Dingtuna is a small locality in the province of Västmanland. It was once the church village for the Dingtuna parish but is today a part of Västerås Municipality. The closeness to Västerås is also what attracts many to this small place and why the population has passed 1000.
A Short History of Dingtuna
The name Dingtuna has an unknown origin, with the ending “tuna” usually referring to an enclosed area. The current locality has grown in an area that was previously the center of the Dingtuna Parish.
Dingtuna Parish
Dingtuna Parish, with the church village of Dingtuna at its center, originates from the Middle Ages. The church that still is standing was first opened around the 14th century.
Railway Community
The railway arrived here in the 1870s. Originally, it was a connection between Köping and Västerås. The modern part of the locality has grown around the station instead of the church, resulting in a slight movement of the center of the locality.
The passenger traffic did, however, no longer stop in Dingtuna after 1966. It took until 1995 before trains once more stopped here, connecting the locality with Fagersta, Ludvika, and Västerås. It is especially the closeness to Västerås that has accelerated the more recent growth of the locality as a residential area for people working in the much larger town of Västerås. This has meant that the population has almost doubled since the 1960s.
Things to Do and See
Dingtuna might be a small locality in the countryside, but that is also what adds to the charm of many places. Once the countryside or village life needs more excitement, then there is just a short ride to the town of Västerås.
Dingtuna Church
The church is without competition the most historical building still standing in the area. Its oldest parts date back to the 14th century, but it went through large alterations in the 1840s. Its paintings include pieces from the 15th century. The tower has actually been higher but was hit by lightning at the beginning of the 19th century, resulting in later decisions to shorten it.
Dingtuna Railway Station
The old railway station was opened in 1876. It has not been used as a station for decades and does today belong to local organizations. Its appearance has, however, not changed much since it was opened. The station was the filming location of scenes for the movie Lotta på Bråkmakargatan in 1992, which was based on the books by Astrid Lindgren.
The trains of today make their stops as a new station a bit further away. The current station is more modern, with concrete platforms.
Dingtunaspåret
Dingtunaspåret is a hiking path in the forest outside of the locality. Along the about 2-kilometer path a group has placed out 200 small figures known as Dingisar.
How to Get to Dingtuna
- Flights: The closest airport is Stockholm Västerås Airport (VST), 20 kilometers away, which has mostly low-cost carriers. In addition, there is Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN), 119 kilometers away with both domestic and international flights.
- Car: Dingtuna is close to the E18, west of Västerås.
- Bus: Local and regional buses from VL connect Dingtuna with the surrounding region.
- Train: Tåg i Bergslagen (TiB/SJ) has trains between Västerås and Ludvika that makes a stop in Dingtuna.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 120 kilometers (1h 19min)
- Gothenburg – 367 kilometers (4h 12min)
- Malmö – 592 kilometers (6h 9min)
- Linköping – 175 kilometers (2h 12min)
- Kiruna – 1218 kilometers (13h 45min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
