Lindesberg is a locality on the northern shores of Lake Lindessjön. It is a former center of trade for iron and other metals produced in the mines in the surrounding area. Culturewise this is Bergslagen, the mining district in central Sweden. It is, however, today a part of Örebro County and is historically a part of the province of Västmanland.
A Short History of Lindesberg
This was originally the location of Lindesås, a church village that probably pre-dated Lindesberg by centuries. Lindesberg was earlier the name of the mining district around Lindesås. Three Swedish towns were given their town privileges in 1643, these were Askersund, Nora, and Lindesberg. Lindesås has now become Lindesberg.
The new town became a center for the iron trade in the area. It was, however, a constant battle against wishes elsewhere to move the trade to Arboga and Örebro. The town saw several periods of growth during the 18th and 19th centuries. These periods were often followed by a few setbacks, usually in the form of devastating fires or flooding from the lake.
The railway arrived in Lindesberg in the 1870s and with the railway came further development and expansion of the town and its industries. The development did, however, stagnate and there has been a decrease in production during the last decades.
Things to Do and See
The lake and forests are never far away in Lindesberg, but there are a few more things to discover here in central Bergslagen.
Gamla Sundsbron
Gamla Sundsbron is the old bridge and is a listed building in Sweden. It dates back to 1902 and is special because it is one of the first concrete bridges in the country. It also still uses the vaults that were more common for the older stone bridges.
Lindesberg Arena
Lindesberg Arena is a multi arena that was completed in 2010. The two main teams that are housing here are the Volleyball team Lindesbergs VBK, whose women’s team became Swedish champions in 2012, and the handball team LIF Lindesberg whose men’s team plays in the top division. Lindesberg Arena also houses a bowling alley and restaurant.
Energikällan
Energikällan is the local swimming center with several indoor swimming pools as well as a water slide.
Plantmarknaden
This is mostly to consider a garden shop with a café. But the reason why it is on this list is the small animal zoo and playground that they have. At its back, there are both goats and rabbits to see.
Hike: Lindessjön runt
Lindessjön is the lake right next to the center of Lindesberg. There are two possible paths around the lake, one is 7 kilometers long and the other one is 8.5 kilometers. The paths will not only take you around the lake, where you get to enjoy the nature of the area, but they also pass by some of the main sights in the town.
Tempelbacken Nature Reserve
Right next to the golf club is Tempelbacken Nature Reserve. It is a nature reserve managed by the municipality and was established in 1995. It covers around 10 hectares of mostly forest.
Munkhyttan Nature Reserve
Munkhyttan is a nature reserve located to the west of the center. It was established in the year 2000 to protect two of Europe’s endangered butterfly species. These are the Scarce fritillary and the Marsh fritillary.
How to Get to Lindesberg
- Flights: The closest airport is Örebro Airport (ORB), 57 kilometers away, which has mostly charter and domestic flights. In addition, there is Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, located 209 kilometers away with international flights.
- Car: Lindesberg is located along road 50 between Örebro and Kopparberg.
- Bus: Local and regional buses from Länstrafiken Örebro connect Lindesberg with the surrounding region.
- Train: TiB/SJ has trains to Lindesberg from from several towns, such as Borlänge, Gävle, Hallsberg, and Örebro.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 207 kilometers (2h 35min)
- Gothenburg – 326 kilometers (4h 8min)
- Malmö – 550 kilometers (6h)
- Linköping – 168 kilometers (2h 19min)
- Kiruna – 1255 kilometers (14h 40min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
