Arboga: City History and Trails

Arboga combines a town center with a medieval street plan and cultural sites with several marked trails. This gives you different themes to choose from when planning your trip: local history and church art in town, hiking trails, and cycling and canoeing experiences in the surrounding area.

City History and Cultural Sites

Arboga’s town center is one of the oldest in the country and preserves a medieval street plan. Because of its small-town character, with stone buildings and traditional wooden buildings, the town center has been designated an environment of national cultural and historical significance. Västerlånggatan is one of Sweden’s oldest streets. In the courtyard at number 1, underground, is the Bykista, the town’s former prison. It is opened to the public during special town tours or guided walks.

In Heliga Trefaldighets kyrka, murals depict Saint Francis and his life. The church also houses a Baroque pulpit carved in 1737 by court sculptor Buchard Precht. Öhrströms gård offers another perspective on the town’s history: the stone house, built in 1846 and renovated, has well-preserved late Empire-style interiors. The town museum there displays collections of silver, pewter and alroot, made by famous masters from Arboga.

Ahllöfsparken also offers historical and cultural points of interest. It has a medieval herb garden. Visitors can also try the Kägelbanan, an old, entirely manually operated wooden bowling alley. On Walpurgis Night, the park hosts the traditional Valborg festival, with choral singing and a spring address.

Walks and Hiking Trails

Hälsans stig is a five-kilometer, well-marked and signposted walking loop in the center of Arboga. For a route around a lake, the ten-kilometer Tjurlångsleden goes around Lake Tjurlången. There are three rest areas along the route, with wind shelters and barbecue areas. Check these facilities before your hike.

The 13-kilometer Säterboleden runs from Säterbo Church via Lugnet along the Hjälmare Canal to Finnhäll, Arboga’s highest point. For a shorter hike, you can start the trail at Hjälmare Docka. The five-kilometer loop close to the town center differs from these two hiking trails in both length and route.

The Ramstigen cultural and nature trail links sights on both sides of the Arbogaån with trails, maps and information boards. Along the way, it passes the Kalkugnsberget nature reserve, the frog ponds at Gärdselbäcken and the Gålsjön bird lake. This gives it a different focus from the loop trails: several named natural sites are part of the route. Before hiking the Säterboleden, check access to the trail and the conditions.

Canals and Activities in the Surrounding Area

The area around the Hjälmare Canal, near Arboga, offers nature trails, oak avenues and bathing spots. The Hjälmare Canal is 13.7 kilometers long in total and has nine locks. If you’re planning a longer bike ride, you can start at Hjälmare Docka on a marked bike route of almost 60 kilometers, which leads to Notholmen, where the canal meets Lake Hjälmaren.

A canoe trip is also possible in the area: paddlers can start at Kvarnsjön, rent a canoe there and travel ten kilometers south without passing through any locks, as far as the inlet of Lake Hjälmaren. Bikes can be rented from Arboga Tourist Information or at Hotel Rasta; check availability in advance.

Events and Getting There

Arboga Medeltidsdagar takes place every year in August, with jousting, craft markets, music and talks. If you’d like to plan your trip around the event, check the dates for the relevant year. This will help you plan your visit to the event alongside the other themes of your stay.

Arboga train station is centrally located on Centrumleden; both trains and buses stop there. Arboga is served by the Mälarbanan and Svealandsbanan rail lines, with train services operated by SJ. Check the timetable before travelling. You can contact the tourist information office year-round by email, phone and through its website. It is also available by prior appointment; Arboga also has six InfoPoints.

For the main travel overview: Arboga.