Edsbro is a locality and former ironworks in the historical province of Uppland in eastern Sweden. The area and its around 590 inhabitants form today a part of Norrtälje Municipality in Stockholm County. They live in an area of Sweden where many ironworks were once in operation and company towns like Edsbro were common. Today this is an industrial heritage where the tower of the blast furnace is still an impressive sight.
A Short History of Edsbro
Edsbro was once home to several hillforts that protected the waterway through the area. These have since been replaced by the current settlement that developed around Edsbro Church. The church was built in the 13th century and was the center of the local parish. The industrial development here began in 1686. This was when a blast furnace and a forge were built here. It was a part of Skebo Bruk, a nearby ironworks in what is today Skebobruk. The production in Edsbro consisted of pig iron that was then used in the production in Skebobruk. The production of pig iron lasted until 1919 and it was only the First World War that saved Skebo Bruk from bankruptcy. This was inevitable once the war was over and the company ceased its operations in 1924.
Edsbro Parish was the center of social and religious life both in the settlement and in the company town until the Swedish Municipal Reform of 1862. This was when its responsibilities were split between the local government of Edsbro Municipality and the church congregation. The new municipality was in 1952 incorporated into Knutby Municipality which in 1971 was split up and the area of Edsbro became a part of Norrtälje Municipality. The church congregation is since 2010 a part of the Edsbro-Ununge Congregation.
Things to Do and See
The old ironworks, the church, and the hillfort are probably the main sights in this small locality. The center of Edsbro includes the local school with the public library as well as a grocery store and the small town Swedish requirement, the local pizzeria Edsbro Krog.
Edsbro Blast Furnace
Edsbro Blast Furnace and the surrounding company town are today a part of the industrial heritage of the area. Its tower still stands as one of the main landmarks in the area and there is a lot to explore in its vicinity. Some of the industrial buildings are today ruins, but there are many parts still standing.
Edsbro Church
The parish church was built in the 12th century and stands on a hill watching out over the locality. It is a stone church with an external wooden clock tower. The church is today a part of Edsbro-Ununge Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Åsavallen
The local heritage society has its home at Åsavallen. Åsavallen is something close to an open-air museum with traditional buildings and equipment. These red wooden buildings make it possible to dream back in time to a kind of life that today is almost forgotten. Most of the buildings have been moved here from the surrounding area with the oldest being Björksätragården dating back to 1651. Åsavallen is also used for events during the year, such as the midsummer celebrations.
Lundboborg Hillfort
The area around Edsbro has several ancient hillforts that once protected the waterway through the area. The largest of these was probably Lundboborg. It is believed to be a hillfort from the Iron Age, probably built in the 5th or 6th century. Considering that the water level in the area 2000 years ago is believed to have been 10 meters higher than today the waterways reached much further inland.
How to Get to Edsbro
- Flights: Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) is 56 kilometers to the southwest.
- Car: Edsbro is at the intersection between Road 280 and Road 282 to the east of Uppsala.
- Bus: Busses from UL connect Edsbro with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 77 kilometers (1 h 5 min)
- Gothenburg – 541 kilometers (6 h 14 min)
- Malmö – 685 kilometers (7 h 54 min)
- Linköping – 274 kilometers (3 h 8 min)
- Kiruna – 1219 kilometers (14 h 7 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
