Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [195]
Getting There & Around
The bus station is located 500m east of the train station, beside the river. Local bus 701 goes roughly hourly to Nyköping (Skr96, 1¾ hours). Swebus Express (0200-21 82 18; www.swebusexpress.se) operates up to six buses daily on its Stockholm–Eskilstuna–Örebro route, but trains are best for destinations such as Örebro (Skr102, one hour, every two hours), Västerås (Skr41, 30 minutes, hourly) and Stockholm (Skr94, one hour, hourly).
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VÄSTMANLAND
VÄSTERÅS
021 / pop 131,000
With its cobbled streets, higgledy-piggledy houses and flourishing flower gardens, Västerås’ old town is an utter delight. Sweden’s sixth-largest city is a place of two halves: head southeast and you’ll find modern shopping centres, large industries and sprawling suburbs that bear no resemblance to the teeny lanes and crafts shops you’ve left behind.
Västerås is also a handy base for exploring Mälaren lake and important pagan sites nearby.
Information
The tourist office (39 01 00; www.vasterasmalarstaden.se; Kopparbergsvägen 8; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) can help with visitor enquiries for the town and region.
There’s a Forex (18 00 80; Stora Gatan 18; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat) currency-exchange office, banks, ATMs and most other services visitors will require along Stora Gatan. The library (39 46 00; Biskopsgatan 2; 10am-7pm Mon-Thu, 10am-6pm Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) is opposite the cathedral and offers free internet access. There’s also internet access inside Mailboxes Etc (Munkgatan 18; per hr Skr35; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri).
Sights
MUSEUMS
The Konstmuseum (16 13 00; Fiskartorget 2; admisson free; 11am-4pm Tue-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun Sep-May), based in the stately town hall, devotes its energies to exhibiting contemporary Swedish painters. The permanent collections, with works by artists such as Ivan Aguéli and Bror Hjorth, also get an occasional airing.
Vallby Friluftsmuseum (39 80 70; www.vallbyfriluftsmuseum.se; admission free; 10am-5pm), off Vallbyleden near the E18 interchange, 2km northwest of the city, is home to an extensive open-air collection. Among the 40-odd buildings, there’s an interesting farmyard and craft workshops. Take bus 10 or 12.
Västmanlands Länsmuseum (15 61 00; www.vastmanlandslansmuseum.se; Slottsgatan; admission free; noon-4pm Thu-Sun), inside Västerås Slottet, is a cultural centre that stages exhibitions of contemporary art, photography and sculpture, as well as hosting speakers and presentations; look for a current schedule of events at the tourist office or online.
OTHER SIGHTS
The fine brick-built Domkyrka (Cathedral; Biskops-gatan; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm Sat & Sun) was begun in the 12th century, although most of what you see today is late-14th-century work. It contains carved floor slabs, six altar pieces and the marble sarcophagus of crazy King Erik XIV.
Behind the cathedral is the quaint old-town area Kyrkbacken. Once the student district and now a well-preserved portion of pre-18th-century Västerås, it’s studded with artisans’ workshops.
The city is surrounded by ancient pre-Christian sites. The most interesting and extensive is Anundshög (admission free; 24hr), the biggest tumulus in Sweden, 6km northeast of the city. It has a full complement of prehistoric curiosities, such as mounds, stone ship settings and a large 11th-century rune stone. The two main stone ship settings date from around the 1st century. The area is part of the Badelunda Ridge, which includes the 13th-century Badelunda Church (1km north) and the 16m-wide Tibble Labyrinth (1km south). Ask the tourist office for the handy map Badelunda Forntids Bygd. Take bus 12 to the Bjurhovda terminus, then walk 2km east.
Sleeping
Västerås Mälarcamping (14 02 79; Johannisbergsvägen; sites/cabins from Skr80/400; ) The closest camp site is this place, 5km southwest of the