Hällefors and Grythyttan
Hällefors, archaic spelling Hellefors, is a town in north-western Västmanland. Hällefors municipality, Hällefors kommun, is part of Örebro County.
Settlements
- Hällefors itself, an industrial town.
- Grythyttan, famous for its restaurant academy.
- Bredsjö, famous for cheese.
- Hjulsjö
- Hammarn
- Loka, with a spa.
Understand
As most of Bergslagen, Hällefors was dependent on metal industry. Since the great decline during the 1970s, Grythyttan has emerged as a culinary cluster.
Get in
Get around
See
- The 1950s Apartments. Is an exhibition of everyday life in the 1950s; years of tremendous progress for Swedish industry.
Do
- Loka Brunn. Loka Brunn (well) is a spa resort in the district Loka in Hällefors municipality. It was opened in 1720 and is one of the oldest spa resorts in Sweden. The facility has 130 hotel rooms divided between 50 buildings. Loka Brunn offers spa treatments, restaurants, conference and banqueting rooms. There is a church on the grounds, used in the summer, and the Swedish Spa Museum is located here. The museum was established in 1995 and resides in four buildings from the 18th century, authentically restored. For centuries people travelled Loka to drink its water which was believed to have healing properties. During the 19th century business was booming and people came from all over the country to drink the water and get mud baths. Resorts of this kind were common at the time and guests were mostly members of the upper middle class.
- Nostalgidagarna. Is a festival in late June, commemorating Hällefors' heydays in the 1950s and '60s (when its population was twice of today), with American cars and rockabilly music.
- Finnstigen. Is an open-air museum of Finnish immigrants who have arrived since the 16th century. While the first Finns came for slash-and-burn farming, the majority came during the latter half of the 20th century, making up much of Sweden's blue-collar workforce.
Buy
- Billiga Nicklas. A discount store with a broad assortment; everything from candy bars to power tools.
Eat
- Bredsjö Blå, locally produced mold cheese.
Drink
Sleep
- Hellefors Herrgård. A 18th century manor.