Skinnskatteberg Municipality
Encyclopedia
Skinnskatteberg Municipality (Skinnskattebergs kommun) is a municipality
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...

 in Västmanland County
Västmanland County
Västmanland County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders to the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala...

 in central Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. Its seat is located in the town of Skinnskatteberg
Skinnskatteberg
Skinnskatteberg is a locality and the seat of Skinnskatteberg Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden with 2,395 inhabitants in 2005.-External links:* - Official site...

.

In 1952 a new greater municipality was created when "old" Skinskatteberg was merged with Gunnilbo and Hed. The next subdivision reform of 1971 did not affect this entity.

Geography

8% of the area consists of water (streams or lakes). Good possibilities for outdoor activities such as walking, hunting and fishing.

History

The area was known as Skinnsäckeberg in the medieval age, which translates to "Skinsack mountain", perhaps referring to skinsacks used to carry material up to the mountains, but no one known for sure.

The area, located within the Mining district of Central Sweden
Bergslagen
Bergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages...

 (Bergslagen
Bergslagen
Bergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages...

) was a mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...

 district since the 14th century, mostly for iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

, but copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

 was also mined for.

Cultural life

The municipality has a fl owering cultural life with several theatre groups. There is an annual choral meeting, among other music activities. A pride is Galleri Astley in Uttersberg, which is an internatio­nally renowned art center and gallery with around 100 000 visits annually.

Ekomuseum Bergslagen shows the history and culture of iron. It is a museum without walls consis­ting more than 50 diff erent objects, extending through six municipalities. Twelve of those objects are situated in Skinnskatteberg.

Röda Jorden (The Red Soil) is Sweden’s to date oldest iron preparation site, active between 700 BC to 200 AD. There is a reconstruction of a furnace and a roasting hearth used to demonstrate the process. You can book a day of activities or for a shorter guidetour. You can also discover the area by yourself.

Kopparverket (The Copper Works) at Riddarhyttan has seen industrial activity since the Middle Ages. There are many buildings, ponds and ruins standing and a posted path to show the way.

Lienshyttan (The Blast Furnace of Lienshyttan) is from 1847. The Bastnäs mineral and mine area is one of the world’s richest mineral sites.

Färna bruk is an ironworks from the 16th century with a stately manor. There is also a remarkable mausoleum and a pavilion with lovely paintings. The manor house is a hotel sometime visited by the King of Sweden Carl XlV Gustav.

The Karmansbo bruksmiljö is a well-preserved industrial area with a mansion, workers residences, Lancashire forges and works offi ce. The manor house is a hotel there too. You can see the forges in work in one day in July every year or you can book it for a day of your own.

Ebba Brahes pavilion lies on an island below the Bockhammar manor, probably the oldest pavilion in the country.

This one is an octagonal, pink pavilion built in the 17th century. There is a summer café close.

Outdoor activities

The area has great possibilities for a rich outdoor life. There are 244 lakes and most of them are available for fi shing. Fishing is a widely spread activity in the district and attracts a lot of visitors. In most of the lakes you can take a swim. You can walk the Bruksleden Trail or the Ormdalen path in the Ormdalen area, which is a geologically interesting phenomenon. You can also take a trip along the canoe trails. The municipality has 13 nature reserves of diff erent kinds. You can walk in the footsteps of the Pilgrims. Romboleden, the trail of Rombo, leads from Köping to Trondheim in Norway where Saint Olov is buried, and passes Skinnskatteberg on its way.

Notability

The municipality has among the most mansions of Sweden's municipalities:
Baggå, Bernshammars, Färna, Jönsarbo, Karmansbo, Nyhammars, Skinnskatteberg and Uttersberg.

The mansion of Skinskatteberg is particularly well known. It was constructed in 1779 by architect Wilhelm Hising. Every year a choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

assembly is held by the mansion.

External links




Hotells and restaurants

Other sights and landmarks
  • Gunnilbo's Church
  • Hed's Church


Recreation
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