Surahammar, Västmanland County, Västmanland Province, Sweden

🇸🇪 Surahammar is a locality and the seat of Surahammar Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden.

History During the reign of Gustav Vasa, there was a hammer in Surahammar. However, it is not known when the operation started, but it must have been before the year 1561. In 1637, a hammer with two hearths was erected by Axel Oxenstierna on the site where the current mill is located. In 1866, railway wheels and axles began to be manufactured and have been an important part of production ever since.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the sale of railway material declined. The mill's subsidiary Vagnfabriks-Aktiebolaget in Södertälge (Vabis) was therefore looking for new products to sell. The newly hired engineer Gustaf Erikson was sent on a study trip to Europe and back in Surahammar he built Sweden's first internal combustion engine car, which was his own construction with a kerosene engine. Vabi's first car hit the market in 1901.

Culture and sights Hembygdsgården contains historic buildings with objects, serving all year round at events.

The stone house is used for art exhibitions and is also the start and finish of the 2.5 km "historical walk" with information boards with unique historical images.

The Golden Wheel MC Museum contains, in addition to motorcycles and bicycles, a drivable replica of Sweden's first car, Gustaf Eriksson's carriage from 1897. The museum building has unique murals. Surahammar's mills museum shows the production chain from pig iron to railway wheels.

Localities • Ramnäs • Surahammar (seat) • Virsbo.

Economy Industry in Surahammar includes: • Surahammars Bruk AB - electrical steels • Adtranz Wheelset AB - wheelsets for the railroad industry • Metso Powdermet • Scana Ramnäs AB • Uponor Wirsbo AB • Ruukki Sverige AB, Virsbo

Economy: Tourist Industry The Strömsholm Canal has been restored and is a popular route for small yachts. One can navigate from Strömsholm Palace, one of the Royal Palaces in Sweden at lake Mälaren to Fagersta and Smedjebacken through several canal locks and lakes, a total distance of 100 km.

Ecomuseum Bergslagen gives an in-depth view of how the early industrialization evolved in the Bergslagen region. It consists of some 40 sites.