Västerås facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Västerås
Clockwise from top left: Skrapan, Västerås City Hall, half-timbered buildings alongside Svartån river, Västerås Cathedral and Ottarkontoret
Nickname(s):  Mälarstaden (The City of Mälaren), Gurkstaden (The Cucumber City)
Västerås Location in Västmanland Show map of Västmanland Västerås Location in Sweden Show map of Sweden
Country	Sweden
Province	Västmanland
County	Västmanland County
Municipality	Västerås Municipality
Area
• City	52.94 km2 (20.44 sq mi)
• Metro	962.78 km2 (371.73 sq mi)
Elevation	17 m (56 ft)
Population  (2019)
• City	127,799
• Density	2,094/km2 (5,420/sq mi)
• Metro	154,049 (Västerås Municipality)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	721 00 – 728 20
Area code(s)	(+46) 021

Västerås (say "VEST-er-OHSS") is a city in central Sweden. It sits on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the area called Västmanland. The city is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Stockholm. In 2019, Västerås had a population of 127,799 people. It is the main city of Västerås Municipality and the capital of Västmanland County. It is also a city where a bishop lives.

Västerås: A City with a Long History

Västerås around 1700, from an old book.

Gustav I of Sweden in Västerås, 1527. A watercolor painting from 1722.

Västerås is one of the oldest cities in Sweden and Northern Europe. Its name comes from Västra Aros, which means "West River Mouth". This refers to where the Svartån river flows into Lake Mälaren. People have lived in this area since the Viking Age, even before the year 1000. In the early 11th century, Västerås was the second largest city in Sweden. By the 12th century, it became the home of a bishop.

Just outside Västerås city, you can find Anundshög. This is Sweden's largest burial mound. A "hög" is an old word for a mound or hill. It was built around 500 CE. This huge mound is over 67 meters (74 yards) wide and almost 9 meters (10 yards) high.

Over the next few centuries, a cathedral and a monastery were built. The beautiful Gothic cathedral was rebuilt by Birger Jarl and finished in 1271. The city's first official symbol, its City Arms, dates back to the late 1200s. There is also a castle in Västerås. King Gustav I took control of it and rebuilt it. Later, King Eric XIV was held prisoner there from 1573 to 1575.

King Gustav I also held a very important meeting in Västerås. This meeting was called the riksdag. During this meeting, a big decision was made to change Sweden into a Protestant country. This also meant reducing the power of the Catholic Church.

In 1623, the oldest secondary school in Sweden was built in Västerås. It was named Rudbeckianska gymnasiet after its founder, Johannes Rudbeckius.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, growing cucumbers became very popular in Västerås. Because of this, the city earned the nickname Gurkstaden, which means "the Cucumber City". It still has this fun nickname today!

Västerås Today: Industry and Lakeside Fun

The Öster mälarstrand residential area in Västerås harbor.

Today, Västerås is well-known as an industrial city. It is also a major center for shopping and logistics (moving goods). The city wants to be known as Västerås – Mälarstaden, which means "Västerås—the city by Lake Mälaren". This is to attract visitors and new residents. It also aims to bring students to the local Mälardalen University, which has about 16,000 students.

To achieve this, the city uses a special logo for branding. It has also rebuilt old harbor areas to make them nicer places to live. Västerås has the largest commercial and recreational port on Lake Mälaren in Scandinavia. The lake has many islands, and you can take tourist boats to them every day in the summer.

The city also has a tall building nicknamed "Skrapan" (meaning "The Scraper"). On its 24th floor, you'll find Sky Bar, which is Sweden's highest-located cocktail bar.

Västerås used to host Power Big Meet, a huge yearly event for classic American cars. This event moved in 2017. However, a similar event called Västerås Summer Meet now takes place in the same spot.

Climate and Weather in Västerås

An aerial photo of Västerås in winter.

Västerås has a climate with cold winters and warm summers. Summers can be sunny but also have sudden rain showers. The sunniest weather happens when high-pressure systems block rain from the Atlantic Ocean. In July, daytime temperatures are usually around 22°C (72°F). Sometimes they can go above 25°C (77°F) or even 30°C (86°F).

Winters are usually cold with snow lasting for several months. Some winters can be milder with less snow. The weather changes a lot depending on where the air comes from. If it's from the Atlantic Ocean, temperatures might reach over 5°C (41°F). If it's from the Eurasian continent, temperatures might not rise above -15°C (5°F) even in the middle of the day. Lake Mälaren is usually frozen from December until the end of March.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Västerås was 36.0°C (96.8°F) on July 9, 1966. The lowest temperature was -36.5°C (-33.7°F) on January 24, 1875.

The Åkesta observatory, a place for studying stars, is located 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north of the town.

How Västerås's Population Has Grown

Västerås's Economy: Big Industries and Shopping

The Turbine House, an early hydroelectric dam.

Västerås has a strong economy, especially in industry and trade.

Important Industries in Västerås

In 1891, a small hydroelectric dam called the Turbine House was built on the Svartån river. This early way of making electricity helped a large company called ASEA grow in Västerås. ASEA made electrical equipment. Later, ASEA joined with another company to become ABB Group. Today, Västerås is home to the Swedish headquarters of ABB. Here, they make robots, drive systems for factories, and parts for power grids.

Several businesses have also started from ABB. One important one is Hitachi Energy. Another is Westinghouse Sweden, which makes fuel for nuclear power plants. This plant is in an industrial area called Finnslätten. As of 2014, Westinghouse Sweden had over 1000 employees. They have provided fuel to Ukraine since 2005.

Mälarenergi AB is a company owned by the city. It provides heating and electricity to Västerås and nearby areas. Their biggest plant is in Västerås. It is Sweden's largest combined heat and power plant. Its newest unit uses waste as fuel to create energy.

Other big companies in Västerås include:

• Bombardier Transportation: They make parts for trains.
• GE Power Sweden
• Enics
• Quintus Technologies AB: They make equipment for working with metals.
• Northvolt AB: They design and make batteries for electric vehicles and other industries.

Shopping and Trade in Västerås

Västerås became a city a long time ago because it was a good place for trade. Its location by the Svartån river and Lake Mälaren made it easy to move goods. Today, it is still a main center for logistics in Sweden. This is because it's in the middle of the busy Mälardalen region. It also has good connections with railways, waterways, and highways. For example, ICA AB, a big grocery company, has one of its main distribution centers here.

Västerås is also the city where the international clothing store H&M started. Their very first store opened in the city center in 1947.

Erikslund Shopping Center, just outside Västerås, was once Sweden's biggest mall. It is still a very large retail area, ranking third in sales after other big shopping areas in Sweden.

Sports Teams in Västerås

ABB Arena Syd, Sweden's largest permanent indoor arena for bandy.

Västerås SK, Swedish champions in bandy in 2015.

Västerås is home to several successful sports teams:

• Västerås SK (The Green and White): This team was started in 1904. It is the most successful bandy team in Sweden, with 22 Swedish Championships won. They play in ABB Arena Syd, which is the largest indoor arena for bandy in Sweden. The Bandy World Championship has been held in Västerås many times.
• VIK Västerås HK (VIK Västerås Hockey Klubb): This ice hockey club had its best season in 1992/1993. In 2000, the club faced money problems and had to restart in the lowest league. Today, they play in Hockeyallsvenskan, which is the second-highest league. Many famous hockey players are from Västerås, including Nicklas Lidström and Tommy Salo.
• Västerås SK (Football): In 2023, this football team made it to the top league of Swedish football, Allsvenskan. The last time they were in the premier division was in 1997.
• Other football clubs in Västerås include IFK Västerås FK, IK Franke, Skiljebo SK, Västerås IK, Syrianska IF Kerburan, and Gideonsbergs IF.

Famous People from Västerås

Getting To and From Västerås

• Stockholm-Västerås Airport
• Västerås Central Station

See also

In Spanish: Västerås para niños