Askeberga is a small village in Västergötland, close to the locality of Tidan. The village is famous for its archaeological findings, the stone ship that is the second-largest in Sweden, and one of the great archeological mysteries in the country.
A Short History of Askeberga
What is believed about the history of Askeberga is that this location for a long time has been a gathering spot for the local people. We don’t know for how long or exactly when it started, but the site is one of the big historical mysteries in Sweden. Archeological surveys have been limited in the village and the story is still left to be unfolded.
Things to Do and See
Unless you have friends in Askeberga and are heading here for a cup of coffee, then you are most likely here to admire the large stone formation, known as Askeberga Stone Ship. Its setting is very typical for the countryside of Västergötland. There are fields all around and a few cottages and farm buildings.
Askeberga Stone Ship
24 large stones make up the foundation of the large stone monument in Askeberga. Each of the stones weighs between 25 and 30 metric tons. They stand in the shape of an oval, measuring 53 meters long and 18 meters wide. The formation is usually referred to as a stone ship, but sometimes also as a stone circle. Neither description is believed to be completely accurate. If we consider it a stone ship, then it would be the second-largest after the Ale’s Stones in southern Sweden.
The formation is also known as Rane’s Stones. The origin of the name Rane is one more part of the area’s history that is disputed. The name was, according to the Icelandic Sagas, used by the Norse God Odin when he visited the world of the humans. Odin was the king of the Norse Gods and it is not unlikely that he was an important god in this area of Sweden. Could this be the Hall of Odin?
How to get to Askeberga
- Flights: The closest airport is Örebro Airport (ORB) 123 kilometers away, with mostly chartered flights. There is also the larger Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) 173 kilometres away, with both domestic and international flights.
- Car: Askeberga is close to Tidan and road 200, with Skövde to the south and Töreboda to the north.
- Train: There is no train service in the area.
- Bus: The closest bus stop is located in Tidan from where there are local buses to the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 322 kilometers (3h 32min)
- Gothenburg – 180 kilometers (2h 18min)
- Malmö – 402 kilometers (4h 35min)
- Linköping – 165 kilometers (2h 15min)
- Kiruna – 1419 kilometers (16h 28min)
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