Hallstahammar is your ticket to rushing water and rustling forests - a destination which puts nature in the centre. Even the city's industrial infrastructure, a 200 year old canal, is in itself a scenic experience, which offers swimming, fishing and exercise in the great outdoors. Hallstahammar offers a unique way to experience the Västmanland province, and is also home to a spectacular royal palace.
Hallstahammar blossomed as an industrial metal-producing city in the 1600s. During the 1700s, it became clear that the smithies needed a faster and better way to transport their goods to Stockholm, and so the canal was constructed. Today, it is the same sense of tranquil adventure that beckons travellers to come and spend the weekend by the Strömsholm Canal in Hallstahammar.
It is particularly easy to visit Hallstahammar by train. The journey takes no more than an hour and a half from Stockholm and just 15 minutes from Västerås. The city is located at a distance of around 30 kilometres from the Stockholm Västerås Airport.
No weekend to Hallstahammar can be complete without a trip down the Strömsholm Canal. You can choose between different types of guided canal boat tours and self-guided canoe trips - a small adventure in and of itself through all of the canal's locks. If you are interested in the canal's history, then you will enjoy a visit to the Canal Museum in Skantzen.
The Strömsholm Canal offers dozens of bathing sites and some great fishing, with the chance to catch rainbow trout, perch, pike and walleye. There is also a popular bicycle trail named Längs Strömsholms Kanal.
Hallstahammar offers many nature reserves and recreation areas full of beautiful nature trails with leafy trees, pine forests, ridges and inland lakes. For cascading waters and cosy woods, pay a visit to the Sörkvarnsforsen Nature Reserve. The best views in the area can be found by climbing up the Kyrkby Ridge, while the 250 km Bruksleden trail from Västerås to Avesta offers a rewarding challenge for serious hikers.
Strömsholm Palace is more than a royal palace famous for its horse races. The estate is also home to a beautiful park and a nature reserve that stretches down to Lake Mälaren. It's a great place to swim or skate, depending on the season.
For the ultimate tourist experience, go for a drive along the Tidö Tourist Route, which connects Hallstahammar and Västerås. Here you will not only drive past beautiful scenery, but you will also be able to take in two castles, some church ruins and several museums.
A sense of tranquil adventure awaits when you travel to Hallstahammar.
