Anundshög: old burial mounds from Viking Age.
  • Birka: ruins from old capital city of Sweden.
  • Mariefred with Gripsholm Castle. A picturesque village and a beautiful castle. In the castle is also the Swedish National Portrait Collection.
  • Sigtuna: old city with lots of historical background.
  • Sko Kloster: one of the most popular castles with a huge collections of painting, furniture and arms. The latter is one of the largest in Europe.
  • Sundby with Sundyholms Castle and the famous stone carvings from the time of the Vikings: Sigurdsristningen.
  • Eskilstuna: not a real tourist destination, but it has some nice places. My favourite of all is the Fors Kyrka (Fors Church). Also worth visiting is the Klosterkyrka, sculpture 'Hand of God' by Miles, the historic area of "Rademachersmedjorna" and the museum "Faktorimuseet".
  • Taxinge slott: Get a taste of the typical Swedish Christmas celebrations at the yearly Christmas market at Taxinge Slott.
  • Tidö slott: A beautiful castle with a toy museum.
  • Ängsö Castle A haunted castle from the 15th century and one if the many smaller castles in this area.
  • Strängnäs: one of Sweden's oldest towns. The highlight of this city is its beautiful cathedral.
  • Västerås: is one of the top 10 cities of Sweden. Suggestions: visit the park (Djäkneberget), interesting for the many boulders with inscriptions. The old part of town with historical houses at Kyrkbacken and the Cathedral.
  • Örebro: is an university city and the 7th largest city in Sweden. Places to see are castle from the 13th century and Wadköping, which is the old town and now open air museum.

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