Öregrund

A timber town that survived seven fires

Öregrund was granted city rights in the 1490s and is today one of Sweden's smallest former cities. The town has burned down seven times — yet the majority of its buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries, making Öregrund one of the country's best-preserved timber towns.

The street network is tight and fragmented, the terrain hilly, and the houses are huddled together around a naturally deep bay on the Sunnanö peninsula. You can walk through the entire town in a morning, and that is probably the best way to see it.

Iron, seafaring and a disaster outside the harbour

The name was written in 1492 as Øregrundh and means roughly "gravel ground" — from ör, gravel. It is believed to refer to Dummelgrundet outside the harbour.

Öregrund was founded as a colony from Östhammar and became the shipping port for iron from the Uppland ironworks. The town was burned down by Christian II, restored by Gustav Vasa, and ravaged again during the Russian raids of 1719. Outside the harbour, a ship carrying the Catholic bishop Arvid Kurck from Åbo was wrecked in 1522 — all on board perished.

The spa town that made the city a summer destination

From the end of the 19th century until the Second World War, Öregrund was a popular spa town. The Assembly Rooms and turn-of-the-century villas remain from that era, as do the gardens.

The spa town period also shaped the city's economy in a way that is still evident today. Summer guests from the big cities bought up the houses, half the town stood empty for much of the year, tax revenues fell — and eventually Öregrund had to share a mayor with Östhammar before the cities merged in 1967. The population is still estimated to multiply several times over during the summer months.

Things to see

• Öregrund Church — a medieval stone church in the centre of town.
• The Bell Tower — it gives the town its characteristic silhouette for those arriving by sea.
• The Town Hall — a timber building from the mid-19th century.
• The Lightship Västra Banken — the superstructure is laid up as a monument on Fyrskeppsudden at the north side of the harbour.
• The Local History Farm — just beside the church.
• Tallparken — the open-air area on the edge of town.

Onwards to Gräsö

From Öregrund, a car ferry crosses to Gräsö, Sweden's tenth largest island. The crossing is short and the ferry is free. Many combine a day in the timber town with a trip out to the island.

How to get there

Öregrund is situated northeast of Östhammar, which is the municipality's central town. Buses run to and from Uppsala via Östhammar, Gimo and Alunda, and in summer there is also an express line the same way.