Page 241 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sweden

WESTERN SVEALAND  239

7 Filipstad
Värmland. Road 63. * 6,500. £ @
n Viktoriagatan 8, 0590-613 54.
_ Oxhälja Market (1st Sat in Sep).
Karl IX founded Filipstad in
1611, naming it after his son
Karl Filip. Mining, ironworking
and blacksmithing were the
mainstay of the town, but today
it is known for a very different Alfred Nobel’s laboratory in the Nobelmuseet, as it was when he died
type of industry – it is home to
the world’s largest crispbread including a foundry, gaming 8 Karlskoga
bakery, which bakes the famous house and pithead buildings. Värmland. E18. * 29,000. @
Wasabröd. A bread museum is Mineral hunters investigating n Kyrkbacken 9, 0586-614 74.
combined with the bakery – the slag heaps of Långban have _ Swedish Touring Car Champion-
both are open from Monday unearthed an exceptionally ship (mid-Aug). ∑ karlskoga.se
to Saturday. diverse collection of no less
Two of the town’s great sons than 312 minerals. Iron ore has been mined and
have contrasting memorials. processed in this area since the
A life-size sculpture by P Långban 13th century, but it was not
K G Bejemark of the popular 20 km (12 miles) N of Filipstad. until Alfred Nobel (see p75)
poet and songwriter Nils Ferlin Tel 0590-221 81. Open mid-Jun– bought the Bofors ironworks
(1898– 1961) in top hat and mid-Aug: daily. & 8 0 = and cannon factory in 1894 that
tails has been placed on a park the foundation was laid for
bench. Next to Daglösen lake Karlskoga’s expansion. During
stands inventor John Ericsson’s the 20th century, Bofors grew to
imposing mausoleum. He was become one of the world’s
a locomotive and warship leading arms manufacturers.
pioneer and inventor of the The Nobelmuseet in
screw propeller. Two Monitor- Björkborns manor, Nobel’s last
type cannons stand next to home, shows developments at
the monument. Bofors and offers an insight into
John Ericsson grew up along the life of the inventor. Nobel’s
with his equally illustrious laboratory is just as he left it when
brother Nils in the mining he died. The stable where he
community of Långban, 20 km kept his Russian stallions is now
(12 miles) north of Filipstad. an industrial museum displaying
Here an entire community built Statue of the poet Nils Ferlin on his park the history of the ironworks.
around iron has been preserved, bench in Filipstad Karlskoga’s only preserved
blast furnace can be found
at Granbergsdals Hytta, 10 km
The Inventor John Ericsson
(6 miles) north of the town.
The multi-talented Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson (1803– At the end of the Ice Age
89) was born in Långban, Värmland, where his father was mine water poured out from a lake
captain. At the age of 13, he was employed in the construction at Sveafallen near Degerfors,
of the Göta Canal (see p150), together with his brother, Nils (1802–70), 15 km (9 miles) south of
the father of the Swedish railway. He wrestled with the development Karlskoga. The landscape it
of a steam engine and in his early twenties went to England to created can be seen in the
exploit his invention. He constructed a groundbreaking engine Domedagsdalen (Doomsday
(1829) which, in the locomotive Novelty, valley) and from walking trails
took part in the Manchester–Liverpool through the nature reserve.
race and was narrowly beaten by Kristinehamn is an idyllic
George Stephenson’s Rocket. In the USA,
Ericsson designed the frigate Princeton, town 25 km (16 miles) west of
and fitted his newly created screw Karlskoga. Its claim to fame is
propeller. In competition, the ship Picasso’s 15-m (50-ft) high
claimed victory over the fastest paddle- sculpture of a Native American
steamer of the day, the Great Western. head to the south of the town.
Ericsson’s ultimate triumph came in the
American Civil War with the design of E Nobelmuseet
the armour-plated warship Monitor, with 2 km (1 mile) N of the centre.
a rotating cannon tower. She overcame Tel 0586-834 94. Open Tue–Sun (Jun–
John Ericsson’s mausoleum the Southern States’ Merrimac in 1862. Aug: daily). Closed some public hols.
& 8 (Swedish and English). =

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