Kumla: Churches, Limestone and Nature Experiences

Medieval churches, buildings made of Yxhult limestone and open landscapes give Kumla many different facets. When planning a trip, you can focus on historic sites and museums as well as hiking trails, nature reserves or outdoor activities. The sights range from traces of earlier church walls to art on a hill visible from far away.

Churches, Limestone and Architectural History

Kumla kyrka was a medieval pilgrimage church. In the 15th century, it acquired valuable furnishings and had its own local saint, Sankt Torkel. Darker areas of limestone in the floor of the present-day church mark the foundations of the former medieval building. Ekeby kyrka also brings together different eras: the church dates from the 18th century but preserves parts of an earlier medieval building in its walls. Its altar furnishings were created by Pehr Hörberg in 1793. At Hardemo kyrka, meanwhile, a grey limestone tower from the late 12th century stands beside a white nave from the 18th century.

Limestone also features in buildings beyond the churches. Kumla railway station was built in 1900 from Yxhult limestone, based on a design by Folke Zettervall; its roughly worked surfaces evoke medieval architecture. The station and Yxhult are protected historic buildings. In Yxhult, the buildings Stenhyvleriverkstaden, Huvudkontoret and Trilobiten recall the former heyday of lime burning and natural stone processing, and offer an insight into Swedish building culture. Stenarbetsmuseum Yxhult is dedicated to local stone processing. Its themes and exhibits include a marble collection, a marble floor and scale plaster models.

Industrial History, Museums and Art

Skoindustrimuseet tells a different story of local industry. Its exhibitions trace the development of the shoe industry and Swedish shoe fashion from 1890 to 1980. The museum also includes the authentic Bengtar-Sko shoe factory, where slippers, lace-up shoes and desert boots are made every day. For those interested in craftsmanship and design, this offers a different perspective on Kumla’s past from the churches or stone processing.

Around ten surviving buildings in Sannahed recall its former military era. About a hundred years ago, the area was one of Sweden’s largest military training and camp grounds. Husarofficersstugan illustrates how an officer of the Hussar Corps lived during training exercises in the 19th century; Officersmässen is also among the surviving buildings. Regementsmarschen, a hiking trail past memorial sites from this era, runs through this cultural and historic military landscape.

At 100-metre-high Kvarntorpshögen, Konst på Hög brings together art and industrial history. The sculpture park features works by leading Swedish artists; an audio guide explains each artwork and its artist. The approximately 200-metre-long Trappan, with 427 steps, takes visitors around 100 metres up to the summit. The hill’s history includes Sweden’s oil shale industry: the oil adventure lasted from 1940 to 1966. After oil shale extraction ended in the late 1960s, the hill became a landmark visible from far away in Närkeslätten.

Hiking Trails and Nature Areas

Kumla’s nature is expressed in a variety of landscapes. Norra Mossby Nature Reserve protects a rare, alvar-like limestone landscape with steppe-like vegetation and rich flora. A trail leads from the car park in the southwest through the reserve and connects at its northern boundary to a trail in Fjärilslandskapet between Kvarntorp and Hällabrottet. South of Hällabrottet lies Hällkistan Nature Reserve: an open meadow on lime-rich soil, with prehistoric stone cist graves. Hällkistan in Yxhult is one of the few graves from the Stone Age or early Bronze Age in Örebro County; the reserve also protects dry grassland flora that thrives on lime-rich soils.

For a choice of route lengths, Kvarntorps friluftsområde offers eight hiking trails ranging from 0.9 to 4.8 kilometres. The three mountain bike trails are between 4 and 17.5 kilometres long and have different levels of difficulty. A separate skills course is divided into technique, pump track and jumps sections. The options can therefore be compared by trail length and stated difficulty level. If you would rather explore a raised bog than woodland and limestone landscapes, Öjamossen is an approximately five-square-kilometre part of the former shallow lake Skarbysjön, which was drained in the 19th century.

More Ideas for Planning Your Trip

Djupadalsbadet has an indoor swimming pool with a swimming pool, a teaching pool with an adjustable floor and a leisure pool. In summer, an outdoor pool with a 50-metre pool, a teaching pool, a diving tower and two water slides adds to the facilities. Kumla stadspark has a 2.5-kilometre illuminated running and walking trail; in summer, visitors can also play mini golf, disc golf, padel, boules and volleyball there. The 11-metre-high Sjöparkens växthus is also located in the city park and includes a children’s greenhouse where various activities are held for younger visitors.

This gives you clear options when choosing when to travel and what to focus on: churches, stone processing and the shoe industry tell the story of Kumla’s architectural and economic history, while trails and nature reserves put landscapes and outdoor activity centre stage. Seasonal facilities such as the outdoor pool can be taken into account when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Kumla, Skyberga, Hallsberg, Lekeberg, Laxå, Karlskoga, Hällefors, Lindesberg

For the main travel overview: Örebro.