Upplands Väsby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Upplands Väsby
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Upplands Väsby in October 2007
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 Upplands Väsby
Location in Stockholm
Upplands Väsby
Location in Sweden
Upplands Väsby
Location in European Union
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| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Uppland |
| County | Stockholm County |
| Municipality | Upplands Väsby Municipality Sollentuna Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.17 km2 (5.47 sq mi) |
| Population
(31 December 2020)
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| • Total | 48,907 |
| • Density | 2,653/km2 (6,870/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Upplands Väsby is a town in Sweden. It is the main town of Upplands Väsby Municipality in Stockholm County. In 2020, about 48,907 people lived there.
Contents
A Look at Upplands Väsby's Past
Upplands Väsby has a very long history. People have lived here since before Christianity. Scientists have found old settlements in many places.
Early Life and Discoveries
The first signs of people were found near Hammarby ridge. They found a bronze axe from around 600 to 700 BC. This shows that people lived here a very long time ago. The land in Upplands Väsby is low and flat. People used to fish and hunt seals and birds. Old coins from other countries have been found. This shows that people traded a lot with other lands. Some Arabic coins were found at Great Wäsby castle grounds.
Ancient Forts and Burial Sites
You can find old forts at Runsa and Skavsta. These are called hill forts. There are also many old burial grounds. They look like mounds, stone circles, or standing stones. Some graves are shaped like a ship. The one at Runsa is very famous. It is 56 meters long and was made around 400-500 AD.
Other large burial mounds are near Löwenströmska Hospital. The biggest one is at Great Wäsby Castle. It has about 200 burial mounds.
How Upplands Väsby Grew
In the early 1900s, Upplands Väsby was a small town around a train station. The train station was built in 1865. It was on the railway line between Stockholm and Uppsala. A man named Anton Tamm bought all the land where the town is now.
In 1903, Tamm started the first big factory. It was called Väsby Werkstäder. They made things from brass and copper. This company changed its name many times over the years. But people always called it Messingen. It helped the town grow a lot.
Upplands Väsby Today
Today, Upplands Väsby is a modern town. It is located between Stockholm and Uppsala. Stockholm city center is 25 kilometers away. Uppsala is 45 kilometers away.
Getting Around Easily
You can take a commuter train to Stockholm Central Station. It takes about 27 minutes. The train also goes to Arlanda Airport in seven minutes. This train also connects Upplands Väsby with Uppsala.
Home to Famous People
Many famous music artists come from Upplands Väsby. These include the bands Europe, Therion, and Candlemass. Musicians like John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen also lived here. Actors Shima Niavarani and Shebly Niavarani went to school here. Famous writers like Carl Jonas Love Almquist also lived in Upplands Väsby.
Neighborhoods and Shopping
Some old factories near the railway station are now used for new things. For example, the Upplands Väsby art gallery is in a former factory building. The old factory buildings were taken down to build new homes and a new school. This school, Väsby new gymnasium, opened in 2011.
If you go east from the Central Station, you will find Culture Vega and Väsby School. A bit further is Väsby Centre. This is a big shopping mall. It also has a medical center and town offices.
Väsby Centre: A Hub for Shopping
Väsby centrum opened in 1972. It has been made bigger and updated many times. The shopping mall has many different stores. You can find clothes, electronics, books, and groceries there. There are also restaurants.
Places to Live: Residential Areas
Upplands Väsby has many different neighborhoods. Here are some of them:
- Smedby/Ekebo: This area has a Viking farm called Gunnes Gård. The first homes here were built in 1974.
- Carlslund: This area is east of the E4 highway. It used to have homes for workers. Many new homes were built here in 1985.
- Brunnby Park: This is in the eastern part of Carlslund. Many new houses and townhouses have been built here since 2009.
- Old Väsby or Central Väsby: This is the area around the train station and downtown. It used to have the Optimus factory.
- Runby/Runby Backar: These are the northwestern parts of the municipality. They have a recreation area and Ed's church.
- Apoteksskogen (also called Sigma): This area is west of Hammarby Apotek.
- Väsbyskogen: This area is usually considered part of Sigma.
- Sundsborg: This area is usually considered part of Odenslunda.
- Grimstaby: This area was built in the 1970s. It looks like an old small town. It has a main street, a square, and small shops. It has schools and kindergartens.
- Hagängen/Löwenströmska hospital: This area is next to Löwenströmska hospital. It has different types of homes.
- Prästgårdsmarken: This area is in the southwestern part of town. It has mostly apartment buildings built in the 1980s.
- Bollstanäs: These are the southern parts of town. It has many villas (large houses). It borders the municipality of Sollentuna.
- Fresta
- Odenslunda
- Brunnby/Brunnby Vik: These areas are about two kilometers east of the town center. They have mostly townhouses, villas, and small businesses.
- Sjukyrkoberget
- Skälby
- Sanda Ängar
Schools in Upplands Väsby
Upplands Väsby has many schools. More than 3,000 students go to fourteen elementary schools and one secondary school. About half of the elementary schools are run by the community.
Elementary Schools
- Bollstanäs skola: For grades 1–5, with about 250 students.
- Breddenskolan: For grades 1–5.
- Väsbyskolan: Over 420 students, for grades 4–9. It has special classes for music and science.
- Frestaskolan: For grades 1–5. It became a free school in 2008.
- Grimstaskolan: For grades 6–9, with about 450 students. This school focuses on football.
- Hasselskolan: For preschool and grades 1–3. Since 2007, it also has grades 1–5.
- Odenslunda skola: For preschool and grades 1–5. It became an independent school in 2008. It has over 200 students.
- Runbyskolan: About 560 students, from preschool to grade 9.
- Smedbyskolan: For grades 1–6, with about 250 students.
- Smedsgärdsskolan: For grades 1–6, with about 1,000 students.
- Södervikskolan: For grades 6–9. It became a free school in 2008, with 390 students.
- Sweden-Finnish school: A private school with about 150 students.
- Vikskolan: For preschool and grades 1–9. It became an independent school in 2008. It will be replaced by a new school called Viraskolan by 2025.
- Vittra in Vasby: Over 300 students, from kindergarten to grade 9. It is an independent school.
Secondary Schools
- Väsby new gymnasium: This school opened in August 2011. The old high school, Vilunda High School, was closed.
- ANNUAL School
- Energy School
Transportation Options
Upplands Väsby has good public transport.
Train Lines
- Stockholm commuter line 40: Goes from Uppsala Central Station to Södertälje Centrum railway station. It stops at Arlanda Central Station and Stockholm City Station.
- Stockholm commuter line 41: Goes from Uppsala Central Station or Märsta Station to Södertälje Centrum railway station. It also stops at Stockholm City Station.
- Stockholm commuter line 42X: Goes from Märsta Station to Nynäshamn Station. It stops at Stockholm City Station.
Bus Routes
Many bus routes serve Upplands Väsby. They include routes 524, 529, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 545, 560, 560X, 562, 568, 577, and 684. Many of these buses start from the bus terminal at Upplands Väsby station. There are also night bus routes: 592, 598, and 599.
Famous People From Upplands Väsby
- Carl Jonas Love Almqvist (1793-1866): A writer and social critic.
- Calle Asell (born 1994): An ice hockey player.
- Joey Tempest (born 1963): The lead singer of the rock band Europe.
- Robert Topala (born 1987): A video game maker, known for creating Geometry Dash.
- Björn Wesström (born 1972): A football executive.
See also
In Spanish: Upplands Väsby para niños
